On January 11, 2025 my best friend from college, Joe Grayton, texted me. He wanted suggestions for good devotionals to read. I didn’t respond immediately because, from my perspective, there wasn’t that many to recommend that are relevant to real life that also traverse the reader to an encouraging and convicting spiritual or biblical solution.
As I wrote in my memoir, No Hugs Allowed, “I grew up reading dry, boring devotionals, the ones where the writer jumps to a Bible verse or religious verbiage in the opening sentence, instead of warming up the reader by talking about real-life situations as a bridge to spiritual things.” (page 214)
I only sent Joe three meditative book titles that had helped me, but that was before I picked up Everyday Gospel (A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life) by Paul David Tripp at my local Barnes and Noble bookstore. There are no more Christian bookstores in our area so I depend on the “religious” section of Barnes, where I love to hang out. I can usually be found there holding a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks while searching for books.
I bought Mr. Tripp’s book and as I began reading his words, one particular selection got my attention, which made me cry: “I had a hard talk with my teenage son. It was late at night, and I think both of us just wanted to go to sleep. It had been hard going, but I thought the talk had ended on a good note. As I walked out of his room, I said, “I am so glad we talked.” But I heard my son say, “I didn’t.” “You didn’t what?” I asked. He said, I didn’t talk, because you didn’t give me a chance.” I walked back in his room, sat down on his bed, and said, “Talk to me now.” He said, “When you came in this room, you had already made your judgment. We weren’t having a conversation; you were just announcing my punishment. I didn’t have an opportunity to explain why I did what I did because you weren’t interested.” His words pierced my heart. He was exactly right. He had made me angry, and I had judged him without any facts. I had gone into that room to enact discipline, but I had totally missed the opportunity to hear my son, to see into his heart, and to love him with fatherly and gospel love. In that moment there was a bit of a role reversal. God, in his faithful grace, raised up the son to parent the father. I am thankful that God is so unrelentingly committed to his redeeming work that, in his infinite wisdom, he uses whatever instrument at whatever time is best.” (page 170)
Earthly fathers fail. I know I did even when I tried my best to be a good father to our two girls. But Abba, which means “spiritual Daddy” in the Greek, never fails. He listens to our cries, complaints and cares. He is the best listener there ever was or ever will be. And to talk to him should be as natural as breathing. Prayer is our spiritual oxygen.
I am crazy about the verse I found in the scriptures one early morning. “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1-2, NLT, emphasis mine)
Ann Voskamp wrote, “When heaven is really your motherland, then prayer is really your mother tongue, and you can’t help but yearn to speak in the language of your Father now. (The Way of Abundance, page 142)
When was the last time you got up in Abba’s lap and shared all of your heart? He is The Listening Father.
