October 31, 2011
You’re Not a Step-Child
Just a typical recess with a group of 10 years old boys gathered around a baseball and bat choosing up sides. I always knew who would be the last boy chosen—me! You who know me personally probably can’t imagine I was a 90 lb weakling; but I was. Plus, my feet are so flat I couldn’t run around the bases without twisting my ankle and falling down. Needless to say, no one wanted me on their team. Somehow ‘never being chosen’ transferred to every other activity—never a class officer, never even a committee member, never chosen for anything—not once. What a wonderful day it was the very first time someone finally chose me. That someone was God. He chose to adopt me and to make me a son.
After the last two articles on adoption, I thought I was done until one of our pastors pointed out a nugget I’d missed. To be adopted, the adopter has to choose you. That thought brought back the memories of never being chosen because I didn’t qualify or wasn’t liked. Well, I certainly didn’t qualify to be God’s choice, but that didn’t make a difference to Him because He loved me. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions (Eph 2:4, 5).
Humans tend to choose by outward appearance and abilities. When Israel demanded a King, they chose Saul. He was a handsome man and a head taller than other people. When you read the entire event, it seems clear that part of the people’s chose was based on Saul’s outward appearance. However, Saul failed as a leader. When God finally rejected him as King, He sent Samuel to anoint David to become the next King. Note the instructions God gave Samuel: But the LORD said to Samuel . . . the LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1Sa 16:7). Even though David failed several time during his reign, he was a man after God’s heart, who did all God’s will. David was chosen by God to be over His people Israel.
We have an acquaintance that had three young girls when her husband died. When she remarried, her husband chose to adopt all three. Of course he didn’t have to do that. He could have remained just their step-dad. Instead, he chose to adopt them and they legally became his daughters. He became their daddy. I know several people who have adopted children from foreign countries. Often these children were poor, abandoned, orphaned by war, unloved, malnourished, and living in horrible conditions. Yet, these couples made a choice and took the steps to adopt one of these children. I’m sure at some point all the children realize how blessed they are to have been chosen. They may even wonder, “Why did they choose me?”
Our spiritual conditions were even worse than these children’s physical conditions. We were dead in our transgressions; we were still sinners. Yet, God made a choice. Note also that His choice didn’t occur after He had observed us for a while to see if we qualified. Rather, He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). Jesus told His disciples, you did not choose Me but I chose you (John 15:16). You can get so bogged down in the theology of these verses you can overlook the main point. The lesson we need to realize is—God chose me. I don’t understand all of the theological how’s and why’s but this I do know—He chose me. No one would still want me on their baseball team but that’s Ok. I’m on a new team. God has chosen to adopt me to be His son and for Him to be my Daddy.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
You are chosen. You’re not a step-child. God chose you to adopt; to make you His son or daughter; and chose to become your Abba—Daddy.