Today I want to share Joseph Prince's "Grace Inspirations" devotional:
GOD IS WELL
PLEASED WITH YOU, HIS BELOVED
Ephesians
1:6 …He [God] made us accepted in the Beloved.
Studies have
shown that in the heart of every child is a cry for his father’s approval.
Something happens when a father says to his boy, “Daddy is so proud of you.” Or
when a father says to his girl, “You will always be Daddy’s favorite girl.”
You can catch
such a similar special moment in the Bible when God the Father displayed His
approval of His Son—“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”
(Matthew 3:17). The Bible shows us that Jesus’ ministry began with the approval
of the Father, even before He had performed any miracle.
Now, you may
think that God would naturally say that of Jesus, but not of us. My friend, the
truth is that Jesus came for us and as us. He died for us and as us. He
received the approval of the Father for us and as us. He came as our
representative. And if that is not enough, God tells us in His Word that we are
“accepted in the Beloved”!
Why did God
specifically say “accepted in the Beloved” and not simply “accepted in
Christ”? I believe that it is because He is calling to our remembrance what had
happened at the Jordan river where He said, “This is My Beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased.” God wants us to know that we are His beloved and
that He is well pleased with us.
God sees us
as His beloved because He has made us accepted in the Beloved. He wants us to
wake up every day knowing that we are His beloved, unconditionally loved and
wholly approved.
The more we
know how much we are loved and treasured by God, the more we can expect good
things to happen in our lives. We can expect to be healthy and whole. When we
realize that we are the objects of God’s love, instead of becoming easily
frightened or threatened by anything or anyone, we become confident that we
will win every fight of life.
That, my
friend, is how your heavenly Father wants you to live. So live life today
confident that you are God’s beloved!
AMEN! Learn to see yourself as GOD sees you! Here, to help remind you of that, is Hillsong with "Who You Say I Am":
Shalom in Him!
