InstaEncouragements Blog

10 Favorite Bible Verses On Adoption

4/12/2019

This is part 2 of our series on adoption: 10 Favorite Bible Verses on Adoption by Redeeming Goods. Read part 1 on adoption: Waiting Well over at Redeeming Goods.

Hi Friends!
Over a year ago, my husband and I started our adoption journey. The wait has been long and hard, but God gives endurance through His Word.

I’ve been compiling a list of Bible verses to encourage us along the journey and wanted to share that list with you!

Be an encourager and share this list!

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families…” Psalms 68:5-6a. Whether you foster-to-adopt or do domestic or international adoption, realize that God is working in and through your family to love and care for the lonely. God is so kind and caring!
“In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will…" Ephesians 1:5. Why should Christians especially love adoption? Because each and every Christian was adopted into God’s family! Adoption is simply an overflow of what God has done for us.
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west… Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth” Isaiah 43:5-6. God loves to unite in love people who wouldn’t naturally be found together. You see that in the Church with God gathering people from different nations through the bond of Christ. Adoption is another picture of God bringing together people in love for His glory.
“All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer, according to the promise of God to exalt him, for God had given Heman fourteen sons and three daughters” I Chronicles 25:5. A common thought is that adoption is a sure-fire way to grow your family. It may seem that way, but realize that whether your family grows through biological children or adoption, it is God who gifts children.
“The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy” Psalm 126:3. Going along with #4, there is great joy found in knowing that it is God who gives the sweet gift of children.
“Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” Romans 8:23. Typically with domestic adoption there is a six-month wait after placement before the finalization of the adoption. What a great picture of a Christian’s adoption as a son or daughter of God! After salvation, we’re placed into God’s family. And then one day, full redemption and adoption! Oh! what a glorious day our hearts long for!
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: 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” Romans 8:14-17, There is something beautiful that Christians get to experience now from being adopted into God’s family. God puts His Spirit in us! The Holy Spirit confirms we are God’s and changes our hearts to desire to know and love God no matter the cost.
“In You the orphan finds mercy” Hosea 14:3. A simple, yet impactful sentence. Mercy—something we all desperately need, and God in His goodness specifically offers it to the orphan.
“And whoever welcomes a little child like this in My name welcomes Me” Matthew 18:5. There’s a special place in God’s heart for children. So much so, that Jesus says this statement in Matthew 18. Welcoming children into your heart and home in Jesus’ name is like welcoming the King of kings Himself! How special children are to God!
“May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth” Psalm 115:14-15. This verse is my prayer for each of you who are involved in the care for the fatherless and the orphans.

Dear Lord, You know each and every child that does not have a family or is unloved by their family, and You care. Thank You for inventing adoption and for sending Your children out to be Your hands and feet in caring for orphans. God, I pray that You would bless those who bless the fatherless. Please supply all their needs and give them increase so they can continue to bless others. I pray that as their family grows, Your family would grow too through children hearing and responding to the Gospel. Help them to know You, the Maker of heaven and earth, and be overwhelmed by Your great love for them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Don’t miss out on part 1 on adoption: Waiting Well over at Redeeming Goods.

Download the 10 favorite Bible verses on Adoption printable.

“In you the orphan finds mercy.” Hosea 14:3

Is there a Bible verse on adoption that is special to you? Please share below!

Are you ready to begin your adoption journey? Christian Adoption Consultants can help you navigate those waters. Founders and Directors, Malcolm and Amy Young, started Christian Adoption Consultants (CAC) back in 2006. They’ve assembled an experienced team of adoption professionals to walk families through the process. Grab a cup of coffee, take a look around their site and learn why CAC may be the right fit for your family!

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How to Be Intentional About Family Time With God

4/2/2019

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In an age of blended families and busy schedules, there's no greater time for us to be deeply rooted in Jesus Christ as a family. Church and Sunday school are essential, but equally if not more important, Christianity must be lived out in the home. Jesus Christ should be front and center in our lives.

We can read all the blog posts we want, but there is no magic formula for building a Christian home short of being rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ. Christian families through the ages have found joy, strength and guidance by committing time daily to read together from God's Word and pray.

HOW DO WE BEGIN?

Setting aside a regular time.
The first step toward establishing an effective family time with God is to be intentional about scheduling. Many families schedule this time after breakfast or dinner. Often, these meals naturally bring the family together and can lead conveniently into a time not only of togetherness, but also a family time with God. Other families find just before bedtime works well.

