Daily Devotional
Is Jesus Truly Your Brother?
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
1 John 3:1
August 17, 2021
Ponder This
There’s nothing you can do to make God love you any more than He loves you. He loves you as much as He loves His own dear Son. Jesus prayed: “‘[You] have loved them as You have loved Me’” (John 17:23). We are the sons and the daughters of God. In Romans 8:29, the Bible says: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” He’s the first-born Son, but He’s just the first-born in a family of many brothers and sisters. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus, sons and daughters of God, literally. That’s the reason Romans 8:15 says that “For 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.’” Do you know what “Abba, Father” means? It means daddy. I love for my children to call me daddy. That blesses me. We have the Spirit of God in our hearts, and we can speak to God and call Him “Abba, Father.” We can call Him our daddy. Because I’m a son of God, because Jesus Christ is my brother and I have my Father’s care, I’m not a beggar.
- How difficult is it for you to believe you are truly a child of God? Why?
- How should the fact that we are God’s children change the way we relate to Him on a daily basis?
Practice This
Make a list of ways children relate to their parents. Spend time praying that God would help you to relate to Him as your true Father.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
