Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Everybody in the world is invited to pray the Lord’s Prayer, which addresses God as "our Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 6:9). That’s because the Father gave His Son Jesus to be "the Savior of the world" (John 4:42); He is that already. You don’t have to do anything to make Him become your Savior. What you need to do is welcome Him for what He already is--your Savior.
You are not worthy, you have no merit of your own. You cannot save yourself, but you can thank Him for saving you. That’s happiness! Something happens deep inside your soul when you come to Him in that prayer of thanksgiving.
You feel deeply humbled (but not humiliated; there’s a great difference). You sense that He honors you in His recognition of you as a child of His Father. You are a member of "the family of heaven" (Eph. 3:15), closer to Him who is on the throne than any angel in heaven can be.
You are already "adopted" (1:4, 5). An adopted child is a member of the family, not on probation; he is secure in his new relationship although he may not realize it. He needs to learn the truth of his adoption into the earthly family through the avenue of understanding his adoption (and ours!) into the heavenly "family." Oh how precious is the truth that earthly family happiness depends on first appreciating our adoption into "the whole family in heaven and earth."
The blessed new covenant gospel implants that solid confidence into the hearts of family members and children. Let’s not confuse our situation with any old covenant teaching in our family. Let’s not employ fear as our method of imposing control; some heart-broken, tearful prayer of humility will do father and mother (and adoptive parent) worlds of good. The Lord does love you and your children, natural and adopted; He is working. Let Him work!
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: February 20, 2008.
Copyright © 2014 by "Dial Daily Bread."
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/dailybread/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to:dailybread@1888message.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