Whatever time you choose, be sure that the whole family can be together on a regular basis. Consistency is important because it shows that family time with God is a high priority.

WHAT DO WE INCLUDE?

Family time with God can include many activities, but it is important to include at least these three:

Reading
Discussion
Prayer

The Bible is an exciting book! It is filled with true stories of God's heroes, down-to-earth advice, spiritual insight and most importantly, the plan of salvation. It is the primary way that God communicates to us today. It is essential that we feed on His Word regularly.

READING GOD'S WORD

There are so many ways to be intentional about daily Bible reading with your family.

Read a Chapter or Passage Each Day: This is a simple plan used by many families. You can read consecutively through a book, taking a chapter or passage each day. It's a great idea to allow older children to take turns reading as well. Then, each person can share what most impressed them about what was read. This will help everyone in the family see how God's Word applies to them personally.
Bible Reading Plans: A similar approach is to follow a program designed to guide your family through the Bible in a year. I love this idea! A number of plans of this type are available for download on the Internet, and your church may also supply Bible reading plans of this type. One advantage to this approach is that your family will be exposed to the whole Bible in a systematic way. II Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness."
Devotional Guides: A variety of excellent devotional guides are available from Christian publishers, at most churches, and you can also find them for free download on the Internet. Devotional guides can be valuable aids to understanding and applying the Scriptures through the insights of godly commentators. Check out our page Explore Christianity for three of our favorite devotionals.
Family Bible Study Programs: Families with older children may want to try studying the Bible in a more in-depth way together. Each family member can read and reflect on the daily portion beforehand. After re-reading the passage together, discussion can follow. Many good Bible study books are available on the internet or maybe even at your church. These will help guide your family time with God. One such program is the 30-Day Bible Reading Challenge from Revive Our Hearts. (More about that below.) Download it for free and begin your family time with God today!
Reading With Younger Children: Children under six may not be able to read the Bible themselves. However, they can still learn much from hearing it being read. When the Bible is read out loud, even the youngest child will begin to see that God's Word is important. Explain the passage in simple language. Avoid abstract ideas. This will help keep the interest of younger children, and we've probably all at one time or another been amazed by the insights of our little ones! Consider getting your little one a Bible written on their level—especially if they are just learning to read. This will help them participate in the reading of the Word, and give them ownership in the process.

Reading God's Word together is also an excellent time to begin sharing the basic truths of salvation with the younger members of your family and memorizing Scripture together.

DISCUSSION OF GOD'S WORD

Discussing the Bible passage your family reads is an important part of family time with God.

Keep it Clear and Concise: Try to keep the discussion clear and concise. Often basic questions like "What happened?" "What is being taught?" "How does this apply to our life?" will help your family understand the passage.
Engage the Whole Family: As parents, it is important to maintain a healthy balance between leadership and participation. Be sure the whole family is engaged and encouraged to participate.
Be Sensitive to the Needs of Your Family: It is also important to be sensitive to the special needs of each family member. Some questions may seem off subject, but this may be a good indicator of issues your child is facing. Help them discover how God's Word relates to specific needs and circumstances in their lives.

With positive, prayerful leadership, a time of discussion will provide an opportunity to grow together spiritually as a family.

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PRAYER— PRAISE, CONFESSION & PETITIONS

Communicating with God should be a part of your family time.
God communicates to us through His Word, but it is a one-way conversation unless we lift up our hearts to Him in prayer. Our loving heavenly Father wants us to talk to Him. He delights in our praise confession, and petitions, just like any loving father would.

Praise: When we think of God's goodness, our hearts should well up in worship and praise—for the beauty of His creation, for the gift of life, for a loving family, for the fellowship of Christians, and above all for salvation. There is no end to the list! Even the youngest child can add their own worship and praise. Perhaps each person could share at least one thing to praise God for each day. Make a list. Journal your praise. Be intentional!

Confession: As we lift our hearts up to the Lord, we should also recognize our own unworthiness and sinfulness. Yes, God has forgiven our sins once and for all, however, we still need to confess as we continually fall short of His perfect standard. As we confess our sin and weaknesses, we draw closer to Him and grow in grace and knowledge of His forgiveness.

As we make confession part of our prayer time, it may be helpful to suggest something like:

"Let's remember in prayer those things which we need to confess to the Lord and to each other, asking God's forgiveness both for things we have done and left undone."

