Daily Devotions
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5-6
Do you know who you are?
At first it sounds like a simple question. In response to the question, most people could give their full name, address, telephone and social security number. The vast majority of us could give our parents’ names; some could give their grandparents’ names. When we get to great-grandparents things start to get misty. As far as great-great-grandparents are concerned, forget it.
Do you know where your family comes from? Where did they start? How did they come here? Those are questions that might confound us.
So, do you know who you are?
The emperor of Japan can answer that question easily. He can trace his ancestry back in time for 2,500 years. That’s 126 generations.
While the rest of Japan’s people can’t hope to duplicate their ruler, they are keenly conscious of who they are and where they have come from. Just about everything in society reminds them of that fact.
If someone in Japan misbehaves, it is the parents of that individual who are considered to have been failures. For example, “Your family should have raised you better” is a nasty Japanese insult directed against an individual’s father and mother. So, if you don’t wish to bring embarrassment to your family, you try to live in a way that honors them.
According to St. Paul, it is not much different for Christians.
We have a loving Father who sent His Son into this world to live, suffer and die for us. In the Person of Jesus we have been given a Savior who, from start to finish, from beginning to end, did all that was necessary to pay the ransom price for our souls.
Because Jesus has taken our place, all who believe on Him as Savior are forgiven of their sins and become part of the family of faith.
It is with appreciative hearts that God’s people endure difficulty and encourage each other. Wishing to bring honor to our Heavenly Father, we do all we can to live in harmony and accord.
All this we do gladly because we know who we are. We are Christians — sinners who have been forgiven and saved by the sacrifice of God’s Son.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord and Savior, we give thanks for all You have done for Your undeserving brothers and sisters. We praise You for the sacrifices You made, and for the salvation which has been given freely to us. May we, in all we do and say, glorify You and our Heavenly Father. In Your Name. Amen.