ESOCS Devotional 4 May 2025 – Now That You Are In God’s Family
MEMORY VERSE: “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all.” Galatians 4:1
TEXT: GALATIANS 4: 1-18
Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, 2 but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father. 3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 But then, indeed, when you did not know God, you served those which by nature are not gods. 9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain.
12 Brethren, I urge you to become like me, for I became like you. You have not injured me at all. 13 You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. 14 And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. 15 What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
17 They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them. 18 But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you.
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In God’s family, we are all children of God. As children of God, we are fellow or joint heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ the beloved Son of the Living God, as stated in Romans 8:17: “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” However, we are at various levels of growth. This growth level determines what we experience or handle in and for God as members of His family. Although as heirs of God, we can remain less than or as limited as a servant in the house would be, as touching inheritance in God. There are things we cannot touch in God until we are grown or are growing at best. Therefore, you must not remain as a child, as stated in our memory verse.
So, in the family, to grow is to grow in God via growth in the knowledge of God. The three basic ways to grow in God are through – first, the study and obedience of the word of God. This starts from taking in the milk of the Word of God (1 Peter 2:1-2). The more you take the word the more you grow. Taking in the word of God means having it in a usable functioning form or state in us. And we do the taking in of the word in a sincere mode; that is, ready to live in obedience according to the word by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. The second basic thing that will help us is meditation (thinking, rehearsing, musing, muttering and imagining) in the word of God (Psalm 1:1-3; 1 Timothy 4:15). In this mode as we think, rehearse, muse, mutter and imagine the word in our hearts and through our lips we put the word into our spirit to become one with us and to operate automatically through us by the power of the Holy Spirit and our growth will be evident. The third one is corporate and personal prayer, worship and devotion time with God. This will insure we receive revelation of God from the Spirit of God in and from the word of God (Eph. 1:16-19). Don’t ever be part of those who have nominal Christian life. They don’t attend prayer meetings and programmes neither do they have a blazing prayer altar that is alive and hot. Where these three things mentioned are working evangelism to win souls will be alive!
Beloved, as we do these basic things and grow thereby, God will through His Spirit usher us into deeper things with Him. And we will be able to know and touch the things God has in stock for us as His children. And we will live victoriously over sin, the world and the devil. Amen!
CHALLENGES
- What is your Word study and prayer/devotion life like? Effective and alive? Or you don’t have one? You need to be addicted to the study/obedience of the word of God and prayer!
PRAYER POINT
- Father LORD GOD, revive my heart to pant after your Word and spend time with you. i
FURTHER READING: Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Judges 20:1-17; Matthew 25:14-30
ESOCS Devotional 4 May 2025
