Knowing We Belong

Today, take the time to thank God that you belong to Him, if you have accepted Jesus as the Lord and Savior of your life.  Jesus died so that you could experience salvation and come to know our Heavenly Father.  You belong!   Here are the words of Galatians 4:
4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.6And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

It is a marvelous thing to be called a child of God.  We are no longer strangers to Him - no longer estranged from God; no longer separated from Him by our sin.  By His blood, Jesus has forgiven our sins and by His resurrection, we have been raised to new life.  In our insufficiency in and of ourselves, incapable of saving ourselves, He has brought us sufficient grace and the assurance that He lives in our hearts.   Knowing we are loved by God can bring tremendous satisfaction to our hearts and lives.

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God has provided a way through His Son, Jesus Christ, to come to know Him and to be part of His spiritual family.  We can have the sense of belonging that only He can bring.  Romans 8 gives us these words of encouragement:
15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

November is National Adoption Month, and a couple from West Virginia has attracted some attention in association with this month because they have adopted 29 abandoned and special needs children. A story on the ChristianNews.net website tells the adoption story of Paul and Jeane Briggs, who also have five biological children.  They have been adopting children from around the world since 1985. Their oldest child is 35 and their youngest is 4, and their family nearly circles the globe, hailing from Mexico, Gana, Russia, the Ukraine and Bulgaria.

According to the article, Jeane Briggs told the New York Daily News, “It’s not for everybody, but it’s what my husband and I feel called to do by our faith.”

The majority of the children that the Briggs have adopted are special needs children, and have dealt with medical problems such as polio, cancer, heart problems, autism and other issues.

But the couple says that they are allowing God to determine the size of their family and won’t put a limit on how many that they adopt.  They're currently seeking to adopt two additional children from Ghana, including a baby boy who was born without hands and legs, and was abandoned by his parents. They are also considering adopting a little girl from Kazakhstan, and a boy in Pennsylvania who has Down Syndrome.  She says, “We’ll just see what God gives us."

She told reporters that all of her children are taught about Jesus Christ. She says, "I hope that never ends, that compelling love for others.”

“Children are special gifts, blessings. No child should learn or feel that nobody wants them,” she added. “It’s such a joy. Honestly, I’ve never had a bad day.”

This story reminds me of a conversation I had at the International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis with Sue Badeau - she and her husband Hector have adopted 20 children, in addition to having 2 biological children.  The Badeaus have written a book called, "Are We There Yet?"   This is another family that has proven that dedication, driven by Christian love and compassion for children can have a valuable impact.

So, what's the story for us?  Well, you do have to admire stories such as these, of families that are responding in faith to children who are in need and providing a safe, nurturing, Christ-centered home. We can all be inspired by their devotion.

And, I do want to think for a moment and thank the Lord because He has seen us in our need for a Redeemer, destined for an eternity apart from Him, and took the necessary steps to bring us into His family.  We have the spirit of adoption in our hearts, and Jesus can fill that yearning for belonging. Spiritually speaking, we were separated from God, essentially abandoned and without hope because of our sin, but He reached out and made a way for us to know Him.  In our humanity, we are full of need, desperate for salvation, and Jesus is full of love and grace.

So, in this time of Thanksgiving, take some time to think about your life and what Jesus has done for you, adopting you into God's family and providing the way of salvation.  We can give Him praise for the change the He has brought into our lives.