Yesterday, I brought my kids to a park. It is far from our home, so we only go sometimes. As we pulled in, I realized we were at this same park a year ago. to the day, for our home study visit with the social worker for our adoption process. The adoption finalized last October and our son officially became a Zaffke. He, by law, came under our official guardianship, including all legal responsibilities of providing for his physical needs and protection. He was grafted into our family tree, as Paul talks about in Romans 11:17. He has a legal right to the same things our biological children have; being provided for and nourished by the same “root.” More than just the physical, earthly things he receives by being fully adopted, he also inherits the spiritual blessings. As I have been studying what the Bible says about everlasting covenants and family lineage promises, I have also been thinking about my precious son. I was rocking him to sleep one night. I asked the Lord, “Father, this precious son of mine who shares none of my DNA, my blood, will he also inherit all the promises stored up for a ‘Rahn’ (my maiden name) and a ‘Zaffke’ just like my biological children sleeping in the other room who do share my blood?” The Lord responded with a resounding “Yes!” That is how adoption works: fully grafted in, now a part of the tree!
That same Promise is for all of us. We are fully grafted into the family tree. Spiritual children of Abraham through Promise, through faith. Full heirs to all the physical and spiritual offerings of our heavenly Father. Have you ever heard that joke on a show where they tease that one child is adopted because they are so different than the rest of the family? Maybe that is how you feel today? Like the one that doesn’t belong? Perhaps you feel more tolerated than loved and wanted. That is far from the truth! You are fully grafted in, fully wanted, fully loved. Allow the Father to heal any spaces in you today that prevent you from believing that truth!
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Galatians 4:4-7