You Are Adopted

You did not receive the spirit of bondage and fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. - Romans 8:15-16

...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will... - Ephesians 1:4-5

Have you ever read these verses before? Do you know what they are saying? We, those who believe in Jesus as our savior, are adopted. We are God's children. Did you catch that? We are adopted! Do you know what this means? We are chosen. Chosen by God - because He wants us, He loves us.

Check this out: A parent can choose to love their own, natural child, as they should. Children are one of the greatest gifts that God has given us. But not all parents choose to love their own children. Some children are mistreated, abused, ignored, or even abandoned because we live in a broken world. The point is, a natural parent can choose whether or not to love their child. BUT, with adoption, the choice has been made. When a child is adopted, that child is chosen to be loved. When a couple chooses to adopt a baby, they are saying, "I want you, I have to have you." Adoption means, "I have so much love to give, it hurts. I WANT you to be my child. I WANT to love you!"

How awesome and amazing is that?! God, the GOOD Father, wants you so much that He is choosing to adopt you! You are loved so much, in His desire to have you, He sent Jesus (His true Son) as a savior, to rescue you and redeem you so that He could adopt you. Why would He do that? How could He love us so much? As it says it Ephesians 1:5, He did it according to His good pleasure. 

Whoa. It is God's good pleasure to adopt you, to choose you, to love you. It gives God pleasure to love His children. That is amazing. No, God is amazing. How beautiful is it to know that God wants us, He wants to love us, AND it gives Him pleasure to love us? 

By adopting us as His children, God is saying, "I am absolutely crazy about you. I want you. I love you. I have to have you. Let me love you." Can you see this with your heart? This knowledge is almost too wonderful to contain in the soul. It makes the heart just melt for God. It makes the heart cry out, "Abba, Father!", or "Dad, Daddy!" 

You are adopted! You are desired. You are chosen. You are wanted. You are cherished. You are prized. You are delighted in. You are loved in its purest, richest form. Praise God! He is the GOOD Father, the GOOD Dad.

Will we ever comprehend the width and length and depth and height of God's love, as it says in Ephesians 3:18? I don't know, but doesn't knowing how He loves us make you want to try? God is Love. You are loved. Praise God!