Day 21: the Silver Spoon of Salvation

What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Romans 8:31–32

All too often Christians proclaim on the belief-level that “Jesus is all we need,” yet in practice, our behavior clearly says, “We have to take care of ourselves.” For example, we anxiously fill in all our Bible study blanks not because we long to know Jesus more intimately, but because we’re afraid if we don’t check off every item on our spiritual to-do list, then God will be disappointed in us. Surely, slothful Bible study habits will lead to a government-subsidized apartment in heaven instead of the mansion our Messiah promised, right? We believe the truth, but sometimes live in a lie: Jesus made the way for me, yes, but it’s all on me to keep things that way!

If only we could grasp the fact that we’re God’s beloved heirs and no longer orphans.

When mealtime came during my visits with Missy at the orphanage in Haiti, she’d grab my hand and urgently pull me toward the food table with her head held high and a huge grin spread across her face. Because when she was with me, her mama blan, the nannies wouldn’t turn her away from the table. My watchful presence ensured her plastic plate would be pilled high with everything she pointed to. Rice: overflowing spoonfuls; chicken legs: all the drumsticks she could eat; bread: at least three pieces; mango: unlimited slices! My little girl learned quickly that when the large, pale American lady was by her side, she didn’t have to beg or subsist on a bowl of watery porridge.

Oh how much sweeter the nepotism is with our heavenly Father and His kids! God is so eternally committed to caring for us that He sent His only begotten Son to establish a new way of coming to the table. Instead of trying to balance our hefty hopes on the slender shoulders of one flawed human priest, we get to place them on the infinitely broad back of the Prince of Peace. Jesus accomplished our reconciliation with God forever through His death and resurrection. His sacrifice on the cross shredded the curtain that separated sinners from a holy God. His blood washed away the stain of sin and the stigma of shame, and we now have constant access to the banqueting table of divine grace because of King Jesus. Because Jesus brought us to the table, our Father is right there to oversee and ensure we get all the nourishment we need. It’s time to kick our scarcity mentality to the curb—we don’t have to subsist on crumbs anymore because our Daddy owns the whole bakery, baby!

• Do you ever tend to act like you are still an orphan in God’s eyes? How so?
• In what ways do you sometimes subsist on “crumbs” in your Christian life?
• How would you describe the relationship between approaching God with confidence and following God in obedience?