Tuesday 30 April 2013

Adopted

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Romans 8:14-17

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ  has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:1-5

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 
1 John 3:1

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:12-13

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:26-29



I have many friends that struggle with thinking of God as a father. Either because their fathers were absent in their lives as children or because they had a horrible relationship with their father. 

There were times in my life when I struggled with thinking of God in that way but only because I found it easier to think of God as a big, scary, all powerful being than as a loving, caring and merciful, Fatherlike God. 

As I have grown up and had children of my own I have been able to see God as more of a loving Father. Seeing my husband's heart melt when he held our babies or the obvious joy that he has when playing with them or teaching them something, helps me understand the Parentlike heart of God. 

Being a parent allows me to experience the pain we feel when our children are hurting.  I feel the hurt when I have to discipline or say no to the little sad scrunched up face that is devastated by not getting what they want. I have the blessing of being merciful and showing forgiveness and love to my children.  

Being a parent has allowed me to understand the heart of my heavenly Father so much more.  

I have felt the love that overwhelms and brings me to tears. The joy that makes me want to give my children the moon just to keep them from sadness. The hurt from watching my children hurting. 

That is what He does for us.  


He loves beyond measure. 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8


For great is his love toward us, 
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. 
Praise the Lord. 
  Psalms 117:2



He forgives us when we sin.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 
1 John 1:9

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.
Ephesians 1:7



He rejoices over us. 

As a young man marries a young woman,
    so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
    so will your God rejoice over you.

Isaiah 62:5

The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17 


He gives us gifts. (blessings)

This is my Grandpa, my Uncles, and the front
 little one is my dad.  Grandpa died when my dad
was 6 but left a lasting impression on each of his
children, he was a great dad. 
Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4

Deuteronomy 28 




I pray that today you feel the love of the Father. Even if you are not a parent or have never had good experiences with parents, today I hope that you can feel the love of the Father God. That the idea of a Father God does not harden your heart but that you can see the parent you wished you had and understand the love from a God that is a better parent than anything we could ever imagine. 

Blessings my family. 













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