Daily Devotion – August 14, 2020 – Erin Bjerke
Galatians 4:1-7
My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Did you know that you’re royalty? We are the sons and daughters of the Sovereign! Now, I’m not saying that we’re royalty in a stuck up, I-can-have-whatever-I-want kind of way. It’s more like the movie and book series The Princess Diaries, where Mia, a shy, awkward 15-year-old with a heart for social justice, finds out that her late father was the prince of some far-off European country when her grandmother (who she’s never met) comes and tells her that she is a princess. Mia will be taking over the throne from her grandmother one day. At first, Mia wants to have nothing to do with it. She believes that she’s too shy and awkward to be a princess. She can’t be a leader—she can’t even give a speech in class without throwing up! Eventually though, Mia realizes that she has power and influence, and she can use her influence for good—for caring for people and the environment. When I say that we are royalty, I mean that we are the princes and princesses of God’s Kingdom, heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Since we are heirs, we have all the privileges and responsibilities that come with it. We have the privilege of knowing that we will live forever in heaven. We have the responsibility to use the gifts that God has given us, to represent the Sovereign and the Kingdom, and to love God and love others. And, like Mia in The Princess Diaries, sometimes we are awkward and get things wrong. We’re definitely still learning. But I encourage you to stand tall and remember that the Kingdom of God is reflected in you.
Let’s pray.
Sovereign God, you rule over the universe, yet you choose us to be your sons and daughters. Help us to live into our roles as heirs to your Kingdom. Amen.
