Devotions with Pastor Jared

I have two daughters: Rory (5 years old) and Andi (1 year old). I know its cliché to say, but it’s very true that they do grow up so fast. The truth of this struck me in a special way today, however. This afternoon I went to a local tea shop run by a good friend of mine. He has four kids, and Rory is best friends with their older daughter. As I was talking to my friend, he turned to the young volunteer that was working there with him and said, “That’s Rory’s daddy.” This young person who I’ve only talked with long enough to buy my tea and never officially met lit up with recognition at that description. She knew who Rory was because my friend’s kids talked about her, and by extension, she knew something about me.

This encounter brought me to a realization about our role as the children of God! John 1:12-13 says “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” I have talked at length before about the role of God as our Father, but I had never put much thought into the role we play as the children of God. In the Genesis account of creation, God created mankind in His image, and 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 has this to say: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” I believe that this is as much about us being God’s children as it is about Him being our Father!

When people learn about God, will they be able to recognize him as your father?
Pastor Jared