Our Father by William N. Glenn

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 22, 1883

"Our Father."

By William N. Glenn

THE Saviour of the world taught his disciples to address his Father as their Father. All disciples, from that day to this, have the same privilege. This is the closest imaginable relationship both to the Father and the Son—"heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ." Just in proportion as we realize the affectionate consideration of a father for his children, will we appreciate the tender, loving care of God for his creatures. Yet it is impossible for us by such a comparison to understand fully our Heavenly Father's regard for us; he is more willing than earthly parents to give good things to them that ask him.

We can contemplate God as the Creator of the universe; we can admire his wonderful works in calling into being myriads of worlds, and maintaining the equilibrium of their movements and relations to each other, and in some small degree comprehend his wisdom and power. We can contemplate his mercy, when a small part of his domain had fallen under the power of the enemy, that prompted him to provide for its redemption, even at the sacrifice of his Son; and we can see that it is in keeping with his kind providence, and lay hold of the situation by faith. We can contemplate him as a stern judge, dealing in strict justice, and stand in awe of him, realizing that in and of ourselves we have no claim to anything short of the full penalty of the law. We can perhaps come nearer comprehending him in this light than in any other.

But there is one sense in which we entirely fail to lay hold of him. We fail in taking him as our Father, and dealing with him as such from day to day. This seems too much for our small stock of faith. We nominally accept the situation of children, we formally call the Almighty our Father, at stated times and under certain circumstances; but when it comes to practically carrying out the relationship, we come far short. If we could but realize this close connection, and trust him implicitly, believing that the gold and the silver are his, and the cattle upon a thousand hills, and that he is more willing to give than earthly parents are, how much trouble and worry it would save us.

How much peace of mind, growth in grace, and sweet communion with Heaven we might enjoy, if we could practically believe that the God of the universe is our Father indeed. There would be no lack for want of asking, or failure through asking amiss. When we read the parable of the prodigal son, we at once feel that he acted wisely in returning to his father's house, where he knew there was bread enough and to spare, even though he only contemplated the position of a hired servant; yet how many are failing to profit by the lesson of the parable. How many are starving upon husks, in the daily companionship of demoralizing habits, away from the family circle, just for lack of faith to go daily to the Father's house, where there is enough and to spare, to be had for the asking.

When our children apparently fail to reciprocate our intended kindness, and come short of appreciating what we designed for their good, and become peevish because they cannot have their own way, and manifest a disposition for the time to withdraw from our confidence, we feel that they are very ungrateful and even foolish for standing in their own light, and debarring themselves of pleasure they might otherwise enjoy. Yet we do the same things ourselves, in a more aggravated and inexcusable manner, by our daily lack of childlike confidence in the Heavenly Father. While we professedly acknowledge him as our Father, we act very much the part of unruly children, who are impelled to obey from a fear of punishment rather than from a sense of duty or a spirit of love. "Nearer, my God, to thee," must become a sentiment of the heart as well as a song in the mouth, if Christians will maintain their standing through the temptations of the last days. W. N. GLENN.