Have you ever adopted a dog for a shelter? It is the most beautiful experience. The dog has been unwanted and uncared for so they ended up at a shelter. Most dogs spend a considerable about of time (especially in dog years) waiting for someone to come and save them. My husband and I adopted our first dog. Belle. She was a GSP but terrified of the hunt. She had been mistreated which further worsened her fears and phobias. Oh but when we saw her we just knew she belonged with us. So, we drove all the way to Oklahoma for her. We were poor grad students but we didn’t even care. We had to give her a home. And the rest was history. We loved Belle more than life itself. We did all kinds of crazy things to make her comfortable. And as she aged and her fears increased, we just upped our crazy. It didn’t matter. We did it all for her. We lost Belle two summers ago and we still mourn her loss. But we had 13 years of perfect love with her.
Adoption is a beautiful practice. My husband is adopted. I have nieces and nephews who are adopted. And all my in laws – they too have all adopted dogs off the street or pound. And, my husband, Cody always says that family isn’t about blood – it’s about relationships and commitment and love. And he always jokes He is his mother’s favorite because she CHOSE him.
People who don’t have connections or experience with adoption often miss the significance of its repeated use in Paul’s writings. Adoption was a practice by Roman families, especially upper class families who didn’t have sons, as a way of passing on family names and status and legacies. Once adopted, you got full rights as a Roman citizen and were given the full inheritance including name, wealth, and legacy. Almost all adoptions were incredibly expensive. But Roman adoptions were often for power and self serving purposes and not true benevolence. The adopted child often remained connected to their biological family and would leverage their position against both families and women were almost never adopted. It wasn’t a perfect system.
But Paul’s repeated use of the word adoption in his writings is incredibly important. Jesus Christ is God’s one and only son. Yet, God paid the highest adoption price ever imagined – His one and only son Jesus – for us. God sacrificed His son and Jesus willingly gave Himself in order that we could all be adopted into God’s family as true sons and daughters – brothers and sisters. And through that adoption process, God makes us full sons and daughters in His family. He holds nothing back. We gives His full inheritance. We wear His name. He protects us. He comforts us. He helps us. He becomes our Father – the perfect father – to each and every one of us who wants to become part of His family.
God has already paid the adoption price for you – the blood of His only son Jesus was spent for you.
God is ready to give you your full inheritance as His true son to daughter – the salvation of your soul.
All that is waiting is for you to complete the adoption process. Give your life up and let God adopt it. Adoptions aren’t forced. They are voluntary. God isn’t going to MAKE you be part of His family but He will ADOPT you into it.
So many people in this world are lost and lonely. They come from broken homes. They have families with extreme dysfunction. They’ve suffered loss and pain. There is a giant hole in their heart because their earthly family had let them down.
But, God’s family is eternal. He is the perfect Father. He will never let you down. And, Jesus is the perfect oldest brother – He will stand with you through every storm in life and meditate for you to our Father once judgment comes. Now, your new spiritual brothers and sisters may disappoint and frustrate you but they will always love you. Isn’t that what siblings do?
Don’t believe the lies of Satan. You do not have to go through this life and the next alone. You can become part of the greatest family ever known and a family that will be with you in this life and the next!
Become part of God’s family. God has already paid the price of your adoption – the blood of Christ. He is just waiting for you to complete the process. Don’t wait. We are waiting and looking for you. The larger the family the happier and more joyful we will all be because who doesn’t love large families?!
Adonai's Appeal 