I often daydream about our adoption. I try to picture in my head what the birthmom and Baby will look like. I wonder what her name is. I look forward to praying for her by name. I wonder if Baby will be a he or she. I wonder what Baby’s personality will be like. In the waiting phase of adoption, there’s not much that Craig and I know about our growing family. One day we’ll get a phone call from our agency that we’ve been matched. Until then, this adoption story is full of unknowns.
All this daydreaming about our adoption got me thinking about adoption and its part in the Bible. There are numerous examples in the Bible: Moses was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2). Esther was adopted by her uncle, Mordecai (Esther 2). Jesus was adopted by Joseph (Matthew 1). And, as I became more familiar with adoption in scripture, I came to better understand the adoption story and God as the adoptive Father.
All this daydreaming about our adoption got me thinking about adoption and its part in the Bible. There are numerous examples in the Bible: Moses was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2). Esther was adopted by her uncle, Mordecai (Esther 2). Jesus was adopted by Joseph (Matthew 1). And, as I became more familiar with adoption in scripture, I came to better understand the adoption story and God as the adoptive Father.
While Craig and I wait in our adoption without knowing a single thing, I realize how well God knows each of us. For all- those who’ve received the invitation into God’s family and for those that have not- are known by God intimately. Like you, He knows me so well because He was and is with me. Always. Like you, I will never be able to understand the depth of His love.
The Bible shares how well God knows and cares for each of us. Almost smack dab in the middle of it is Psalm 139 (NIV). It’s beautiful. I’m just putting an excerpt from verses 1-4 and 13-14, so I encourage you to read the rest.
The Bible shares how well God knows and cares for each of us. Almost smack dab in the middle of it is Psalm 139 (NIV). It’s beautiful. I’m just putting an excerpt from verses 1-4 and 13-14, so I encourage you to read the rest.
(1-4)
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
(13-14)
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
(13-14)
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
You know me. I love that phrase from verse 1. God knows us. He knows the hairs on our heads. Matthew 10:30 (ESV) reminds us that “even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” God knows how many (or how few) hairs are on each of our heads! God also knows each of our tears. Psalm 56:8 (NLT) tells us, “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.” Get this: God is not just aware of us. He knows us intimately and cares deeply for each of us. Psalm 139:13 states, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Child, He created you! He’s loved you since before your beginning.
So, what does He want from us?
God wants to adopt us into His family.
We know God loves us. We know he cares. But do we know He wants us to be His child? He invites us into His family through adoption. The invitation waits as God waits for all His children to be in His family.
Take a look at the following scripture on adoption into God’s family:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. - Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV)
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! -1 John 3:1 (NIV)
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one [family] in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)
So, how do you accept the invitation into God’s family?
Receive Him, child!
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. - John 1:12-13 (NIV)
Receive Him!
It begins with these simple words: Lord, I receive you.
-Beth
So, what does He want from us?
God wants to adopt us into His family.
We know God loves us. We know he cares. But do we know He wants us to be His child? He invites us into His family through adoption. The invitation waits as God waits for all His children to be in His family.
Take a look at the following scripture on adoption into God’s family:
For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. - Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV)
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! -1 John 3:1 (NIV)
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one [family] in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:26-28 (NIV)
So, how do you accept the invitation into God’s family?
Receive Him, child!
Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. - John 1:12-13 (NIV)
Receive Him!
It begins with these simple words: Lord, I receive you.
-Beth
