Monday, June 22, 2026

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 2-3 | Philippians 3

Characteristics of God: He is a father.

Romans 8:15
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

I become so afraid and angry when things don’t go the way I picture them in my mind. However, thanks to the Holy Spirit, I have learned to understand the true meaning of being a child of God.

Whenever I face a challenge, I call to mind what he has told all his children - we are not fearful slaves, but rather his adopted children. He is our Father. And like any good father, he does not hide from us. He is always there with us, through the presence of his Spirit, which we receive when we accept his Son as Lord and Savior of our lives.

1 John 3:1
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

Experienced Christ followers know that our Father, God, never turns away from us. It is when we turn away from him that we get lost. We become slaves to sin when we turn our attention and concern toward the opinions and/or people of this world ahead of God. At that point, we struggle to even recognize God amid whatever challenge we are facing. This is why he instructs us to always place him first in our hearts.

Proverbs 23:26
O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes take delight in following my ways.

The good news is that even if we turn away from our Father over and over again, he is always there waiting for us to turn back to him as we call out, “Abba!” No matter the challenge we face, we have the chance to place our Father first in our thoughts and actions.

God, our father, is always waiting for you.

Questions:
Are you currently facing a challenge in your life? If so, have you placed your faith and trust in God regarding a resolution to the challenge you’re facing?

Next Steps:
Assess how much time you have spent worrying and trying to control the circumstances surrounding your current challenge. Write down what you can do to help yourself or others through this challenge. Then do what you can, give the rest of it over to God, and rest in him.

Prayer is just a conversation with God, so talk to him throughout the days ahead and listen for his subtle whispers on your heart.

Prayer:
Father, thank you for always being there for me, even when I turn my back on you and walk away, and even when I place the troubles of this world above you in importance. I am so grateful that you forgive me and that you're always there when I'm ready to turn back to you. I enjoy our conversations, and I am grateful for the subtle ways that you respond to me and for the clarity of your Word. I am grateful for what Jesus did for me, welcoming me into your family. I am now called your child, and you are my Father! It is in your son’s most holy name that I pray, amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Jeremiah 9:23-24a
This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord….”

Written by Linda Repka, a writing contributor to the Daily.