I Have Been Adopted

Third Day - Children of God.

Galatians 4:4-6 But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." 

Adoption isn't anything to be ashamed of, after-all God doesn't have any biological children, every one of them has become a member of his family through adoption, God chooses us to be his people and brings us into the family tree.

Here is what scripture tells us about adoption:

✔  God adopts those whom he loves and has predestined to be his children (Ephesians 1:4-6)
✔  It is through Jesus Christ that God’s children are adopted (Ephesians 1:4-6, Galatians 4:4-5)
✔  God adopts his children so that he might display the glory of his grace (Ephesians 1:4-6)
✔  God has secured this adoption by his Spirit (Romans 8:15)
✔  Our adoption makes us eager for Christ’s return (Romans 8:23)

Don't Try To Put God In A Box

Jesus disciples turned into Pharisees.

Luke 18:15-17 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him.

16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

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It is the parents versus the disciples in the scriptures today. The parents were doing what they should do, we can probably all agree that parents should bring their children to Jesus, but the disciples didn't think so.

Jesus disciples told the parents to get out of the way, Jesus was too important to be bothered with children. It seems to me that in an instant the disciples have become just the same as the Pharisees, with their rules about who could come and do what before God, they were trying to be in control.

Their culture didn't give children much in the way of rights and respect but Jesus rebuked his disciples and told them that they were way off base. He told them that God's Kingdom belongs to the childlike and that you must receive the Kingdom of God like a child.

The disciples didn't learn the first time

Luke 9:46-48 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus knew their thoughts, so he brought a little child to his side. 48 Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest."

The disciples already had a lesson that included children but they didn't get it. Did you catch what Jesus said in verse forty-eight? They were told in the previous lesson that "anyone who welcomes a child welcomes Jesus" but now they are telling the parents to get the children out of there. Make any sense?

In both of these scriptures we can learn a valuable lesson about the importance of children to our Lord.  Jesus tells us that their demeanor is pleasing to him. Jesus wants us to come to him as an obedient, trusting child, just like a hurt child that comes for comfort in daddy arms, a child that comes in humility to their caring father after they have done wrong. 

Children are anxious to imitate their parents, putting on their clothes and playing dress up, Jesus wants us to be like that as well, impressionable and willing to imitate him with a sincere heart. (Ephesians 5:1, Philippians 2:5)

We can also see how quickly that we can all become religious and act like the disciples did, we like to be in control and have everything just right, problem is our idea of what is just right is usually not what God intended. It is very easy to try and push our own agenda off on God.

I need to be sensitive to your leadership Lord. Help me to resist putting you in the box and help me to stay in the center of your will.

Eli Instructs Samuel

scripture

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1 Samuel 3:7 Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. 8 So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went back to bed.

10 And the LORD came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”11 Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in Israel.

19 As Samuel grew up, the LORD was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable. 20 And all Israel, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, knew that Samuel was confirmed as a prophet of the LORD. 21 The LORD continued to appear at Shiloh and gave messages to Samuel there at the Tabernacle.

observation

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Judgment had been pronounced on Eli and his sons in the previous chapter for their disrespect for the Lord, the Lord revealed his plans to Samuel in a vision.

The Lord chose to appear to Samuel instead of Eli the High Priest, Eli could have felt insulted that God chose to speak to Samuel instead of him. Instead Eli chose to instruct Samuel and guide him, one of the most important jobs we have is to teach our youth about God.

Eli pressed Samuel for the details of God’s message and he was humble and didn't try to argue his case before God.

1Samuel 3:18 So Samuel told Eli everything; he didn’t hold anything back. “It is the LORD’s will,” Eli replied. “Let him do what he thinks best.”

application

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I must continue to be an example for my kids and encourage their passion to grow spiritually.

prayer

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Thank you Lord for the privilege to work for you and to be an example for the next generation. I pray that they will be more spiritually minded than I was at their age.