Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

27 July 2024

Reading From II Kings 18:9-19:37, Psalm 46, 80, 135

“Praise the Lord.

Praise the name of the Lord;
    praise him, you servants of the Lord,
you who minister in the house of the Lord,
    in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
    sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own,
    Israel to be his treasured possession.”

–Psalm 135:1-4

     In ancient times, names had deep meaning.  Names were meant to communicate the essence of who a person was and aspects of character.  Therefore, when we call upon the Name of the Lord, we by faith are tapping into the power of who He is.[1]  God is a gentleman.  He will not force Himself into your life.[2]  He wants us to reach out to Him, believing in Him and that His Word is true, and ask Him for His intervention in our lives.[3] 

     My name, Kenton, means “of the king’s court” in Old English.  This passage reminds me of who I am in the Lord.  I am called to share His love and message to others in the courts of the house of our God.  When I was born again, He gave me a new identity in connection with His.  Every member of His Church is a minister.  Each of us, as sons and daughters of the Most High, are prophets and prophetesses, priests and priestesses, kings and queens in His Kingdom.  We are meant to function not in our own strength, but in His power and authority.[4]

     In Revelation 5:9-10 it is revealed, “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”  When an individual makes the decision to reach out to God in faith and trust for salvation, he or she is adopted into the eternal family of God as a son or a daughter.  We are saved by grace through faith.[5]  Therefore, our standing with the Lord is not earned by our deeds.  We are redeemed to God by the blood of Jesus.  Nothing can add to His perfect sacrifice.[6] 

     We are kings and queens and He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  In Him we have total victory over sin and death.  This means we do not have to put up with the attacks of our adversary, Satan.[7]  We have the royal authority to rebuke the enemy and stand upon the promises of God.  James 4:7 instructs us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”  

God gave us dominion over the Earth to be wise stewards of it.[8]  It is up to us to choose what we do with that power.  It isn’t a question of whether or not we rule, but what sort of rulers are we?  With free moral agency, we have the ability to make thousands of decisions in our lifetimes.  God calls us to use His knowledge, wisdom and discernment in making good choices that have far reaching effects.[9] 

     Our God ordains each of us as priests and priestesses.  Every member of His Church is a minister.[10]  He has given us the Great Commandment to love Him, love others and love ourselves.  In sharing His love and message, we partner with Him in making healthy disciples in our local communities, regions, and around the world.  Part of our priesthood role is to intercede for others.[11]  Prayer is powerful and by it, along with putting our faith into action, we participate in the will of God unfolding upon the Earth.  “The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.”[12]

     As we live in the world but not of it, we must speak the truth boldly and in love to those we come in contact with.  A prophet or prophetess is someone who speaks the Word of the Lord in His timing and authority.  God means for us to prayerfully handle His Truth with care, compassion and respect for those we minister to.  II Timothy 2:15 encourages us, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 

     A prophetic Word from God cuts through all distraction and goes right to the heart of the matter.  It is what a person needs to hear, when they need to hear it.  We must be sensitive to the direction of the Holy Spirit to know what to share and when to share it.  “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”[13]

     In Jesus Christ, the sons and daughters of the Most High God find their sense of purpose and identity.  We are connected, sealed to one another and to Him by the Holy Spirit who resides in each of our hearts.[14]  Through this eternal bond we discover the most miraculous sense of belonging and community as the eternal family of God.  He reveals to us who we are, holds us close to His heart, and will one day take us home to be with Him.  He is our Prophet, Priest and King and we are being transformed from glory to glory, reshaped and conformed to His image.

“God, thank You for loving us.  You’ve rescued us from the miry clay and set our feet upon the rock.  Heavenly Father, guide us with Your Holy Spirit into all truth as we build our lives upon the firm foundation of Your Son Jesus and Your Word the Bible.  Reveal to Your sons and daughters more and more of who You are, who we are in You, and our eternal destiny.  In Jesus’ mighty Name I pray, Amen.”

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

–I Peter 2:9

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[1] Psalm 138:2

[2] James 4:8

[3] Romans 10:13

[4] Zechariah 4:6

[5] Ephesians 2:8-9

[6] Hebrews 9:11-14

[7] I John 4:4, Ephesians 6:12

[8] Genesis 1:26-28

[9] Proverbs 3:5-6

[10] Rick Warren, “Purpose Driven Church”

[11] Revelation 5:8

[12] James 5:6

[13] Acts 2:17

[14] Ephesians 1:13