God's Adopted Family
Scripture Reading — John 14:15-31
“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:18
In Indonesia nearly two hundred listener communities have formed in response to our radio work. Groups of listeners meet on a regular basis to worship, study messages heard through radio, and fellowship with each other. Often these groups become open doors through which Hindu and Muslim seekers explore the claims of Jesus Christ.
Last February I gathered with a very special listener community. It was a group of orphans from a nearby orphanage. I listened as one young man shared what the group meant to him and how he had been spiritually nurtured through the radio broadcasts. The pain and rejection of being an orphan had been healed through the accepting grace of Jesus Christ.
You and I have a lot in common with that teenager, even if we have never lived in an orphanage or foster home. One of our deepest spiritual fears is to be deserted, rejected by God. Jesus’ disciples were excited about their relationship with Jesus because he was their tangible link into God’s family. But if he left this earth after his resurrection, then what?
That young man testified that, by the Spirit, Christ is with him today. By the Spirit, Christ has given him a place in God’s family. He might never be able to trace his biological ancestry. But he is no longer an orphan. Neither are you or I when the Spirit enfolds us into the one family that truly matters.
Lord, when we feel alone, reassure us by your Spirit that we are sons and daughters of the King. Amen.
About the author — Bob Heerspink
Dr. Robert Heerspink was director of Back to God Ministries International from 2006 until 2011, when he passed away. He had previously pastored several Christian Reformed churches. Bob loved to write and was a frequent contributor to the Today devotional.
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