A Child of God

Ursula Marc has written a wonderful story called Tom the Robber Boy. It’s about a little boy who was once living in an abusive family of robbers but is rescued by a brightly shining man who takes him by horseback to a castle. After a night’s sleep the man helps him to get cleaned up and gives him new clothes to wear. He draws him on to his lap and the little boy feels warm inside and relaxes. As he nestles into his arms, knowing he can trust him, he feels a happiness he’s never experienced before (‘Strong arms holding him without hurting’). He knows deep inside himself that this is the place he has been looking for all his life and then the man puts a crown on his head and says ‘Tom, now you are my child as well’. He realises with amazement he’s sitting on the king’s lap and he’s not even afraid of him because He’s his Father now.

It’s awe inspiring for each one of us to discover we have the King of the universe for our Father. Many Christians never seem to quite grasp it at all. And for those of us who do it can sometimes seem to slip away from our consciousness. We can forget who we are in Jesus. We can forget that we’re adopted into God’s family. God is our Father and Jesus is our elder brother. We need to constantly remind ourselves of our identity. Perhaps the Apostle John was aware of this when he wrote his letter. ‘See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are… Beloved, we are God's children now’. Over and over again John calls his readers ‘beloved’ and ‘little children’. He himself has been filled with the love of God the Father and it pours out of him towards others who are also fellow believers.

In his thirteenth adventure Tom goes out on a special dangerous mission and before he goes his friend whispers to him ‘always remember that you are a child of the King’. He comes to a huge iron gate and wonders how to get through. Then he remembers what the King’s Son said to him ‘Your new name will open every door for you’. In a loud voice and with pride he says ‘I am a child of the king!’ The gates then open as if by magic.

John says that we are now children of God but one day we will be just like Him. We will be finally transformed as we see him face to face. But until that time comes we are very much loved as His children and we are learning more each day as we follow Jesus our elder brother.

Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thank You for adopting me into Your very own family. Help me to grow more and more like You. Help me to behave as a child in Your family should, in Jesus’ name, Amen.