His first choice

I have a friend from college who has recently informed me that she & her husband are considering adoption. She & I have been "facebooking" back & forth about this subject. She had some trouble getting pregnant, but she does have a beautiful child of her own now. And she is still considering adoption. One of her concerns is what people will think about them adopting when they are perfectly capable of birthing their own children. {"Why would you want to do that when you can have your own children?"} Well, that got me thinking about something I read today in the book, The Adoption Decision, by Laura Christianson. I'm reading the section in the book that refers to God's adoption of us as his children. Here is a quote from that section:

"When Paul [in his letter to the church at Ephesus] refers to God's children, he uses the Greek word huiosthesia (huios means a son and thesis means a placing). All believers are adopted - placed with their heavenly Father. Adoption is not God's second-best choice for building His spiritual family but rather, His first choice."

I love that! Adoption is God's FIRST choice for building his spiritual family. He didn't try another way and then use adoption as his backup. This was his plan all along! He desperately wants to adopt us as his children. What if God did not choose adoption? Where would we be?

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. ~Ephesians 1:4-6

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! ~1 John 3:1

Thank you God for adopting us as your children. Thank you for giving us the gift of salvation & the hope of eternal life through our adoption. Thank you that this wonderful plan is your first choice.