Our Inheritance

 

     God gave us Jesus, His Son, to show us who He is. The death and resurrection of Christ opened up the door to heaven for us, now and as we leave this earth. How wonderful to be heirs of the kingdom of heaven.

     Just as our parents leave us with an inheritance, of genes, of family wisdom, of love and character and of their worldly possessions, we inherit even more from our Father in heaven. He has given us the keys to His kingdom through Jesus!

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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundations of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1:3=5

     Missing your earthly father? Missing ever having a loving father? Let our Father fill in any gaps in your life with His unending love. Your belief in Jesus brings about every spiritual blessing, a home in heaven, and a loving Father and Son to walk with you every step of the way. Their love is unconditional, their Spirit alive and well within you, along with arms of comfort to calm the storms around you. The keys to the kingdom are available to all! Open the door of your heart today and call out, “Abba” Father, our daddy.

Father,

You remind us again and again of our spiritual heritage. Help us to hear Your voice in a stronger way in the days ahead, to trust in You completely and to allow You to feed and nourish our spirits until they are whole.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Our Guide

 

     God is more interested in our character than in our comfort. He trains us and disciplines us. Discipline is never easy, but it is necessary. If you are a parent, or are involved in the lives of children, you know how important it is to set boundaries, to work for their good, even when it is hard for everyone.

     God’s discipline is always, always filled with love. The tough love we give our children and that God gives us, will build our character, will make us into people that resemble Jesus. As God gives us opportunities to build our character and build us up in the fruit of the Spirit, He will build in us a strong sense of self-discipline.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

     True and loving discipline brings peace to our children and to our families.

Discipline your children, and they will give you peace. They will bring you the delights you desire. Proverbs 29:17

     If God is working on an attribute of your character, He will bring you through some difficult situations to build you up. It isn’t easy, for us or for our children, but the end result is worth it.

They discipline us for a little while as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:10-11

Father,

Thank You for Your example in raising our children. Your word is filled with wisdom and knowledge as we raise our families and as we learn from You. Continue to discipline us when necessary to grow in our faith and in our righteousness. You are a loving Father.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Our Shepherd

 

     The job of a shepherd is similar to that of a father. Sheep recognize their shepherd’s voice. The shepherd keeps them from wandering, brings them safely back when they are lost, feeds them and gives them a soft place to land.

     You may be familiar with Psalm 23, reminding us that our Father is our Shepherd. Our Father tends to our needs in all ways, and we build our trust in Him, just as the sheep learn to trust the one in charge of them.

     Today place your trust in our good Shepherd. Listen for His voice. It is unlike any other.

“I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.” John 10:14

My sheep listen to My voice. I know them and they know Me. John 10:27

     Do you recognize the voice of our Shepherd? He knows you inside and out. Listen for Him.

Lord,

You are a gracious Father and Shepherd. You guide us and teach us and work for the good in us. Transform us with Your precious voice that is always available.

In Jesus name,

Amen

 

 

His Protection

 

     As we come to our Lord as children, it is important to remember to teach our young children to do the same. Our young grandchildren and our own two girls would cry out to their daddies in the middle of the night.

     Sometimes our earthly dads are away at work, or have gone on to heaven, or aren’t there in the middle of the night. We can all come to our heavenly Father when we are scared or need a shoulder to cry on. He is always there, inside us, and surrounding us.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

     Psalm 91 is a beautiful Psalm of God’s protection over us. Remind your children and grandchildren that God will provide angels to surround them when they are afraid.

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. Psalm 91:11

Father God,

We praise You for Your protection, for the angels that surround us and for being our comfort and our strength.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Like A Child

 

     Our Father God is our “daddy.” If you grew up with a loving dad, you knew you were loved unconditionally. You understood he was there to protect you, to guide you and to discipline you. Our Father God does the same for us.

     When parents brought their children to Jesus to be blessed, His disciples tried to shoo them away, knowing Jesus was busy and worn down. Here is His response.

When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to Me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14

     Even as a 71-year-old, I can be a child in God’s eyes. What a marvelous thought. I still miss my parents so much and how blessed am I, (are we) to be able to come to our Father in heaven for our deepest needs.

     Three verses in Scripture use the term, “Abba, Father.” It’s meaning is to place full confidence in and have deep affection for a father. In our language, it can be interpreted as “daddy.”  Jesus used the term in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He was in anguish before His journey to the cross, and called out to His Father.

     In Romans we are reminded that the Spirit of God has allowed us to be adopted as children and we can call out “Abba!” to Him. Here is the third verse in which the term “Abba” is used.

Because you are His sons and daughters, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,” Father. Galatians 4;6

     Cry out to your Father in heaven when you feel the need for a daddy, who is closer to you than your own father.

Lord,

How can we thank You for adopting us as Your beloved children? We cry out to You with our needs as You comfort us and protect us.

In Jesus name,

Amen

Life Lived Separately

 

     Are you living apart from a loved one? The cause for separation can be as simple as moving to another state. Some of our separations are not our choice. I remember speaking to my aunt in Oregon frequently as she tried to imagine life without her husband of 72 years. It seemed utterly impossible for her.  She clung to Jesus and her family and she is now happily reunited with Paul in heaven.

     Others have lost children to addiction or death. There are broken relationships between couples and within families that cause grief and loss. What do we do when we live apart from those we love?

     There are no easy answers and each person’s grief is unique. Grief needs to be walked through and deeply experienced. When we close ourselves off to our true grief, it always comes back to harm us.

     Jesus finds hope in any situation. His words offer us compassion, kindness, graciousness and peace. Our prayers go right to His heart and He is there to heal any wound. With Him, any separation is temporary and as the apostle Paul reminds us, we do grieve. but we grieve with hope.

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as the rest who have no hope. 1 Thessalonians 4:13

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now, for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 1:6

     Hope is powerful and eternal. The Bible continually reminds us of the brevity of life, comparing our lives to a wisp, a vapor, like the grass that withers away. Here are my life verses.  You will notice that God mentions our troubles on this earth as “light and momentary” when compared to eternity.  It certainly doesn’t feel like that when we suffer.

     But in a little while, in a moment of time, we will be healed eternally, never to die, in paradise with Jesus!

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary and what is unseen in eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

     I pray for many of you and grieve as I see and hear of your suffering. God’s hope is there, eternally present.  Fix your eyes above.  Fix your eyes on what is unseen. Fix your eyes on Jesus.  Amen

Life Shared Spiritually

 

     There is something above the relationship among Christians that is deep and nourishing. When two Christians meet for the first time, there is an immediate bond. I remember one day, as I waited for my husband to be done with a dental appointment, a woman and I began a conversation in the waiting room.

     The conversations couldn’t have lasted more than ten minutes. In that very short time, we shared family news and ended up talking about our favorite Bible studies. As my husband came out, we hugged and said we would pray for each other.

     My husband often shakes his head as I make yet another best friend. That is the life Christ gives us. We have true brothers and sisters all over the world. We have the ability to pray for one another, to be close spiritually, no matter the number of miles between us, and we forge instant connections. The relationships are immediate and real, because Christ is in the center of them.

So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members, one of another. Romans 12:5

Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Hebrews 13:1

Father,

Today, we thank You for the body of Christ. Keep us united as we take care of one another in love.

In Jesus name,

Amen