Be Still and Know - "See How Very Much Our Father Loves Us"

(from www.premierchristianradio.com)

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 have had the privilege of being foster parents for the past six years. Those years have helped me to understand in a way that I never knew before how important our relationship is with our parents. To be honest, I think I took for granted the love, security, affirmation and warmth of my own parents. But those amazing gifts should be treasured. Here, John reflects 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. And 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, should 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 would be like in the future when Christ appears. But he knew one thing – that we would be like Christ, for we will see him as he really is. Little is known about the future, but that’s absolutely fine if your 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. All we have to do is reach out and accept his hand of love. Like John, all we can do is to burst out in praise and thank him that we are not only called 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