July 23

Good morning.

There was so much richness in today's readings, so much I could have focused on. I want to concentrate on Romans 8:14-17. First of all, we come to God as a result of the Spirit of God leading us and us choosing to follow. Second of all, there is a fear in man that is an anticipation or awareness of danger. Think of your reflexes. When you get too close or touch a hot iron or pan, you jerk your hand away. You don't leave it there being burned. (I think we forget this inate fear when we are talking w/a non-Believer about Jesus. They already have an impending sense of fear at the unknown and their future...even if they don't admit it.) Anyway, God once again by HIS SPIRIT takes away this fear and gives us His Spirit of adoption. The Creator of the Universe chose to adopt us, to make you and me, HIS children! And we can dare to speak to Him and love on Him and call Him "Abba, Father" to call Him "Daddy." Then, as if that's not good enough, HIS SPIRIT continues to bear witness w/ours that we are children of God because...honestly...we forget that sometimes, don't we? And finally, because He makes us His children, that makes us His heirs, joint heirs w/Jesus Christ - the King of kings and Lord of lords. When I studied that this morning, I realized He isn't just talking about money and monetary possessions. A heir is one who receives an endowment or quality from a parent and upon further study I found endowment implies "a natural capacity, power, or ability." So God not only makes us His children but He gives us the power and the ability and the capacity to walk that out in the natural on earth as it is in heaven. The end result is found in vs 18 that HIS GLORY MIGHT BE REVEALED IN US. How amazing is that!

Blessings,
Rolanda Green
Hillcrest Children's Minister