Sweet solace in adversity ∙∙

Sweet solace in adversity ∙∙

When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. – Psalm 94:19

Psalms 94:16-23

 16 Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

 17 Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of death.

 18 I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.

 19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

 22 But the LORD is my fortress; my God is the mighty rock where I hide.

 23 God will turn the sins of evil people back on them. He will destroy them for their sins. The LORD our God will destroy them.

Have you ever had a fellow worker defend you when you made a mistake or your performance was subpar? Perhaps, in doing so, they put their reputation at risk. They may have even defended your lapse to a customer or even management. They may have protected you from negative feedback. Perhaps they even took responsibility for your mistake.

Such acts of solidarity and protection can profoundly impact, affirm trust, and strengthen relationships.

Who supports you when you need it most? Who stands by you? Who has your back? For every child of the King, the answer is wonderful.

“God is an ever-present comfort, even when our emotions bounce off the wall, and our hearts zigzag in a thousand directions. God wants to calm our anxieties, but even before that happens, He comforts us in our distress” (Stanley).

Many of our enemies are inward, harmful negative attitudes and emotions. Anxiety, fear, and uncertainty about the future or the present become our adversaries. Semi-dormant toxic experiences and memories waiting to be triggered. They grip us. Fear and anxiety are like muggers lurking in the dark, waiting to strike and harm us.

They pounce without warning. Our feelings go into overdrive. We begin to churn inside, and our rational thoughts are smothered. Our anxious thoughts explode within us. Any contentment or sense of assurance and safety vanishes. Suddenly, we’re overwhelmed by a storm of anxious thoughts.

There is wonderful news. As children of the King, we have the opportunity to switch gears. Our Father is ever present, tenderhearted, and lovingly concerned about us. He watches over us with love.

We have total freedom to share our anxious thoughts and feelings with Him. In some marvelous way, we are able to have a catharsis. We calm down, regain equilibrium, and return to tranquil thankfulness.

REFLECT & PRAY

In the midst of our anxiety, the Father’s consolation produces joy to lighten our burden.

Father thank You for being a sanctuary where we can open our hearts and release our fears and anxieties. You know our thoughts before we say a word. You know where we are coming from. You respond by pouring out lovingkindness and sweet comfort.

INSIGHT

Psalm 94 models how to pour out our hearts and deepest troubles to the Father. The psalmist is in great anguish. His emotions are raw. His thoughts are running wild. He laments and pours out his heart and seeks the Father’s protection and consolation. Adversaries loom near, yet wonderfully, so does the comforting presence of the Father. He stands as a beacon of hope and reassurance. The psalmist poses a poignant question, echoing through the ages in the eloquent verses of Hebrew poetry.

Psalms 94:16 Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers?

Who has his back? The psalmist exclaims in beautiful Hebrew poetry for all to hear and remember for the millennia to come.

Psalms 94:17-19

 17 Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.

 18 I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me.

 19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.

The Hebrew word translated as comfort or consolations is tanchum. Tanchummeans to reassure or console. The origin of the root reflects the idea of “breathing deeply,” hence the physical display of one’s feelings, usually sorrow, compassion, or comfort (TWOT).

Psalm 94 laments the present reality that the wicked are in control and oppress the children of the King. These evildoers have no fear of the Father. At the same time, it vividly celebrates the Father’s magnificent greatness and omniscience. The psalmist praises the Father as he recalls the Father’s steadfast, loyal love (hesed).

There’s something wonderful concealed just below the surface. On the one hand, the Father is revealed in all his greatness and power. He can come to the aid of all children of the King. But on the other hand, His comfort effervesces with sweet cheer. The Father’s comfort is like a calming touch, a soothing balm.

The original Hebrew of Psalms 94:19 reads, “When my worries are many within me, your comforts cause my soul to delight” (UBS).

The children of the King are not only sustained by the Father’s unwavering love in their trials but also experience their anxieties being transformed into a comforting sweetness and deep-seated joy. “From my sinful thoughts, my vain thoughts, my sorrowful thoughts, my griefs, my cares, my conflicts, I will hasten to the Lord; he has divine comforts, and these will not only console but actually delight me. How sweet are the comforts of the Spirit!” (Spurgeon).

