Recently I have been reading this book by John Sheasby and Ken Gire called the Birthright. I have to admit this last couple of years I have been carrying around a lot of shame due to feelings of failure. I have to admit that I have failed in some areas of my life, whether be as a Son and Child of God and not feeling I have been able to do and be all I felt expected of me and as a husband who did not love my wife as Christ loves the church. Though I have failed, I am not a failure to God but simply a work in progress that He continues to lavish with his love.
This book has made me see again just how much God loves us that even when we feel we are the scum of the earth that He still continues to search us out and desires to bestow His gifts of covenant relationship upon us. Even though in our eyes we are filthy and smelly and don't deserve his love, because of the Grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus and all that He has finished on the cross in dealing with our sins God so desire to embrace us and cover us with His robe of righteousness.
He places his signet ring upon on us and declares we belong to him, knowing that what belongs to God is now also ours. Including all that Jesus has we also have access to, or as Paul the apostle says everything pertaining to life and godliness". Every spiritual blessing in heaven and earth are ours as we read in Ephesians. He has left nothing undone for us!
In addition he gives us shoes which are shod with the gospel, declaring each day that we are sons and remind us each day of God's goodness towards us and how we can share that goodness with others. these shoes also prepare us as bringers of God's peace, not the kind of peace that man can provide but true peace that sets sinners free from their bondage.
Finally, God celebrates the restoration of this covenant relationship by killing the fattened calf which was being prepared and left for the most important celebrations. This covenant calf and it's now shed blood reminds us of who we are to God and how important we are to Him. Just as Jesus is our Lamb of God slain for all mankind so that all of God's creation, including those that hate God, have access to Him through the shed blood of Jesus.
How truly amazing and wonderful is our God that even in the midst of our own sin and shame God continues to search us our to bring us again into glorious relationship with Him.
I love you Father, I thank you Jesus for your Grace and am so grateful Holy Spirit for leading me into this wonderful fellowship!
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