Together - Daily DevotionalSample

Spirit of adoption 

One of the effects of regeneration is that we personally come to know God as a Father. In a sense God is the universal Father of mankind through His original creation. But we only truly become a child of God and enter His family when we are born again by the Holy Spirit. It is one thing to know about God but something totally different to personally experience Him as Father. It is the difference between learned knowledge and experiential knowledge.  I knew a country called Australia existed through learned knowledge at school, but it was still far away and outside my personal experience until one day, I travelled there.

Roman men so frequently adopted children into their family that the process was covered by legal regulations.  The adopted child had full rights as a new family member so for example the Roman Emperor Claudius adopted Nero who succeeded him to the throne.  My friends have recently adopted a child. She calls her benefactor not sir or even father but “papa”. We call God, “Abba” – the Hebrew equivalent of “Daddy”. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us this “Spirit of adoption” and who helps us call God, “Abba, Father”.

Prayer: Father, Abba, I thank you for the Holy Spirit of adoption who helps me know You personally