That We Should Be Called Children of God
Date: October 10, 2024
I use the BLESS method every morning for my devotional.
B - Bible Verse
L - Listen for God's Voice and pray
E - Explore the History and meaning
S - Study the Key Words or Phrases
S - Summarize and Share
B - Bible Verse in NIV (1 John 3:1) "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."
L - Listen for God's Voice and pray Heavenly Father, thank You for Your incredible love that makes us Your children. Help us to truly grasp the depth and richness of this love. May we live as Your beloved children, radiating Your love to the world around us. Open our hearts to experience more of Your fatherly love each day. In Jesus' name, Amen.
E - Explore the History and meaning John, who is referred to as the beloved disciple of Jesus, wrote this letter to encourage believers in their faith and to combat false teachings that were creeping into the early church. This verse emphasizes the amazing love of God that transforms believers into His children, a concept that was radical in John's time and remains powerful today.
S - Study the Key Words or Phrases
"Great love" - Emphasizes the extraordinary nature of God's love
"Lavished on us" - Suggests abundance and generosity in how God gives His love
"Children of God" - Highlights our new identity and relationship with God
S - Summarize and Share (Radiant in Christ's Love theme) John is inviting us to really see, to truly grasp the incredible love that God has for us. It's not just a little love, it's a great love – a love so vast and deep that it's hard for our human minds to fully comprehend.
And look at how John describes it – God has "lavished" this love on us. That word makes me think of abundance, of overflowing generosity. It's like God's love is this endless waterfall, constantly pouring over us, drenching us in His affection and grace.
But here's the part that really makes me feel radiant – because of this lavish love, we're called children of God. Can you believe it? The Creator of the universe, the Almighty God, calls us His children! That's not just a nice title; John emphasizes, "And that is what we are!" It's our true identity, our deepest reality.
When we really let this sink in, how can we not shine with God's love? It's like we're wrapped in this warm, glowing blanket of divine love, and it can't help but radiate from us to everyone around us.
Now, John does mention that the world might not understand us, and that's okay. We're shining with a love that comes from knowing God personally, and if the world doesn't know Him, our radiance might seem strange to them. But that doesn't dim our glow one bit!
So today, let's bask in this lavish love. Let's remind ourselves constantly, "I am a child of God." Let's let that love fill us up so completely that it overflows to everyone we meet.
Remember, no matter what you face today, no matter how you feel about yourself, you are deeply, lavishly loved by God. You are His child. Let that truth make you radiant from the inside out!
3 Bible Cross References:
Romans 8:15-16
Ephesians 1:5
Galatians 4:6-7
Question for the audience: How does knowing you're a beloved child of God change how you see yourself or face your day? Share a word or short phrase in the comments that describes how this amazing truth makes you feel!