28TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

In love he destined us for adoption to himself. 

Did you know that one out of twenty-five families with children in America has adopted a child? You may even know someone who has. Adoption is about love and a parent’s longing to protect and support a child who cannot thrive otherwise. It’s about choosing to enter into a relationship with a child that is not your own biologically. It’s about making a home and bestowing the same love and the same privileges of family on an adoptive child as on a natural-born heir.

This is what God has done for you. Before the world even began, God chose you for adoption into his own family (Ephesians 1:4).

That means you belong to an eternal family, with God himself as the head. As Father, he provides for you. He protects and feeds and teaches you. He gives you a place of belonging and the promise of his love. God delights in granting you those privileges, along with all the supports you need to grow as a member of his family. When you fall, he helps you up again. And when you succeed, he cheers you on.

Believe it! You belong to God. That means when you give in to temptation, he will always take you back. You have not forfeited your place as his child. So when guilt, anxiety, or fear assails you, know that you belong to a Father who will never leave you to struggle alone. When you are at odds with your spouse, he will assure you that both of you have been adopted—you have one Father, who wants to help you love each other as much as he loves you.

You don’t have to live as an orphan. You don’t have to feel vulnerable or alone. God, your heavenly Father, is with you right now. He wants to protect and nurture you. He is willing to sit down with you in the middle of whatever mess you are in, take you into his arms, and comfort you. He is also ready to lead you out of difficulties or support you through them. God has adopted you. He wants you to thrive in every way.

“Father, thank you for adopting me. I trust you to provide what I need to live as a full member of your family.”

Ephesians 1:1-10
Psalm 98:1-6
Luke 11:47-54