No longer orphans, we are sons and daughters.

"For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba, Father!'"  Romans 8:15

Dear friends, we have a Father.

A Father, dear ones.

A loving Father, who longs for nothing more than to be in relationship with His precious children.

A wonderful Father, who is not so concerned about what we do,

but who is so very desirous of our hearts.

Hearts fully given over to His perfect love.

Do you feel like a son or a daughter of the Most High King?

Or do you struggle with the spirit of an orphan?

It's amazing, friends.

My precious children--

the ones who truly were orphans,

have taught me so much about what it means to be a daughter.

Their struggles have sent me straight to the arms of the only One who can meet all of my needs.

Straight into the arms of a loving Father...

a Father whom I never really knew.

I spent so much of my life living like the "older brother" (you know, the brother who was angry when His father killed the fattened calf in order to celebrate his brother's safe return).

The section in this book (Experiencing Father's Embrace, by Jack Frost)

could pretty much have described me:

"Most older brothers are right; they are usually the most loyal, hardest-working, best performers in the church.  But often they would rather prove their rightness than promote intimate relationships.  They value obedience over relationship, and they use that self-righteousness to justify their negative attitudes." (p. 101)

Sound like someone you'd like to know?

nah...

me neither.

That's because most "older brothers" are far more concerned about being right than they are about love:

"These sins of the older brother may in reality be a greater hindrance to the Kingdom of God than are the sins of the younger son.  While the younger brother may commit sins of immorality and violate God's laws of behavior, the older brother commits perhaps the greatest sin of all--a sin against love." (p. 95)

a sin against love

Oh Lord, lack of love is what makes us orphans...

striving

competing

always needing to be right

being driven by fear

But it is love that makes us

sons

and daughters.

Love

that heals our broken hearts.

Love

that causes us to desire Your way,

to submit our lives to You,

to serve You,

with joy.

Father, thank you for adoption into your family.

Thank you that Jesus is my perfect elder brother.

Thank you that He is a brother who loves without restraint,

and who teaches me to love with that same kind of love.

Father, thank you that you are a Father

who loves with tenderness,

with kindness,

with compassion.

Thank you that I am no longer an orphan,

but that I am a daughter.

Thank you that you have brought my precious children into my life

to teach me about your Fatherly love.

Let me know your heart, more dear Father.

Let me know your heart more.