Sunday Devotional

“Is his name Max Ludwig?”

I glanced down at the little girl tugging on my hand. “Excuse me?”

“Your dog. Is his name Ludwig, too?”

I had to think about that for a minute. This child whom I was babysitting had actually stumped me. “Well, I guess you could say that, since he’s our dog.”

“But you’re not his mommy?”

“Not really,” I laughed.

“You told him to ‘come to Momma.’”

“I know, but I didn’t really mean it. I just pretend I’m his momma. His momma lives with another family.”

“Oh. I get it. You mean he’s adopted.”

“Well. . .” My friend’s daughter didn’t wait for an explanation. She skipped off, content with her flawless reasoning.

I watched her go, shaking my head at the simplicity of her thinking.

And that’s when it hit me.

Sometimes we try and complicate God’s plan of salvation. We add phrases and clauses, when all along God said we become His sons and daughters when we accept Him, adopted into the family of God through a simple prayer. What an amazing concept. I’m heir to Christ’s kingdom. I guess if He’d made it more difficult, none of us would ever have known what it means to have the Father claim us as His own.

How about that? I’m adopted. Are you?

Ephesians 1:3-14 (New International Version)

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he[c] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

11 In him we were also chosen,[d] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.