Reflection: Every one of us has to face the fact that when we are reconciled to God, we are adopted into his family — not as slaves or servants — but as sons and daughters of the Father. And, as such, we discover the wonder of unconditional love and unbridled acceptance. The Bible celebrates the fact that followers of Christ have been ‘adopted’ as God’s children. We’ve been accepted and chosen by him.
There is something very special about the adoption process. Parents expand their family, and they open their hearts and homes to welcome in a vulnerable child.
I vividly remember standing beside a mature aged woman as she interacted with the man who had adopted her over 60 years earlier — her father. He was in the final hours of this earthly life. Many words could have been said in that moment, but in their final exchange she used only five — “Thank you for choosing me.”
What a magnificent understanding of the love and kindness that undergirded the acceptance she’d received from him. That’s what God has done — because of Jesus.
Prayer: Thank you for accepting me, Lord; for bringing me into your family. I gratefully accept your amazing grace. I invite your Holy Spirit to continue to show me how to embrace you as Father (Romans 8:15).