With our second son's due date drawing closer, his birth has been on my mind more
often. While at DNow this weekend, I was congratulated and reminded of him by plenty! It’s a
great feeling to be a “2nd” time father, the previous worries and unknowns of fatherhood really feel far, especially when you know of the great joys coming ahead.
While this was playing out in my head during DNow, a verse that our speaker taught
on caught my attention. During our second session, Mattew 5:9 was covered, it says, “Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”. Jesus is teaching his disciples that
Christian’s are peacemakers. What caught my attention was the language used, “sons of God”
(the word “son” in that verse refers to “daughter” as well).
As a follower of Christ, you are a son or daughter to God through the reconciliation of Jesus. Which most of us know but should always be reminded. A part of this reconciliation is that God takes pleasure in us. He sees us as children who are bound to bring great joy, even with our flaws. That is an amazing message that is sewn throughout the bible. For example, Zephaniah 3:17 teaches us that “the Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness”.
One thing I want to point out about God’s rejoicing over his sons and daughters, is
how much of it involves you. The answer is it doesn’t. God is in our midst, he will save, and he
rejoices. I think many of us feel the need to make God happy and often struggle to separate our sin and identity. While one may think this is biblical, I’d argue this actually what our culture now teaches. Our culture has moved from a world of factually grounded assumptions of what we are as people, to assumptions of what we are as being grounded in our emotions and desires. If our culture’s thought process was correct, we’d all be in trouble. Yet, our desires and sin are not who we are when we profess faith in Christ.
The Bible teaches that God rejoices over his people, he forgives them of their sin
through his perfect son dying for the rest of the family. Colossians 1 explains that Jesus in his
reconciliation for us presents holy and blameless. While our sin still exists, it is no longer what
God sees in us, our sin no longer defines who we are.
May this short devotional be your reminder that God, our Father, takes pleasure in us,
seeing us as holy and blameless due to our perfect brother dying for us. While we are bound to sin, he can look ahead to the future joys of his sons and daughters reunited with him. Just as I can look to future joys and blessings I will have with my new son, over the known hardships to come. May you take joy knowing that God takes joy in you!
- Slade Knowlton
often. While at DNow this weekend, I was congratulated and reminded of him by plenty! It’s a
great feeling to be a “2nd” time father, the previous worries and unknowns of fatherhood really feel far, especially when you know of the great joys coming ahead.
While this was playing out in my head during DNow, a verse that our speaker taught
on caught my attention. During our second session, Mattew 5:9 was covered, it says, “Blessed
are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”. Jesus is teaching his disciples that
Christian’s are peacemakers. What caught my attention was the language used, “sons of God”
(the word “son” in that verse refers to “daughter” as well).
As a follower of Christ, you are a son or daughter to God through the reconciliation of Jesus. Which most of us know but should always be reminded. A part of this reconciliation is that God takes pleasure in us. He sees us as children who are bound to bring great joy, even with our flaws. That is an amazing message that is sewn throughout the bible. For example, Zephaniah 3:17 teaches us that “the Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness”.
One thing I want to point out about God’s rejoicing over his sons and daughters, is
how much of it involves you. The answer is it doesn’t. God is in our midst, he will save, and he
rejoices. I think many of us feel the need to make God happy and often struggle to separate our sin and identity. While one may think this is biblical, I’d argue this actually what our culture now teaches. Our culture has moved from a world of factually grounded assumptions of what we are as people, to assumptions of what we are as being grounded in our emotions and desires. If our culture’s thought process was correct, we’d all be in trouble. Yet, our desires and sin are not who we are when we profess faith in Christ.
The Bible teaches that God rejoices over his people, he forgives them of their sin
through his perfect son dying for the rest of the family. Colossians 1 explains that Jesus in his
reconciliation for us presents holy and blameless. While our sin still exists, it is no longer what
God sees in us, our sin no longer defines who we are.
May this short devotional be your reminder that God, our Father, takes pleasure in us,
seeing us as holy and blameless due to our perfect brother dying for us. While we are bound to sin, he can look ahead to the future joys of his sons and daughters reunited with him. Just as I can look to future joys and blessings I will have with my new son, over the known hardships to come. May you take joy knowing that God takes joy in you!
- Slade Knowlton
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