January 23 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Children are a precious gift. The Lord entrusts them to our care to lead and guide them in His truth. In our society many children are treated as a plain nuisance. Parental responsibility in raising children is delegated to others while parents pursue their own careers. Many houses have become showpieces for the world to see, rather than homes where children feel love and affection from their mothers and fathers. Adolescents are left to fend for themselves, roaming the streets of our cities and towns or absorbing themselves in an isolated and imaginary world.

Do the children who grow up in Christian homes experience their parent’s unconditional love? The attitudes of society have not left the church unscathed or untouched. Even within the community of the church a staggering number of children are in abusive situations.

What a breath of fresh air to open the Scriptures and to read the gospel of Christ’s birth. For in Christ’s coming children are seen as a blessing, even if they are born into the world with disabilities. Both natural and adopted children, raised in families that fear the Lord, should never feel unwanted or rejected. They have a special position in Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord whether they are born into a family or adopted by a family. The Lord Jesus says to us, “I came into this world and became a child. I became the adopted son of Joseph, for the sake of the children, too. Let the children come to me and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.”

This prospect also gladdened the hearts of Old Testament believers every time children were born. It gave joy to the women in Bethlehem when a son was born into the family of Boaz and Ruth. The women praised the Lord who provided Naomi with a redeemer. She received an adopted son and from his line the Messiah, the natural Son of God, is born.

Every child formed and knit together in the womb is a wonderful work of God. The same God who regenerates us generates new life. The Lord gave Ruth conception and blessed her with the birth of a son. Praise God for the birth of the natural Son through whom we receive the privileged position of being adopted children.