July 18, 2018 - CHILD OF GOD

Day 199 - (Today’s Bible readings: Numbers 20:1-21; Psalm 18:1-30; John 6:22-40)

“You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:28 ESV)

In promising to graciously return His people to their homeland, God assured them of the most important fact, “you shall be my people and I will be your God.” 

Those words are also God’s baptismal promise to you. Just think of it. On the day the Lord came into your life, He made you His precious child, a child of almighty God.

For Israel, God’s promise meant restoration and the return to the promised land. For us, God’s promise means that we sinners have been reconciled to our holy God and that the eternal promised land of heaven is ours.

Here is another way to express God’s promise: Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are gathered around His cross and... You are a precious, blood-bought, baptized, forgiven, heaven-bound, gifted child of God! 

Thank You, heavenly Father, for reconciling me to Yourself through the death of Your Son, Jesus. May my daily life reflect the fact that I am Your child and You are my God. Amen.

Pastor David Paape

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105 ), is the theme for this three-year journey through the entire Old Testament once (the Psalms - twice yearly), and the New Testament twice. There will be daily readings form the O.T., Psalms and the N.T. Special days on the church calendar will be highlighted with appropriate readings. This calendar has been compiled by representatives of the Lutheran Church of Canada, the North American Lutheran Church and the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. Please click this link for the daily reading calendar:
https://blogs.lcms.org/2017/lcms-lcc-and-nalc-compile-three-year-schedule-of-daily-bible-readings  
Then scroll down to 2018 Bible Reading Calendar and download it if you so wish. The “assigned” daily readings will appear on a daily basis in this blog. May the Lord bless you meditation upon His precious life-giving Word!