A little boy was standing on the banks of the Mississippi River waving and shouting at a steamboat that was going by. He was beckoning the steamboat to come to shore. A stranger came by and said, "That's foolish young man. The boat will never come ashore for you. The captain is too busy to notice your waving and shouting." Just then, the boat turned and headed for shore. The little boy grinned and said to the stranger, "The captain is my daddy."²

The captain of the universe is our Abba Father. He is our daddy and is always attentive to our call because he loves us. We may think that he is too busy to care about what is going on in our lives, or perhaps we think that our situation is not as important as others, so we withhold ourselves from calling on Him, but He wants to hear from us. Just like the father in today's illustration, he is ready to come to us when we call on Him. We can confidently share our successes and failures, joy and sorrow, pain and victory... anytime, anywhere. He is there.

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."³

Suggested prayer: Dear God, thank you for giving me the privilege of being your child. Thank you for loving me and caring about every aspect of my life. I pray that you would help me daily seek to build a closer relationship with you and learn from you as you speak to me through your Word. Thank you for being such an amazing Father and for the encouragement and strength you provide. In Jesus' name, amen.

1. Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV).

2. www.sermoncentral.com

3. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NIV).