September 12th - 1 John 3:1

1 John 3:1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! My wife and I had the privilege of being foster parents for a number of years. Those years gave me a new understanding of how important our relationship with our parents is. To be honest, I took for granted the love, security, affirmation and warmth of my own parents, but I now treasure those amazing gifts in a new way. Here, John reflected on the even more important relationship that we can have with our Father God. He burst out in wonder as he reflected on the fact that God loves us so much that he chose to call us his children. He did so not as a mere formality, but because we really are his children. Just as the relationship between children and their parents will have life-long implications, so too will our relationship with God our Father colour and shape our lives. We have the privilege of being able to walk into every new day with the certain knowledge that we are loved. We are secure for time and eternity. As John unpacked this theme, he reflected that he didn’t know what we’d be like in the future when Christ appears, but he knew one thing: we will be like Christ, for we will see him as he really is. We know little about the future, but that’s absolutely fine if our relationship with God is secure. Whatever his plans may be for us, we can be sure that they will be the best. God’s love for us is all about grace. He loves us not because of anything good that we have done or could ever do. He has called us to be his children, and all we have to do is reach out and accept his hand of love. As with John, all we can do is burst out in praise and thank our heavenly Father that we are not only called the children of God, but really are! Question What does it mean to you to be one of God’s children? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the privilege of being your child and knowing that my future is completely secure in your hands. Amen