What a week it has been, Father! Thank You for Your strength, Your wisdom, and Your rest through it all. May I be used of You this day. Amen.

1 John 3:1-3 (<<click here)

“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!”

What a privilege to be called children of God! We are not just His creation or His servants, His followers, His robots or His puppets. We are His children and he proudly owns up to the fact that we are His children.

One of the fun banterings parents have back and forth is that when kids are well behaved they are my children and when they misbehave or are ornery they are your children. It’s all done in fun but in many situations, fun is not the intent. How many families are broken because a child or a parent has said or done something that is labeled as “unforgivable”? And there it sits. The anger or hurt or pride runs so deep and is so ingrained that attempts at reconciliation are futile.

Lord, I am so grateful that Your word does not equate You with anger or pride but it says You are love. 1 John 4:8 Love is the driving force in how You feel about us. You love us so “very much” that “[You] call us [Your] children.” Many of us diligently strive to separate ourselves from You. But regardless of destructive actions, Your mind will not be changed. The indisputable fact remains that You love us. You love us so much that You gave Your very life so that we might be saved. John 3:16

Thank You for Your love. Thank You for not letting me go…

Apr 23rd, Sun, 6:25 am