Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Philemon 18, “If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.”

Background

A dear friend at work is flying with his family today to the Philippines. I say he’s flying today, but with a trip that crosses thirteen time zones, takes about twenty-four hours, and covers over 8,000 miles, who knows what day it will be when he actually gets there. But I’m fairly certain the trip will be worth it, for they are going there to bring home their new son. After several years of thwarted attempts to adopt another child into their fold, they are finally bringing home this precious gift from God. As of right now, they have never met him in person, but only spoken with him online via Skype. For Christmas, he found out that he would no longer have to live in an orphanage, parentless and hopeless, as he had lived much of the first fourteen years of his life. He had been chosen, loved, blessed, redeemed.

Application

Now, when my buddy arrives in the Philippines, there will no doubt be paperwork and procedures that have to be taken care of. There will be certain loose ends to tie up at the orphanage presumably. He won’t step off the airplane, hug his son, and get back on board for the return flight. But even though I never asked him, I know without a doubt that there is nothing that he won’t do to bring his son back with him. There is no debt that his son could owe, no obligations that he could have, that his new father would not gladly and willingly fulfill. Any wrongs he would make up for, any harm done he would make amends. This child was now his, and his arms of love and grace would have no limits. Those who have been adopted, or who adopt, might understand being a child of God a little differently than the rest of us. Maybe even a little better. But we all can understand what we have over what we had. We know what we are compared to what we were. And Jesus did it all. The wrongs were all charged to Him. Nothing could stop Him, and nothing can stop Him still. Welcome home, Aaron. God’s grace has reached you. His grace which knows no limits.

Charge

As we seek Him today, thank God that He’s bigger than all your wrongs and all your debts. Thank Him for His perfect plan, and a growing family.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words