Are You a Waiting Child?

 

Do you feel neglected, abandoned and  abused?  Have you lost all hope?  Are you unsaved and not a part of the Family of God?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be a waiting child.

 

If you are local resident of Pittsburgh, then you have probably seen the segments “A Waiting Child” on your local news station.  A waiting child is someone who has not yet been placed permanently with an adoptive family,  hence the term “waiting”.     

 

Whenever I view one of those segments, it saddens my heart to know there are children out there who will never experience what it is like to be a part of a family.  They are missing out on so many things like love, commitment, fellowship, permanency and more.  More than likely they have experienced neglect, abuse, abandonment, hopelessness throughout their short lives.  Always wondering if today will be the day that someone adopts me and I become a part of a “Forever Family”?

 

Now if the plight of a “waiting child” saddens you, you should also feel sadness for all of the “spiritual waiting children” in the world.  They also have faced neglect, abuse, abandonment and hopelessness in their lives.  Always wondering and internally desiring to be adopted into the Forever Family of God.  A lot of the spiritual waiting children don’t even know or understand how the adoption process works.

 

The Bible tells us in Galatians 4:4-7 how we can become adopted into the Forever Family of God, “But then the chosen time came.   God sent his Son.   A woman gave birth to him.   He was born under the authority of the law.   He came to set free those who were under the authority of the law.  He wanted us to be adopted as children with all the rights children have.   Because you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts.  He is the Holy Spirit.  By his power we call God Abba.   Abba means Father.   So you aren’t a slave any longer.  You are God’s child.   Because you are his child, God gives you the rights of those who are his children.”

 

God chose you for salvation, for adoption into His Forever Family.  He walked down the line of children waiting to be adopted and chose you.  Isn’t that great?!

 

What does it really mean to be adopted into the Forever Family of God?  Adoption means to take on the legal responsibilities as a parent of a child that is not one's biological child.  The adopted child is entitled to all privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parents (including the right to inherit).  Isn’t that what the scripture in Galatians said?  God adopts us into His heavenly family the moment we place our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.  And because He accepts us just as He accepts His own Son, we are “joint heirs” with Christ.  “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”  (Romans 8:16-17)  So all we have to do is believe in Jesus Christ by faith and we become children of God and heirs to the promise.  “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”  (Galatians 3:26, 29)

What is the promise of Abraham’s seed?  What is our inheritance?  Deuteronomy 28:1-14 says, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.   And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:   “Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.   “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.   “Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.   “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.   “The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.   “The Lord will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.   “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself,  just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways.  Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you.  And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.  The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.  And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail;  you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.  So you shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.”

Now, that’s some inheritance!  Do you want it?  Are you tired of being a “waiting child”?  Are you ready to be adopted?  If you answered yes, then you need the keys to have access to the inheritance!  Who has the keys and how can you get them?  Jesus said in Revelation 1:18, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,  Amen.  And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”  Matthew 16:19a, Jesus also said, “And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,”

 

So, here are the five keys to salvation that will open the door for you to become a member of the Forever Family of God and get your inheritance.

 

1.   Acknowledge>Romans 6:23

2.   Repent>Acts 17:30

3.   Believe>John 3:16

4.   Accept>Romans 10:9

5.   Follow Jesus>Matthew 4:19

 

Are you ready to be adopted?  Your heavenly Father is here to welcome you in through His Son, Jesus Christ and so am I.  When I see you I will be able to say to you, “Ooo child, you look like my brother or sister on my Father’s side.”