Picture a wanderer, lost and parched in the expanse of a desert, yearning for just a drop of water to satiate his thirst. Along comes a stranger who offers him not water but an exquisite elixir that surpasses any nectar he has ever tasted. Not only is his physical thirst quenched, but his anxieties are also miraculously replaced with the joyous sweetness of this unexpected gift.

As the children of the King, we’re invited to undergo a profound paradigm shift. Instead of being burdened by our worries and fears, we are enveloped in a comforting serenity amidst our struggles. Our current challenges become avenues for spiritual maturation. This is part of the divine nurturing and discipline from the Father.

Psalms 94:12 Joyful are those you discipline, LORD, those you teach with your instructions.

For each child of the King, the question becomes, “What am I supposed to learn from this, and how do I respond properly to Your gracious intervention?” Or, “What would you have your servant do?”

The Father’s omnipotent kingship guarantees His final victory over all who oppose Him, even if they are members of His own people (who ought to have acknowledged His rule!). It is always worth being on Father’s side (ESV).

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© Dr. H 2024

Can you hear me now? ∙∙

Can you hear me now? ∙∙

Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts . . . – Hebrews 3:7-8

Hebrews 1:1-3

 1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.

 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son, he created the universe.

 3 The Son radiates God’s glory and expresses His very character, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command.

Paul Marcarelli gained widespread recognition as the iconic “Test Man” in Verizon Wireless’s advertising campaign from 2002 to 2011. Dressed in a gray Verizon jacket and sporting his signature horn-rimmed glasses, Marcarelli became the face of Verizon’s commitment to nationwide cell phone coverage. He was tirelessly asking, “Can you hear me now?”

The ads often featured a voiceover asking, “How do you build America’s largest wireless network, by never being satisfied? So, no matter where you go, your call always goes through. Verizon Wireless, we never stop working for you!”

In a significant career move, Marcarelli switched allegiances in 2016, becoming a spokesperson for Sprint. In his appearances for Sprint, he made light of his history with Verizon, emphasizing Sprint’s enhanced network capabilities.

Introducing himself in Sprint commercials, Marcarelli would say, “Hey, I’m Paul. You might remember me asking, ‘Can you hear me now?’ with Verizon. Well, times have changed.” He highlighted the vast network quality improvements across the board, suggesting, “Guess what, it’s 2016, and every network is great. Sprint’s reliability is now within 1% of Verizon.”

Sprint leveraged Marcarelli’s switch to underline its pitch to consumers: You can get a network nearly the same reliability as Verizon’s, but Sprint claims the rates are half what you’ll pay Verizon.

The Father has spoken to the world through the Word of God. Being our Creator, He knows exactly what people need to know. The Father has disclosed truth regarding Himself and His ways in the Scriptures. The Word of God does not speak exhaustively on all issues but is always accurate, inerrant, and truthful.

Lord Jesus Christ did so many things in the presence of the disciples that everything could not have been included. So, the apostle John selected a small portion to include. We get some inkling of this in the Gospel of John, where he explains.

John 21:25 Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

John 20:30-31

 30 The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book.

 31 But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and that by believing in him, you will have life by the power of his name.

The apostle John was an eyewitness to what the Lord Jesus Christ said and did. So much more happened that is not recorded in his gospel. Using hyperbole, John says that even all the books of the world could not contain the full story of the Lord Jesus Christ. He carefully curated what to include for the benefit of all future generations. In no uncertain terms, he offers enough true truth that anyone who reads and accepts it will have eternal life.

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father has spoken and continues to speak. Are we listening? He asks, “Can you hear Me now?”

Father thank You for revealing the true truth! Thank you for providing enough information so anyone can believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God. When they do, they may receive eternal life in His name.

INSIGHT

The Father spoke in many ways over many centuries, using many people and culminating in the revelation of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible was written over two millennia. Yet there is remarkable unity and continuity to the message. The narrative is consistent and extraordinarily coherent. The theme of the Scriptures can be distilled into one word: Redemption. The main characters are the Father and the Son.

Hebrews 1:1-2

 1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets.

 2 And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son

Throughout history, civilizations and religions around the world have pondered profound questions about existence. These questions include: Is there a God? What is God like? How did the universe and planet Earth come into existence? Where did the animals and human race come from? How and when did it all begin?

