Today’s Musing is from Donna Perkins.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His Name. —John 1:12 NKJV
“You’re ours!” I heard those words over and over as my mama swung me around the kitchen one evening the week of Christmas 1962. An open envelope and pieces of white formal paper lay on the table. Two things that mama always told me were: “We chose you!” and “No one can ever take you away from us.” Sound familiar?
My brother and sister came by birth, a gift of the expression of the love that mama and daddy had for one another. Out of that same love they chose me. Sound familiar?
I have a piece of paper in my possession that says I have the right to be called the child of Ernest C. and Alice G. Vincent. Without that adoption, I had no right to call them mama and daddy. With that paper came all of the rights and privileges—and the responsibilities—of a blood child, because they made it so. It was not by my doing. It was solely their choice, by the judge’s decree, stamped by the court, filed with the state, and forever a source of deepest gratitude in my heart. In fact, they chose me long before I was even aware that I needed rescuing. Sound familiar?
I hope this sounds familiar to you, because all people are created by God, made in His image, bear His likeness, and have equal value from the womb to the grave. But the right to call Him Daddy is reserved solely for those who believe in and receive Jesus Christ. Jesus says “whoever will … He will.” His gift is open to all who will call on His name, all who will believe, not in an offhand, casual, unchanging belief, but in a life-changing one, a soul-changing one, an eternal-destiny-changing one.
The Apostle Paul says that not only do we have the right to call God, Abba Father, endowed with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being His child through that adoption, but we are now joint heirs with Jesus as well. (See Romans 8:15 and 17.)
Just think! That means that Jesus is our Beloved Brother! All that Jesus has, He shares equally with His baby brothers and sisters. Wow! I love being a baby sister.
That makes me ask, though, “How am I living?” Am I living like a child of the King? Does my Daddy have all of me? If you are His, you have all of Him. When He gives, He doesn’t give anything less than all.
Oh yes, oh yes
I’m a child of the King
His royal blood
now flows in my veins
And I, who was wretched and poor, now can sing
Praise God, Praise God
I’m a child of the King
—Cindy Walker, songwriter
Donna is 40+ years happily married, a thankful and proud mama and nana of three children and eight grands—and owned by one mischievous kitty, Shadow. Donna’s passions are animals, nature, “old people,” and spreading the love and encouragement of Christ through sharing His Word.
Safe in His care,
Donna Perkins
Sweet Selah Ministries
Vision
To inspire a movement away from the belief that “busy is better”
and toward the truth of God’s Word that stillness and knowing
Him matter most—and will be reflected in more effective work and service
Mission
To offer biblical resources and retreats that help women pause (Selah)
and love God more deeply as they know Him more intimately (Sweet)
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