As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you…. Isaiah 66:13

The Bible refers to God as a father and likens God to a mother. These metaphors are a way that we can relate the unknowable to something familiar. Yet many of us have painful or nonexistent relationships with our earthly parents. This can taint our association with God as a parent-figure.

The Bible gives us clues about God’s parenting. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “our father….” Calling God our Father expresses God’s desire for relationship with us. According to Ephesians 1:4, God chose us as children before the world was even created. Being chosen by a holy parent can be especially healing for those of us with painful childhoods.

Jesus taught that we can ask and expect God to fulfill our daily needs, such as bread to eat. We can depend on God as a young child depends on a trustworthy and comforting mother (Isaiah 66:13).  As God’s children, God, our perfect parent, provides all that we need so it’s our family duty to feed our brothers and sisters with the resources God provides; hunger wouldn’t happen if we shared what we’ve been given.

The work of God, as spiritual parent in our lives, is not confined by the failures of any earthly parent. Just as a good parent would always there for a child, so God’s presence is with us always. God sent His son, Jesus, to guide us home to be with God in person, and Jesus says He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

 

Resource reading: Ephesians 1:3-14