Adoption
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not
receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the
Spirit of adoption as sons. ... Romans 8:14-15a
Patrick is a pit bull, a breed of dog many people try to avoid.
Apparently, Patrick's owner should be included in that group. I say that because
the individual, who will remain nameless in this devotion, tied Patrick to a
railing in her Nevada apartment building. Then she went to visit some friends.
For a week she visited her friends.
While she visited, Patrick waited. Patrick waited for his owner's return. He
waited to be fed. He waited to be given some water. Eventually a mailman found
Patrick at the bottom of a trash chute. By then Patrick was curled up into a
ball, unable to stand.
Patrick was rushed to a veterinary clinic.
The vets examined the dog and experience told them Patrick was a goner -- a dog
without hope. They agreed that Patrick would die as he had lived: unwanted and
alone.
That's what logic said should have happened.
What did happen was quite different. The doctors felt sorry for Patrick. They
gave him therapy, a special diet and some transfusions. And Patrick responded.
He put on weight. Before long a grateful Patrick started following his
benefactors all around the clinic. Indeed, appreciation became a 24-hour-a-day,
seven-day-a-week kind of job for the rescued pooch.
And at this point I probably don't need to say Patrick's story ought to be our
story.
Because of sin and Satan we were chained up -- doomed and destined to die
eternally.
Logically there was no other choice. After all, Scripture says the soul that
sins will die. But God's Word also tells us, in spite of this logic, a gracious
God sent His only Son into this world to rescue us. By living the perfect life
that was beyond us, by dying the death we deserved, Jesus took our place and
carried our sins.
Because of what Jesus has done for us all who have been given faith in Him will
not perish but are given everlasting life.
This ought to take us to one other similarity between Patrick and us; like the
rescued, no-longer-unwanted dog, grateful Christians ought to live their lives
in thanksgiving to our Divine Rescuer and Redeemer.
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, please accept the praises of those whom You
have rescued. Because of Your grace, Jesus was made both our Substitute and
Savior. May I be filled with a sense of gratitude for His sacrifice? This I pray
in His Name. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus Lutheran Hour Ministries
http://www.lhm.org/ all rights reserved; not to be
duplicated without permission.