Speaker: Ben Sigman

Theme: What I Want to Tell my Kids about Following God

Weekend Music links on iTunes: The Time Has Come by Hillisong United; God is With Us by Michael Olson; Strong Tower by Kutless; Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong.

Read: 

Genesis 3:8-11; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10; 1John 1:9

Think: When my children were little one of them spilled paint on something ‘precious’. Their reaction was to hide somewhere and pretend it hadn’t happened. I knew it had but then I also knew that it didn’t affect my love for them. After finding them I asked what was wrong and tearfully they told me of the accident, after hugs and reassurance we went together to clean up the mess and get on with life. After all it was just a thing and my child was more important that any ‘thing’. The two things we need to remember are that we don’t need to hide from God and that He loves us. That is what really matters in our lives. With my child I knew what had happened but until they were ready to tell me I couldn’t help them cope with their upset. God not only knows what has happened but saw it coming and knows how to deal with it. Trying to hide from God is not only futile but it stops us from getting on with life as we become stuck in that place. 

God knows we are not perfect and He wants to help us move on with life but first we have to admit to it and deal with where we are. Often, as with children, the act of admitting to something frees us to move on. God knows we need to admit it more than He needs to hear it. With Adam and Eve God was fully aware of what had happened and yet He still asked Adam so that they could admit to their wrong doing and move on.

Thankfully He also loves us more than enough to cope with any upsets we have. God made us to love and be loved. It makes a difference to our way of being when we hear that we are loved. Throughout the Bible God tells and shows us how much He loves us. When we realize this truth it will change your world.

Do: Look back at John 3:16 and substitute your name for “the world”, make the verse personal to you. Say it out loud to yourself and know that it is the truth. Write it down on a piece of paper and take that with you wherever you go, reread it and let it soak in … that God loves YOU!

Pray: Thank you Father, for your love. Thank you that no matter what I do I am able to come to you and admit my sins so I can move on through your grace and forgiveness. Please help me to sense Your love around me as I travel through this life and to show others the difference this can make in how we live. Amen

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

4505 236th Ave. NE • Redmond, WA 98053 • 425-869-4400 • info@timberlakeonline.org