In these matters, it is believed that only the Creator possesses direct knowledge, having been the sole witness to the act of creation. The Scriptures touch upon these inquiries, presenting responses as absolute truths rather than mere conjectures or hypotheses. They do not speculate or postulate conclusions based upon transitory, often fluctuating, or even conflicting scientific theories of the day. Instead, they accurately and succinctly answer them. The answers found in the Scriptures are unsurpassed in their sublime excellence and commonsense explanations.

With apologies to “Young Frankenstein,” by Mel Brooks, the Genesis record tells the Father’s story, How I did it.

In contemporary society, it’s disheartening to witness the Scriptures being disregarded or outright dismissed as a source of insight into life’s most profound questions.

The quest for truth is a common pursuit among individuals. Unfortunately, this search frequently results in what could be termed “truth for now,” which soon gives way to the next fleeting “truth,” lacking any enduring substance.

Consider a hypothetical scenario: if you were an employee at a bank and discovered at the close of business that the cash on hand was significantly less than expected, you might suspect foul play. While most of us aren’t bank employees, a similar situation has unfolded concerning our understanding of the cosmos within our lifetimes.

Before deploying the Hubble Space Telescope, many leading scientists estimated the universe to be around 25 billion years old. That was the best guess of many of the most outstanding scientists. However, following observations made by Hubble, something remarkable happened. The estimated age of the universe was cut in half to about 12 billion years. This massive discrepancy seemingly raised few, if any, eyebrows. It didn’t seem to trouble anyone. No one was arrested. There were no formal inquiries or uproar causing a scandal. Instead, new theories were offered to explain why the latest estimate was correct.

The prevailing estimate for the universe’s age, based on the Planck 2018 data, stands at approximately 13.787±0.020 billion years. According to current theory, the universe’s expansion rate can be used to calculate the universe’s approximate age by extrapolating backward in time. The assumptions involved in this new theory are not for the faint of heart. It is assumed that the expansion rate of the universe remains constant for 15 to 25 billion years. Is this assumption accurate? Some would say there is no way of knowing.

If I were president of the Bank of the Cosmos, I would be very suspicious. I would want to know what happened to the missing 12 billion years.

“It’s easy to take for granted what is commonly available, but we should never lose sight of the most valuable possession God has given us – His inspired, inerrant Word” (Stanley).

Hebrews 3:15 “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.”

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© Dr. H 2024

Jesus was not recognized until …

Jesus was not recognized until . . .

“Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

“Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” – John 20:15-16

John 20:11-14

 11 Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in.

 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying.

 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

 14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him.

The use of fingerprinting is well-known. Each individual has a unique set of fingerprints. The earliest recorded use of fingerprints dates back to ancient Babylon. Individuals would press their fingerprints on soft clay tablets for business transactions.

Each individual also has a unique voiceprint. Recently, voice or speaker recognition has been developed to identify a person based on their distinct voiceprint. This allows us to communicate with modern devices without touching them. The human development of this technology is relatively recent. However, the Father originally designed and created it to allow people to recognize each other through their voices.

Who can forget the voices of Darth Vader or Bugs Bunny? On a more personal level, we recognize the voices of our family members: parents, siblings, spouses, etc.

The narrative found in John 20:11-16 has been described as one of the most profound recognition scenes in all literature. Mary Magdalene holds the distinct honor of being the first person to encounter the risen Christ, yet in her moment of deep sorrow, she initially fails to recognize Him (Barclay).

Few individuals throughout history have had the opportunity to hear the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Imagine how marvelous it would be to hear the Lord say your name.

Mary did not initially recognize the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Why? If one is weeping uncontrollably and their eyes are full of tears, their sight is blurred, and their hearing is muffled. Could this be why Mary didn’t recognize the Lord Jesus Christ at the tomb? Barclay asserts, “As she wept, her vision blurred by tears, the figure before her was obscured, rendering her unable to see Him clearly” (Barclay).

Her dialogue with the person she assumed was the gardener reveals the depth of her devotion. She seeks to know where the body of the Lord Jesus Christ has been taken. “If you are the man who has removed him, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Where would she get the strength to do that? Where was she going to take him? She had not even thought of these problems. Her one desire was to weep her love over Jesus’ dead body.

