CHILD OF GOD
By Suzanne Benner

Do you know how much God loves you? He doesn't just let you slip in the backdoor and stay in the kitchen like a servant. No, He races out to meet you with the best robe, a ring and a great feast. His attitude toward you has nothing to do with your behavior.

I have recently read Henri Nouwen's book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, based on Jesus' parable in Luke 15. In it he paints a vivid picture of how much God loves us. God loves each one of us who leaves home to go our own way. He also loves those who stay at home, following the rules but harboring resentment in their hearts. And God's love does not compare - He doesn't love one child more than another. As Nouwen said, "He sees with love the passion of his younger son, even when it is not regulated with obedience. With the same love, [H]e sees the obedience of the elder son, even when it is not vitalized by passion" (p 76).

1 John 3:1 says, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" You are a child of God! The world may try to tell you that you aren't worth much, that you aren't smart enough or pretty enough or good enough, but God, the Creator of the world says, "No, she is my child and I love her."

~ O God, help me listen to Your voice, not the lies of the world. Help me to believe that You have lavished love on me and have called me Your child.

Related Links

The Perfect Friend
http://www.christianwomentoday.com/growth/vujovic.html

About the Author

Suzanne Benner lives in Calgary with her husband and three school-aged children. She leads a small group Bible study in her local church and is passionate about Scripture memorization.