Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional by Kenton Cheek

7 May 2024

Reading From Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, 39

“Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
    your justice like the great deep.
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house;
    you give them drink from your river of delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.”

–Psalm 36:5-9

     Nothing has the power to change the human heart like the love of God.  The ultimate act of love was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for the sins of the world and by grace through faith we can experience not only His love but also His acceptance.  The love of God can overwhelm any bitterness or hatred, inspire genuine expressions of compassion, and is so appealing that we abandon our sin in favor of experiencing more of what He has for us. 

     As we grow in our knowledge of God and experience His goodness, we realize more and more how much better life is with Him than it is in the cold, harsh world that persists in unbelief and rebellion.  With Him there is life, light, love and blessings but when we choose to go our own way we will be led into death, darkness, hatred and curses.  He has left the decision with us.

     Something that the world and even some Christians confuse is the difference between the love and acceptance of God.  Contrary to a common misconception, we are not all God’s children, but we are all His creation.  It takes making the decision to not only believe in Him, but also to trust Him enough to confess and repent in order to become a child of God, accepted by Him into His eternal family. 

Belief is not enough.  Satan and his demons believe in God.  We must surrender our will to His.  God will not force us into this life-giving relationship.  We must choose Him for ourselves, otherwise our decision would not be out of love, but rather coercion, and that is not something God is interested in.  He gave us freedom hoping that we would use that power to choose Him.

One of the most miraculous things about God is that He meets us wherever we are in our lives and accepts us just as we are as we reach out to Him in faith. There is no sin too great that He cannot forgive. There is no barrier too high, no chain too strong that He cannot break through and send His love like a mighty flood, washing away everything that hinders us from enjoying life abundant and eternal with Him.

     Nothing is more powerful than love and God is love.  Love leads us to deny ourselves.  Love leads us to abandon selfish ways.  Love leads us to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly.  Love leads us to make holy decisions.  Love leads us to ask forgiveness when we make a mistake.  Love leads us to function in the power and authority and strength of the Holy Spirit.  Love leads us to serve.  Love leads us to worship in word and deed.  Love leads us to Jesus and into the family of the Father. 

“God, thank You for Your great love.  Thank You that no matter how far I may wander, You are there and ready to receive me back into Your arms.  I am grateful for Your love and for Your acceptance.  Help me to extend Your love to others around me.  Amen.”

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

–Romans 8:31-39