A New Family

Bible Reading: Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 5:22-32

Mara sat with her little brother Dax in their family’s living room, setting up the board game they had received for Christmas. As they were setting up the game pieces, their older sister Abigail and her husband, Daniel, came in.

“Hey, can we play?” Daniel asked, tousling Mara’s hair.

“Sure!” said Mara. She and Dax scooted over to make room for them. Just as they were ready to start the game, Abigail’s phone rang.

“Oh,” Abigail said, looking at Daniel. “It’s your mom.”

“She probably wants to thank you for the plates you sent her. I told you she’d love those,” Daniel said.

Abigail smiled and stepped out. On her way out, Mara heard Abigail answer the phone saying, “Hi, Mom.”

Mara scrunched her face in confusion. Abigail was talking to Daniel’s mom, not theirs. “Why did Abigail call your mom ‘Mom’?” she asked Daniel.

“Well, Abigail’s part of my family now too,” Daniel replied. “When Abigail and I got married, she joined my family and my parents now see her as one of their children. They told her she could call them Mom and Dad so she knew she was welcome in the family.”

Mara nodded as she thought about what he said. “That sounds like something I learned at church. In Sunday school we learned that the Bible says we’re all adopted as God’s children when we trust in Jesus, and there’s another passage in the Bible that compares a married couple to Jesus and the church. Our teacher said that Jesus brings us into God’s family, and that makes us God’s children too.”

“Exactly,” Daniel replied with a smile. “When the Bible refers to the church as the bride of Christ, it’s talking about all people who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God—our Savior who died and rose again to save us from our sins. When Jesus saved us, He brought us into God’s family and we received the Holy Spirit, making us God’s children.”

Just then, Abigail walked back in. “You guys ready to play?”

Everyone nodded, and Dax picked up the dice and rolled a six. “Yes!” he exclaimed. “I go first!”

They all laughed, and as Mara looked around at everyone, she said a silent prayer thanking Jesus for bringing her into God’s family.

-Raven Hunter

How About You?

Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you been adopted into God’s family and become one of His children? God wants you to be His child; that’s why He sent Jesus to die for you. When we trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit welcomes us into God’s family. If you haven’t trusted in Jesus, trust in Him today and He will make you one of God’s children. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)

Today’s Key Verse:
Romans 8:15 The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (ERV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus makes us God’s children