My pastor, Mike Erre told a story yesterday that bears repeating. Apparently he has a friend who adopted a little boy. During their first few months of adjusting to each other, the parents noticed that the little boy was hiding food all around his room. There was some stuffed under the bed, in drawers, in the closet and all over the place.

When the parents confronted the little boy, eventually the story came out. When he was “bad,” his foster parents would lock him in his room from Friday until Monday morning. While I do not know the details about water and restroom issues, the boy explained that when he knew the punishment was coming he would hide the food so he would not be so hungry.

His loving adoptive parents sat him down and assured him that they would NEVER discipline him in that fashion. He would ALWAYS have plenty to eat. But the little boy kept hiding the food for a long time. And the parents kept reminding him that he did not need to hide food anymore.

Doesn’t that sound just like you and me? In the book of Ephesians, Paul keeps reiterating over and over the details of what we have and who we are in Christ. We are blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing. Grace has been LAVISHED on us. We are NO LONGER DEAD in our sins. We deserve wrath, but have FORGIVENESS.

He sums up his thought in Eph. 3: 17-18 “And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

Paul wanted us all to have the power to grasp the depth of Christ’s love for us and to be able to internalize what all those blessings really are. But, like the little adopted boy of our story, old patterns run deep. You and I have had a life time of discouraging experiences, poor self talk, damaged relationships and painful events that have cut deep ruts in our souls.

But, when we came to saving faith, our adopted Father came along with a message of hope and security and love. “So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are His child, God has made you also an heir.” (Gal. 4:7)

The message is clear. The details are wonderful. The promises are amazing. And we are assured that we can begin to live FREE under the reign of His power and grace. But much like the little boy, the message takes a while to sink in.

Yesterday was Easter, the grand climax to the earthly ministry of our Savior. Because of His death and resurrection, we are His kids. Not because we earned a privilege, but because we have been adopted into His family.

It is a great day to be reminded. In NO way and for NO reason does the child of God EVER have to “hide his food AGAIN!”

By His Grace and for His Glory,
Sherry L. Worel