I know my Daddy...and I love Him completely.

I'm going to ask you to suspend, for just a moment, our current cultural climate where gender equality is the norm. That was no where close to the cultural circumstances in biblical times. As a matter of fact, gender equality in certain societal aspects is a relatively new concepts on the timeline scale of history.

Now before my brilliant and lovely female Kingdom Blogger co-writers cut me off at the knees, please hear me out. I'm not saying the patriarchal dominant ways of the past are completely right or even a preference... that's just the way they were. God established the system, and in typical fashion, man has abused that system.

I say all that (reluctantly) to get to my answer on this week's topic of the title I use when addressing God on a personal level from the many names He carries.

"'Abba, Father,' he said, 'everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.'" (Mark 14:36)

When Jesus was conversing with the Father in Gethsemane, He used the Aramaic term 'Abba' that expresses best the relationship between a small child and father.  A term of endearment akin to our word daddy. Why? Wasn't Jesus in fact God too?

Of course, the answer to that is absolutely Jesus was both man and God. We see His example of prayer throughout the New Testament as a demonstrative measure of how we should picture our own relationship with God. Also keep in mind, this was completely a foreign concept to the Jews. To refer to God in such an intimate fashion would have been considered blasphemous and disrespectful for a culture that didn't even mutter His name at all out of deep respect...and religious tradition naturally.

When Jesus provides the instruction in Matthew (Lord's Prayer) and then follows up with numerous examples from His own prayers with the Father, He is given us the true picture of how God wants our relationship to be with Him. He is our provider, protector and comforter...just as our earthly father should be when we are but children. Fact of the matter is even if our relationship with our biological father goes south, we always have our Abba Father. He promises to never leave or forsake us.

I can think of no better role model to exemplify in my own role as a father. I call out to my Abba Father quite frequently...He is and always will be my Daddy.