Petitions: Like a loving father, God desires to know our deepest concerns just as much as to receive our praise and confession. We can open up our hearts to Him, knowing that He hears and answers our prayers, and that He will work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). And as we share our needs with God, and each other, we will be drawn closer to Him and together as a family.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Many families find it helpful to keep a prayer journal. This might include special needs of the family, neighbors, missionaries, church or government leaders. It can also provide a record of answers to prayer. Whatever the answer, we know that God hears and responds according to His will. I like praying specific prayers and keeping a prayer journal.

Some families may wish to include other things in their family time with God like singing hymns or choruses, acting out a Bible story, or doing a craft. These can be meaningful, but there is no need to begin with something so elaborate. Begin with simplicity, and be intentional and consistent. The important thing is to daily, commit to read and discuss God's Word and pray together.

It is often said that the family that prays together, stays together—and the statistics show this to be true. But this is not all. As we seek God daily, we renew our relationship with Him and with each other. He talks with us and we talk with Him. He receives our praise, confession and petitions, and we come to understand the joy of His presence.

If your family has not been intentional about scheduling a family time with God, please consider making this important time a part of your home life beginning today. In doing so, as a family you will "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (II Peter 3:18).

Here's an excellent resource to help you get started:

What would happen if you had family time with God every day for 30 days? Would anything change?

Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, from Revive Our Hearts, is challenging us with this 30-Day Bible Reading Challenge to try and find out.

Will you be intentional and set aside a time each day for the next 30 days to read and discuss God’s timeless, powerful Word with your family?

Download the 30-Day Bible Reading Challenge and begin your family time with God today!

If you have already established a family time with God in your home, please share your tips for being intentional and keeping it consistent.

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16 Names of God & What They Mean

3/26/2019

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"Let them praise the name of the Lord, for His name alone is exalted; His majesty is above earth and heaven." Psalm 148:13

In Old Testament times, names were given not only as identification, but many times a special meaning was attached to the name. All throughout Scripture God reveals Himself to us through His many names. When we study these names that He reveals, we better understand who God is. The meanings behind His names reveal the character and nature of the One who bears them.

Who is God to you? Is He your Most High God, All sufficient One, Master, Lord of Peace, Lord Who Will Provide? Is He your Father, you Jehovah Raah, the Lord your Shepherd?

El Shaddai el shad-di' Lord God Almighty
El Elyon el el-yone' The Most High God
Adonai ad-o-noy' Lord, Master
Yahweh yah-weh Lord, Jehovah
Jehovah Nissi yeh-ho-vaw' nis-see' The Lord My Banner
Jehovah-Raah yeh-ho-vaw' raw-aw' The Lord My Shepherd
Jehovah Rapha yeh-ho-vaw' raw-faw' The Lord That Heals
Jehovah Shammah yeh-ho-vaw' shawm'-maw The Lord Is There
Jehovah Tsidkenu yeh-ho-vaw' tsid-kay'-noo The Lord Our Righteousness
Jehovah Mekoddishkem yeh-ho-vaw' M-qadash The Lord Who Sanctifies You
El Olam el o-lawm' The Everlasting God
Elohim el-o-heem' God
Qanna kan-naw' Jealous
Jehovah Jireh yeh-ho-vaw' yir-eh' The Lord Will Provide
Jehovah Shalom yeh-ho-vaw' shaw-lome' The Lord Is Peace
Jehovah Sabaoth yeh-ho-vaw' se ba'ôt The Lord of Hosts

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EL SHADDAI el shad-di'
All-Sufficient One, Lord God Almighty

Use: In the Old Testament El Shaddai occurs 7 times. El Shaddai is first used in Genesis 17:1.

Meaning: El is another name that is translated as "God" and can be used in conjunction with other words to designate various aspects of God's character. Another word much like Shaddai, and from which many believe it derived, is shad meaning "breast" in Hebrew (some other scholars believe that the name is derived from an Akkadian word Šadu, meaning "mountain," suggesting strength and power). This refers to God completely nourishing, satisfying, and supplying His people with all their needs as a mother would her child. Connected with the word for God, El, this denotes a God who freely gives nourishment and blessing, He is our sustainer.

Further references of the name El Shaddai in the Old Testament: Genesis 17:1; Genesis 28:3; Genesis 35:11; Genesis 43:14; Genesis 48:3

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