After responding to the supposed gardener, she returned to the tomb. She turned her back on Jesus. Then she heard Him speak her name, “Mary!” To which she replied with recognition, “Master!”

Mary’s initial failure to recognize Jesus can be attributed to two simple yet profound reasons: Her vision was clouded by her tears, a natural response to loss that blinds us to our surroundings, and, at times, to hope itself. She was facing in the wrong direction, with her back to him, and her attention was directed toward the tomb.

REFLECT & PRAY

Our God is an awesome God

He reigns from heaven above

With wisdom, power, and love

Our God is an awesome God

Father thank You for calling my name, and I am Yours.

INSIGHT

Hearing your name spoken by others is not merely a casual greeting; it acknowledges your individuality, creating a feeling of inclusion and worth (Quora). It lays the groundwork for deeper connections and genuine companionship.

Mary had a deep personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It took only one word, Mary, to brush aside the gloom and despair. Suddenly, mourning changed to rejoicing.

Only a few have heard the Lord speak their name. Among them are Moses, Paul, and Peter.

Exodus 3:4 When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” “Here I am!” Moses replied.

Acts 22:6-10

 6 As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me.

 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

 8 “Who are you, lord?” I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’”

 9 The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me.

 10 “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’” “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’”

John 21:15 Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”

Why is it significant to address individuals by their names? Being called by our name

fosters a feeling of warmth and fellowship, recognizing our unique identity and worth. It shows respect and strengthens our sense of belonging.

But there is more! This sense of belonging is observed in the Father’s relationship with the nation of Israel. He called the nation of Israel by name (Genesis 32:28). They are extraordinarily bonded to Him. They are intended to be more than subjects of the King. They are to be family, children of the King. But there is even more. God created them, formed them, chose them, and redeemed them. He gave them their name: Israel. He designed them for a unique purpose. He is at work to see His dream for them fulfilled.

Isaiah 43:1-7

1 But now, 0 Jacob, listen to the LORD who created you. 0 Israel, the one who formed

you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you

are mine.”

3 For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . .

4 You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.

5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you.

7 Bring all who claim me as their God, for I have made them for my glory. It was I

who created them.

By application, every child of the King belongs to the King. He calls us by name, and we are His. “What matters most about you is not what you deserve but whose you are” (Ortlund and Hughes).

Isaiah 43:1 I have called you by name; you are Mine!

“Do you realize that the God of heaven has created you for His glory? He wants the world to see some of His majesty and goodness through you, and He wants to crown you with His own splendor” (Stanley).

He is at work to fulfill His dream for each of us. The Father shapes the course of history for the children of the King. He values and loves us greatly. It’s all about the Father, not us. It is grace so profound that we are left in awe, amazement, and speechless.

When Mary came to the gravesite, she was not looking for the resurrected Savior. She expected to find the tomb intact, with the stone covering the entrance. Her first thought was that someone had rolled away the stone and taken the body. Nothing could be further from the truth. A lie began that day and has been told for 2000 years (Matthew 28:13-15).

When you come to the Scriptures, Who are you looking for?

He is risen!

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© Dr. H 2024

Hope in the face of unyielding despair ∙

Hope in the face of unyieldingdespair ∙

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. – Psalms 143:8

Ecclesiastes 3:11-14

 11 God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.

 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.

 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

 14 And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him.

Bertrand Russell was a British philosopher and a vocal atheist. Many would argue that he was the foremost atheist in the Western world in the twentieth century. One of his well-known books is “Why I Am Not a Christian.”

His philosophy is representative of many of those who reject God as the source of all things and embrace evolutionary constructs in place of Him. People without God end up by the force of logic in a futile and despairing place. Through exploring these themes, Russell articulates a methodology that prioritizes empirical evidence and rational thought over faith-based convictions. Rather than confident expectation based upon faith in the word of God, he winds up in a dark, lonely place. Bertrand Russell writes,

“That man is the product of causes which had no prevision of the end they were achieving; that his origin, his growth, his hopes and fears, his loves and his beliefs, are but the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms; that no fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave; that all the labors of the ages, all the devotion, all the inspiration, all the noonday brightness of human genius, are destined to extinction in the vast death of the solar system, and that the whole temple of Man’s achievement must inevitably be buried beneath the debris of a universe in ruins – all these things, if not quite beyond dispute, are yet so nearly certain, that no philosophy which rejects them can hope to stand.”

