As Sons and Daughters

If you watch someone walk, you can glean a lot of information from his or her body language. When a person shuffles quickly along with head down and shoulders slouched, it suggests they have a low opinion of themselves. When someone doesn’t look you in the eye when they speak, you may feel perhaps they have something to hide, because the eyes are the ‘windows of the soul’. Of course we may be entirely wrong in our assessment of the person. How about you? How do you walk?

In this scripture we are encouraged to walk knowing we are in God’s own family. Another version says: "And so we should not be like ‘cringing, fearful slaves’, but we should behave like God’s very own children, adopted into the bosom of his family, and calling to him, ‘Father, Father’." (Romans 8:15, Living Bible).

What a privilege we have! We have been baptised into God’s family by the Holy Spirit, and have been given the authority which is in the name of the Lord. But, like an adopted child who doesn’t yet know his family, we may not realise who we are ‘in Christ’, and what royal blessings are ours.

In the name of Jesus, we have authority over the enemy. We have the power to choose to obey the Lord, and to do good. We have the power of prayer, to speak with our Father in Heaven, to make requests and to intercede for those around us in need. We have Someone who hears and bends down to listen to us, who only has good plans for our future. And we can walk securely and fearlessly into difficult situations knowing that "He knows the way that I take" (Job 23:10).

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Therefore, as we walk, we carry in our physical body the presence of the Holy Spirit, the knowledge of his love and his gift of salvation. So we can walk with confidence, humility and holiness, knowing that we are ‘set apart’ as those who carry this treasure within.

Prayer: Dear Father, we are humbled that you should choose us to carry such a treasure within us. May we walk in this world as your sons and daughters and understand the wonderful relationship you have called us into. In Jesus’ name, Amen.