Family

A Revisited Devotional from January 15, 1999.

1 Timothy 5:8 – And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (NRSV)
Psalm 133:1 – How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! (NRSV)
1 Corinthians 13:3 – If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (NRSV)

I thank God that I have always had a good relationship with my family, both immediate and extended. As a minister, I often speak with single parent families, and with those caught up in abusive family relationships.

It wasn't until this past summer that I realized just how important family can be to a person. Our son flew out for a summer holiday with us and suggested that the four of us take a short trip together. This, he said, would probably be the last time that he, his sister, his mother, and I would have the chance to take a family vacation. He is to be married next summer and so will be starting his own family. Even though we will still be family, it will never be quite the same.

During the trip, I watched in awe as my son and his sister grew closer and closer together. They have always supported each other, but last summer, they grew to really appreciate each other and love one another. I also watched as my son walked and talked with me and/or his mother. We all grew closer together than I would have thought possible.

It was when we put my son on the plane to fly back to Ontario that I realized just what a joy a family can be. God has graced us by putting us in families. We all have a mother and a father, some of us marry and have a spouse, and some of us are truly blessed to have children.

As I was contemplating this devotional and just what to write, I was thinking strictly about our earthly family. It was not until I was well into the devotional that it struck me that no matter what our earthly family relationship is, all of us have a heavenly Father Who will always love us no matter what we do. We can mess up our earthly family lives, or have them messed up for us by someone else. The wonderful thing is that our heavenly Father will always be there for us and love us. His grace will always see us through. Need proof of this? Remember what God did for us: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 KJV)

Prayer: Almighty and loving heavenly Father, we thank You for having the wisdom and the love to give us earthly families. We also praise Your holy name for loving us so much as to give Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us. Through this act, You have assured and guaranteed that we will always be Your family. Amen.