“Only within the scaffolding of these truths, only on the firm foundation of unyielding despair, can the soul’s habitation henceforth be safely built.”

Bertrand Russell would have us build our lives upon a foundation of unyielding despair. What a dismal outlook! One book of the Bible, Ecclesiastes, reflects Russell’s worldview.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless!”

It’s a tradition for many to reflect upon the previous 12 months at the beginning of a new year.  Some years are crushing, challenging us deeply, and testing our emotional and physical resilience. Our experiences often highlight the perceived emptiness of existence without a guiding belief or trust in God. Many thoughtful and logical individuals find themselves grappling with unyielding despair.

Children of the King can have an entirely different mindset that provides hope, that is, confident expectation for the future. The Father is all-wise. He has a master plan unfolding within our lives and the universe. 

It is incumbent upon each child of the King to place their confidence in the Father’s character and essence. The Father’s nature is fully displayed in His lovingkindness and steadfast love. As we contemplate His loyal, unfailing love, we have reason to celebrate and experience His comfort and joy. Knowing He has our best interests at heart, the natural outflow is confident trust.            

The choices before people are polar opposites. They can build their lives on the lovingkindness of a faithful, loyal, dependable, loving Father God. Or they can rest their lives upon the foundation of unyielding despair.

REFLECT & PRAY

David seeks to experience the Father’s lovingkindness and asks the Father to teach him how to gracefully traverse the challenging moments of this existence.

Father thank You for always being there for me. Help me live my life based on the firm foundation of the truth of Your Word.

INSIGHT

Ecclesiastes 3:11 God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart . . ..

Solomon observes and delves into profound contemplation of what he sees. He acknowledges the Father’s craftsmanship in rendering all aspects of creation. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Yet he recognizes the tension and a pervasive restlessness within the human spirit.

He concludes that it has been embedded there by the Creator Himself. The Father has placed eternity in every human heart. It drives an insatiable curiosity about life’s mysteries and the enigmatic nature of existence. We want answers regarding the seeming absurdities of life and things beyond life itself. Yet, we cannot resolve our curiosity. We cannot fully grasp what the Father has done from the beginning until the end.

This is a conundrum. Yet Solomon comes to terms with this reality when he recognizes that “both his desire to understand all of life, as well as the limitations on his ability to do so, have been ordained by God” (ESV notes).

As detailed in the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrestles with the apparent meaninglessness of life in a world marked by imperfection and transience. Yet, within this very struggle, Solomon finds a glimmer of hope – acknowledging that our quest for understanding and our limitations are intricately woven into the fabric of our existence by the Father Himself.

Ecclesiastes 3:14 I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him.

Whatever the Father has designed and created endures, and no one can change His plan. “God’s acts are eternal. Earthly events are limited and marked by fixed moments, but God stands outside these limits. We can know a little about what God does, but his actions are actually of a different order: eternal, complete, and unchanging” (UBS).

Children of the King should recognize that no matter how confusing or frustrating the fallen world is, we must learn to be at peace because we cannot alter His eternal plan.

Solomon offers advice on how to respond. Modern culture would say carpe diem (seize the day).

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can.

 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

In these challenging times, the children of the King are endowed with extraordinary capabilities that guide them through adversity, anchoring their sights on an eternal future alongside the Father.

It is the Father’s lovingkindness and unwavering compassion that give us hope. His love is faithful and reliable. He is always present to offer support. “Even when God’s people sin, we can appeal to the Lord for help and restoration based on His faithfulness and righteousness” (Constable).

Psalms 143:8-10

 8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.

 9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD; I run to you to hide me.

 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

“If we want God’s guidance . . . then He instructs us to ask for it. We must ask in faith and then listen carefully for His voice. He always guides those who really likes want to follow” (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2024

Adopted into God’s Forever Family ∙

Adopted into God’s Forever Family ∙

God sent his Son . . . so that he could adopt us as his very own children. – Galatians 4:4-5

Galatians 4:1-7

 1 Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had.

 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set.

