Child

Regardless of how far we have gone, how long we have been gone or how much damage we’ve done, the loving Father waits with open arms to welcome his child (prodigal though he or she may be) back home.

It all begins by being set apart as his child and continues as we choose to live a life set apart to him instead of immersed in the world. Once our position is set, every day awaits a practical decision.

Through the work of Jesus, believers have an eternal inheritance that will “never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Our rebirth comes with powerful privileges.

No one or no thing can stand between you and God. God will not put you through the same test he required of Abraham, but he wants your total allegiance just the same. Put him first and he will provide everything you need. Remember, his name is Jehovah-Jireh.

When God sent his Son into the world, he did not make it easy for the parents or the child. He stripped the Anointed One of every royal privilege. Already tagged as an illegitimate child, Jesus breathed his first breaths of air in a musty stable. Jesus learned obedience through suffering…all the way to the cross.

Not everyone knew about Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah regarding the birth of John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for Jesus. But the manner of his birth to parents well past childbearing age, and Zechariah’s recovered speech left them “filled with awe.” They knew that this child was destined for a special assignment, “For the Lord’s hand was with him.”

The visit from the angel Gabriel was frightening and the news was unbelievable, but Mary surrendered to God’s will. When the angel’s words to her were confirmed by her visit to Elizabeth, who was with child in her old age, Mary burst into song. Her song is filled with Scripture and truth about God