I Am Adopted!

Recently we spent an evening with some good friends celebrating the 3 year anniversary of the adoption of their beautiful little girl from China. She is a joy and a light not only to her family, but to all of us who began this journey with them several years ago. I remember praying for her every day, before we ever knew who she would be or when she would come. We all waited and prayed with them as they began the very long process of bringing their precious little girl home. Once she arrived, we watched her from a distance and waited for her to warm up to her own family, and then to our very large family at church. We couldn’t wait to hold her and touch her, but it needed to be in her own time. As I watch her interact now with her family and with us, my heart explodes with joy, warmth and love. Imagine what her life would have been had she been left in China and never welcomed into her family.  There is NO doubt in my mind that she is with the very family that God intended her to be with, and to witness the love that is given her by her parents and siblings is beyond overwhelming. She is loved and loves with great abandonment and joy!

As I read from Ephesians this morning, I was reminded that I too am adopted! As I thought about our little friend, I realized that in some ways my story is a lot like hers. I was once far from my Heavenly Father and through His Son I was brought back to Him and adopted into His family! Ephesians 1, tells us that, “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” It also says, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” (1:5, 11) This is incredible news! I am adopted by the Creator of all things! He loves me so much that He sent His Son to die so that I could belong to His family. And, not only am I adopted, but I have a guarantee of my inheritance! Ephesians 1:13-14 says that I have been, “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” I have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God and one day I’ll be with Him in Heaven, my eternal home!

Wow! I can know that same kind of love and security that my little adopted friend receives from her family, only I am receiving it from the God of the Universe! If that does not make my heart explode with joy, warmth and love, then I’m not sure what will! One definition of adoption means this, “to formally and legally declare that someone who is not one’s own child is henceforth to be treated and cared for as one’s own child, including complete rights of inheritance.” Because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I have confidence that I am God’s child and that He will love and care for me as His own. I belong to the King!

The good news is that anyone can be adopted into God’s family! It’s not an exclusive club! The Bible says in Romans 10:9 that, “… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  I am so encouraged today by this news! I’m so thankful for our sweet little friend who has been adopted into her precious family and for the reminder that I am loved and adopted into the family of God. I pray that this news encourages all who read it and that if you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, that you will make that decision today and be adopted into His family of love, mercy and grace! What are you waiting for?

The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001 (Ro 10:9). (Eph 1:5, 11, 13-14). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Vol. 1: Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (463–464). New York: United Bible societies.