 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

 4 But at the fulness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

 5 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.

 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”

 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

For millennia, inheritance has been governed by the law of Primogeniture, which is derived from the Latin word “primogeniture,” meaning “first birth.” This rule grants the firstborn son exclusive rights to inherit his parents’ entire estate when they die.

The rationale behind Primogeniture was practical rather than discriminatory. Its primary aim was to avoid the continual subdivision of parcels of land across multiple generations. If the land were continually subdivided, there would eventually be little or nothing left for the heirs down the line.

Primogeniture remained a prevalent inheritance system among many European royal families until the 20th century, with its principles still influencing the inheritance of noble titles in England. The goal was to ensure estates remained whole and undivided as much as possible.

Does primogeniture exist in the Scriptures? The answer is mixed. In the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, the tradition saw the eldest male child inheriting his father’s throne. However, there are also instances of more equitable distribution among heirs, such as Judah’s blessings to his twelve sons, indicating a nuanced approach to inheritance.

Genesis 49:1 Then Jacob called together all his sons and said, “Gather around me, and I will tell you what will happen to each of you in the days to come.”

The Father shows no partiality among the children of the King; the practice of Primogeniture does not apply to our inheritance.

Every child of the King receives every spiritual blessing by the Father, as we are joined with His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both His firstborn and His only Son.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Our inheritance is not derived from a human birthright but from a spiritual one. Every child of the King receives their inheritance from the King without bias based on gender, birth order, social status, or any caste system.

Romans 8:16-17

 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.

 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory.

The Father adopts us into His Forever Family when we place our faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, because He accepts us just as He accepts His own Son (Romans 8:17) (Stanley).

Every child of the King has been welcomed into God’s Forever Family. It’s a done deal. It happened at the moment we accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior.

Yet, the journey doesn’t end there. While the wonders of redemption and salvation would have been sufficient in themselves, exceeding all expectations, the Father’s aspirations for us stretch even further. He has much more in store for us. Forgiveness, redemption, and salvation are only the beginning of what the Father intends for us. When He “sent His Son . . . to redeem” us, it was not an end in itself but a gateway to an eternal bounty beyond our wildest imagination.

Galatians 4:4-5

 4 But at the fulness of time, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.

 5 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.

Why does the apostle Paul refer to all children of the King as “sons?” In the first-century Mediterranean world, it was common for sons to inherit their father’s wealth. Therefore, everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of whether male or female, becomes a “son” of God, an heir with equal rights of inheritance. All children of the King are heirs of the Father’s bounty.

REFLECT & PRAY

We are more than saved. We are adopted into God’s Forever Family and are greatly beloved.

Father it is such a privilege and delight to call You Abba! Thank You for wanting me and welcoming me into your Forever Family.

INSIGHT

When Paul referred to the “fullness” of time, he highlighted a pivotal moment in history marked by the birth of the Messiah during the Pax Romana. This era, characterized by relative peace and stability, the advent of Greek as a common language, improved travel infrastructure, and the rise of urban civilization, created an ideal environment for the rapid dissemination of the gospel and the subsequent expansion of Christianity. The prophet Daniel also foretold this period as the appointed time for the Messiah of Israel to come (Daniel 9:24-26).

The term “adoption” in Paul’s writings is translated from the Greek word “huiothesia,” which appears only five times in the New Testament and is exclusively used by Paul. “Huiothesia “ is a compound of two words: “huios,” meaning son, and “thesia,” meaning placing. Thus, it conveys the act of being placed as a son within a family (adopted), encompassing the rights, privileges, and responsibilities accompanying family membership.

Similarly, the Apostle John emphasizes that through this spiritual adoption, we become members of God’s Forever Family, highlighting a perpetual bond and belonging within God’s family.

1 John 3:1-2

 1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Children of the King, we have a delightful relationship with the Father. The Father has provided an informal, intensely intimate relationship with Him. We are encouraged to call Him Abba, that is, Daddy or Poppa (Romans 8:15-16).

“Abba is an Aramaic term for ‘father’ that suggests warmth, closeness, intimacy, and mutual delight. God did not bring us into His family to be our austere and stern Father but to be our beloved and approachable Daddy” (Stanley).

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© Dr. H 2024