Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

A Daily Devotional for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

21 August 2024

Reading From Jeremiah 46-48

“Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;
    do not be dismayed, Israel.
I will surely save you out of a distant place,
    your descendants from the land of their exile.
Jacob will again have peace and security,
    and no one will make him afraid.
Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,
    for I am with you,” declares the Lord.
“Though I completely destroy all the nations
    among which I scatter you,
    I will not completely destroy you.
I will discipline you but only in due measure;
    I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

–Jeremiah 46:27-28

     Heavenly Father is the Perfect Parent of His eternal family.  Every single person who has been born again is adopted into that magnificent spiritual community which spans all time.  We, the children of God, are united with Him and one another by His Spirit who resides in all of us.  As He purifies His sons and daughters from all unrighteousness and leads us into our destiny, He must at times bring course corrections to our lives. 

     Almighty God uses the perfect balance of discipline and mercy when teaching us how to live life for His glory and for our good.  He alone knows what is best for us and it is imperative to our spiritual growth that we trust His judgments.  Not every season of life is pleasant but nothing is wasted with Jehovah.  He brings beauty from ashes, strength by way of weakness, peace in the middle of the raging storm, and bright hope from places of deep darkness.  The wonder-working power of His blood applied by the Spirit is essence of redemption.

     In whatever season you find yourself in, know that if your faith, hope and love is with Christ, you may struggle, but you will not be completely destroyed.  God is faithful in good times and bad and He will surely bring you through it all!  We have countless choices to make along the way.  As we make good choices based upon the Bible and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we are transformed from glory to glory into His marvelous image.  God the Father loves you and will not abandon you.  You are His masterpiece in the making.

“Lord, thank You that we have You as our perfect example of life and godliness; our Perfect Parent.  You know when to embrace us tenderly with Your love and when to show love by Your balanced discipline.  Even when You allow us to experience consequences of our actions, You are there within us and walking beside us every step of the way; sometimes carrying us when our own strength fails.  Thank You Jesus, for not treating us as our sins deserve but according to Your unfailing love and mercy.  We love You, Abba Father.  Amen.”

Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.

–Philippians 1:6

The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.

 –Hebrews 12:6