DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT TUESDAY - FATHER’S FAMILY... Part 1.

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my great concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right. - A. Lincoln.

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. - 1 John 3:1.

Rudyard Kipling once wrote about families, "all of us are we, and everyone else is they." A family shares things like dreams, hopes, possessions, memories, smiles, frowns, and gladness. A family is a clan held together with the glue of love and the cement of mutual respect. A family is shelter from the storm, a friendly port when the waves of life become too wild. No person is ever alone who is a member of a family. - Fingertip Facts.

Some gifts are too precious for words, and too wonderful to fully appreciate. The greatest of these gifts is that we are God's children! We have been adopted into the Father's family! Jesus claims us as his younger siblings! Even though the world may not acknowledge this, that doesn't make it any less true. After all, the world didn't recognize its Creator when he became flesh, and lived among the people he had created. God's Word, however, still proclaims the truth; those of us who accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, ARE the children of God!

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. - Rom 8:16-17.

Clovis Chappell, a minister from a century back, used to tell the story of two paddleboats. They left Memphis about the same time, traveling down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail's pace of the other. Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.

One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship's cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race, but burned their cargo.

God has entrusted cargo to us, too: children, spouses, and friends. Our job is to do our part in seeing that this cargo reaches its destination. Yet when the program takes priority over people, people often suffer. How much cargo do we sacrifice in order to achieve the number one slot? How many people never reach the destination because of the aggressiveness of a competitive captain? - Max Lucado… In the Eye of the Storm.

Let’s take advantage of the great opportunities that the Holy Spirit presents to us, and tell of the wonderful love, forgiveness, and acceptance of Jesus. Hallelujah, what a mighty God we serve!

Loving Father, I thank you, for the incredible blessing of being your child. I know that I haven't begun to understand all the glorious things this gift means. However, Father, I look forward to what I can learn now about what it means, and I joyously anticipate the day when I can see you face to face, and fully know the meaning of this joy. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to communicate your great love, to those that are lost. In the wonderful Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged!
GBYAY