Adoption Into God’s Family

Unfortunately, the adoption of a child can be a long, expensive, and sometimes frustrating process. But, it is a wonderful thing that the adopting parents are doing for the adopted child. They welcome the child into the newly enlarged family and give the child their name and all the blessings of their family.

John 1:12-13 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” Those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and LORD become the true children of God. Through this adoption, we become members of the royal family,  children of the King of kings, Lord of lords, Almighty God. We are escorted into His glorious presence by our Lord Jesus, who intercedes on our behalf. We receive the Father’s blessings and are welcomed into His family forever.

Making Things Move

Yesterday, I was trying to move chairs in an auditorium to a different location. Chairs were already stacked as much as 6 or 7 high and I just needed to use a handtruck to move them. I moved a couple stacks fairly easily, but I just could not move the third stack or any others. I simply did not have the strength. I haven’t worked on muscle strength for quite some time and apparently my muscles haven’t remained toned.

Luke 17:5-6 says, “The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’ And the Lord said, ‘If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.'” Faith begins with surrender to God, acknowledging that with God nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37). Then faith is really only true faith when it is exercised. As we exercise faith, we learned to trust God more and our faith becomes stronger.

The Crowd Cheers

I have often wondered what it would feel like to be on the playing field in front of a large crowd. What would go through my mind if I was able to do something great and the crowd rose up in celebration? How would I feel if I made some costly mistakes, and how would the crowd react.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” God has assembled all of heaven to cheer us on. The crowd is excited and animated in encouraging us. As a result, we are strengthened and can endure by just turning away from sin and keeping our eyes on Jesus. He will perfect our faith. The celebration has begun. Join the Christ followers on the field and observe the great cloud of witnesses that will cheer you on.

A Vacation That Wasn’t

Have you ever gone on a vacation with the single desire to rest, but found that you were more tired when you returned than went you left for the vacation? I sure have. Sometimes we have planned so much activity that requires so much energy that I am exhausted afterwards. Other times, we have simply spent too much time with other people, which for an introvert like me can be quite exhausting also. What can we do to find rest for our souls?

Hebrews 4:9-10 says, “So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.” One of the great benefits of trusting God is the rest that He provides. We are no longer under a religious system of works and performance, but rather we have the blessing of trusting in God’s provided salvation, mercy, and grace. When we wait upon Him to work on our behalf, rather than initiating works in efforts to satisfy our longing for rest, we find God’s Sabbath rest.

Self-Help or God’s Help

We are inundated these days with people offering to make our lives better. From the self-help books and seminars to the hacks offered online, people think that they know a better way and offer to help us, often at some cost. While many of these “helps” can offer limited and temporary assistance, their long-term effects are debatable.

Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” God’s Word is not a stale document telling of an ancient people. It is alive, meaning that it instructs us in whatever we are going through today. Through His Word, God is able to reach us, even into our intentions and thoughts, and give us the truth in a way that helps, supports, challenges, and encourages us.