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Abba

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Romans 8:15

Paul writes, "[We] have received the spirit of adoption by which we cry out 'Abba! Father'" (Romans 8:15). Adoptive parents understand these words. They know what it means to have an emptiness in their hearts, to hunt, set out on a mission, take responsibility for a child with a spotted past and a dubious future. And that’s what God did for you! Knowing full well the trouble you’d be and the price He’d pay, He sought you, found you, paid an awesome price, signed the papers, gave you His name, took you home and gave you the right to call Him ‘Abba’, which literally means, ‘My daddy’. Don’t you love it? Adoption isn’t something you earn. It’s a gift you receive. Can you imagine prospective parents saying, “We’d like to adopt little Johnnie, but first we want to know does he have a house, money for tuition, a ride to school in the morning and clothes to wear every day?” No agency would stand for such talk. They’d say: “Wait a minute, you don’t adopt little Johnnie because of what he has, you adopt him because of what he needs. He needs a home.” Paul didn’t say we’ve earned the spirit of adoption. He said we’ve received it. Why’s that important? Because, if we can’t earn it by our great efforts, we can’t lose it through our poor performance. How reassuring! Why do any parents want a child? To love and to share their life with - and that’s how God feels about you today!