Eph 1:5 In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will...
One of the hardest things for me to grasp in this Christian walk is the fact that it pleases God to love me. It actually gives God pleasure to lavish his love, grace and blessings upon my life. In the first chapter of Ephesians Paul writes that we are adopted as sons through Christ to God according to the pleasure of His will. That statement is so powerful for me specifically because of the word "adoption". This word sticks out because I know that I sometimes don't live my life as though I have been lovingly adopted by God the Father, but instead I find myself living life as if I am an unwanted step child. Oh how life would change if we lived as though we were wanted and not pitied. Let me further explain myself.
The word adopted here literally means "to place one as a son". Meaning this person has been placed in a position and given rights as ones own child! The adopted then inherits everything a blood child would inherit. It is to formally and legally declare that someone who is not ones own child is from this point forward to be treated and cared for as ones own child!
Now of course this is referring to tangible possessions as well but I what I really want to focus in on is the fact that this is more importantly focusing on the intangible benefits of adoption. I am speaking about the love that comes with this type of adoption. It is so hard for most to imagine and understand the love of God, let alone receive it, but yet it has been given to us and even lavished on us freely, simply because it gives Him pleasure to do so. It pleases God to love me without restraint. It pleases God to give me all of His affection, time, attention, and favor just as He would give His own Son.
It is through Christ that I now can stand next to Jesus and also cry out "Father". It is through Jesus that I can be totally and completely adored by God Himself, just as a Father adores his newborn daughter. This is what it means to be adopted as sons, and yet I don't live as though I have all these benefits with God. At times I act as though I am a burden to God. I act as though God wouldn't dare want to hear about my problems, or want to hold me when I am crying. I think of God as too big, and too Holy, and too busy to even begin to know the things going on with me, let alone have time to tend to them. Why? Why do I place all these presuppositions on God? Why do I make God out to be this distant God who is incapable of possessing feelings toward me and my situations. This is the same God who told me to "cast all my cares on Him". The same God who told me to "boldly come to the throne of grace". The same God who told me that if I seek Him first then all my needs will be met. And this is the same God who lovingly adopted me through Christ unto Himself. He calls me His own and we must begin to see ourselves as just that. We are not pitied but we are loved. We are not forsaken but we are desired. He lovingly adopted me and it pleased Him to do so. I AM LOVED!
Dear God,
Would you help me to realize the position you have put me in. Would help me to live in your love for me. You have pleasure in your father-daughter relationship with me. That is what makes you happy, and so God I will honor it. Help me to allow you to love me. Help me to receive the affection that you desire to give. I am a daughter if the King and will act as such! Thank you. Amen.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
No Excuse!
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ...
The Lord spoke very simply to me this morning by reiterating the fact that I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Listen to that: I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. What does that mean? What kind of impact is this supposed to have on my life? If I have every blessing that I could possibly have then that means I never lack in my possession of these blessings but rather in the manifestation of their purpose.
In thinking about this verse I am reminded of the time when my husband and I purchased our oldest daughter her first toddler bed. When we opened the box we saw that the bed came in a million different little pieces and that it was up to us to put the bed together. So here my husband is surrounded by piles and piles of individual pieces and one simple instruction manual. In this instance the purpose of these pieces was to make a bed and he had been given everything he needed in order to make him successful in completing his purpose. So the only thing that could keep him from not reaching his goal or his purpose was not acting. That bed was never gonna get built by my husbands inactivity. And if the bed didn't get built it wouldn't have been anyone else's fault but my husbands for choosing not to act, seeing as how everything was already provided for him.
In the same way God has blessed us or given to us everything we could possibly ever need to be successful in this Christian walk. He has given us everything we could ever need to be able to walk holy and blamelessly before Him. We have it all right in front of us as well as the Ultimate Instruction Manual to guide us in how to do it, and yet we don't act. Why is it that I use every excuse in the book as to why I have not grown spiritually in the past year. Why do I think it is OK to not spend time in the word and then wonder why I continue to struggle with the same sin and strongholds over and over again. I am beginning to realize that God's ultimate purpose for us is intimacy with Him which produces holiness and righteousness in our lives. He has given us everything we could ever need to fulfill that purpose, all we have to do is act. So no more excuses, no more reasoning, no more procrastinating. If I am not achieving holiness and intimacy with God it is no ones fault but my own for not stepping out and using all of the blessings God has given me to be able to attain to that. I can do this! We can do this!
God I thank you for your grace and for your provision in my life. I thank you that you did not leave me alone to figure this thing out and also that you did not make the Christian life unattainable. I thank you that your death gave me everything I needed to walk in a manner worthy of your calling. God help me to seek you for wisdom and guidance everyday. For it is only in You that I have everything and it is aside from you that I have nothing! Amen.
The Lord spoke very simply to me this morning by reiterating the fact that I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Listen to that: I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. What does that mean? What kind of impact is this supposed to have on my life? If I have every blessing that I could possibly have then that means I never lack in my possession of these blessings but rather in the manifestation of their purpose.
In thinking about this verse I am reminded of the time when my husband and I purchased our oldest daughter her first toddler bed. When we opened the box we saw that the bed came in a million different little pieces and that it was up to us to put the bed together. So here my husband is surrounded by piles and piles of individual pieces and one simple instruction manual. In this instance the purpose of these pieces was to make a bed and he had been given everything he needed in order to make him successful in completing his purpose. So the only thing that could keep him from not reaching his goal or his purpose was not acting. That bed was never gonna get built by my husbands inactivity. And if the bed didn't get built it wouldn't have been anyone else's fault but my husbands for choosing not to act, seeing as how everything was already provided for him.
In the same way God has blessed us or given to us everything we could possibly ever need to be successful in this Christian walk. He has given us everything we could ever need to be able to walk holy and blamelessly before Him. We have it all right in front of us as well as the Ultimate Instruction Manual to guide us in how to do it, and yet we don't act. Why is it that I use every excuse in the book as to why I have not grown spiritually in the past year. Why do I think it is OK to not spend time in the word and then wonder why I continue to struggle with the same sin and strongholds over and over again. I am beginning to realize that God's ultimate purpose for us is intimacy with Him which produces holiness and righteousness in our lives. He has given us everything we could ever need to fulfill that purpose, all we have to do is act. So no more excuses, no more reasoning, no more procrastinating. If I am not achieving holiness and intimacy with God it is no ones fault but my own for not stepping out and using all of the blessings God has given me to be able to attain to that. I can do this! We can do this!
God I thank you for your grace and for your provision in my life. I thank you that you did not leave me alone to figure this thing out and also that you did not make the Christian life unattainable. I thank you that your death gave me everything I needed to walk in a manner worthy of your calling. God help me to seek you for wisdom and guidance everyday. For it is only in You that I have everything and it is aside from you that I have nothing! Amen.
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