The Price of Identifying (#15 of 365+)

“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity.” (Hebrews 2:14)

My family attended church together only a few times when I was a
little girl and my parents never explained the gospel to me. They just told me that Jesus Christ was God’s son and my American grandmother gave me an heirloom pin that had a picture of him suffering on the cross. So I’m not sure how I developed such a strong conviction about prayer at a very early age but one day while at home with my parents I blurted out, “Adults pray to God but kids pray to Jesus because he knows what its like to be a kid.”

With such wisdom at an early age I wonder how I could sometimes forget this basic concept as an adult.

Jesus Christ, by being God in the flesh, completely relates to all our human experiences. When we believe in him (that he lived a sinless life, suffered and died on the cross for a sin debt that we couldn’t pay, and then rose again to life) and when we accept his free gift of eternal life, he sends his Spirit to live within us. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children” (Romans 8:16). Then, when we devote ourselves to spending time with him every day, we start to think more like he does. “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). “The mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6). We can endure and overcome suffering when we have this kind of relationship with God.

As Joni said in today’s devotional, “Through suffering, he participates in our humanity; through suffering, we participate in his divinity.” She goes on to say, “I see this trial of mine as a window into the heart of Jesus. Suffering is a connecting point between my Savior and me.”

Father, I thank you for your amazing love. Thank you, Jesus, for leaving heaven to live among us and to die for us. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. Help me to be more aware of your presence and to hear your voice. Amen.