How often do you stop and think of what it means to be a child of the Lord God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, Creator of all that is? I know I don’t consider that often enough. Enough to make me totally humble. Enough to fill my heart with the greatest joy anyone could ever have, to raise my feet almost off the ground.

Think with me for a few moments just a bit of what this means to each of us. First of all, we can’t begin to imagine how much greater God is than we are. We all have an idea of that and know He is more than we can even consider with our small minds. But how often do we mentally bow down before Him like faithful servants, wanting only to do His desire? How much do consider just what God’s will is as we busily move through our days? Don’t we usually take them as they come and make our plans to do what we think best? How often during the course of the day do we stop and simply say “Thank you” for the tremendous blessing of being His child?

Do we consider how far removed from God we are in wisdom, knowledge, justice and especially holiness? Imagine a Father who knows the tiniest detail about you – your thoughts, feelings, strengths, weaknesses, and even how many hairs are on your head. And He knows that about every person living on earth, or who ever has lived or will ever live. That is some awesome God! Not only is He marvelously aware of us, our Father loves us more than any person can love another. Father loves in spite of all our faults, our disobedience and rebellion. Yes, He loves but unless Jesus’ blood covers us, we have no right to call Him Father or to expect to live eternally with Him.

On the other hand, look at what all we inherit when Jesus is our Savior: Yes, we live eternally with God in heaven, but even on earth we gain so much. I’m using two versions of a great Scripture that describes just what happens when we become a child of Almighty God. As you read either version, look for the many ways we are blessed that are listed in these verses. We know also that we have tremendous resources and riches that are not mentioned, like prayer to name just one.

Ephesians 1:2-19 NIV     Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will — to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ .

Ephesians 1:2-9 The Message       I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people — free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ. (THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)

Can you really read either version of that wonderful set of verses without feeling like clapping and shouting hallelujah? Maybe you decide to jump up and down instead, or to fall on your face in reverence and worship before this mighty God and Father. Yes, God exalts us by calling us His children, and we in turn are more humble than ever as we praise Him and dedicate our lives to this amazing One, who is willing to allow us to call Him Father, and He calls each of us His beloved child.

Rejoice in being a child of the Lord God Almighty!