Adoption

An excerpt from David Platt's sermon on Galatians 3:26-4:7

(Pastor David and his wife Heather adopted Caleb a couple years ago.)

Caleb is two and a half years old now, and his favorite question – you know what his favorite question is. A two and a half year old, what's his favorite question? Why – all the time, why, why, why. We do this little thing where I'll look at him and I'll point at him and I'll be like, "I love Caleb." 

And he'll start laughing and he'll point back at me and be, like, "I love Daddy." And we'll kind of go back and forth and we'll just get louder and louder and louder and just start laughing. It's just, you know, one of those things. And the other day this week we were doing that – "I love Caleb," "I love Daddy," and then we got laughing and he kind of caught his breath from laughing and he said, "You love me, Daddy?" 

And I said, "Yeah, I love you, buddy." And he looked back at me and he said, "Why?" And I said, "Because you're my son." He said, "Why?" And I paused. "You love me, Daddy? Why?" "Because you're my son." "Why?" Why is he my son? Why, out of all the children in the world, is this little guy that I'm playing with my son? And I start tearing up, getting emotional. Caleb doesn’t know what's going on. That's the last time he'll ask me why. 

He was just playing with his daddy, now his daddy's weeping, and I just look at him and I said, "Because we came to get you, buddy, and we wanted you in our family." Can I remind you that the God of the universe looks upon your life, church – not the person beside you, in front of you, or behind you. He looks upon your life and says, "I love you." "Why, God? Why would you love me?" "Because you're my son." "Why, God? Why am I your son?" "Because I came to get you. I came for you, and I wanted you in my family." 

This is good. It's good to be a son in the family of God. This is adoption.

Thank you, God, for adopting me as your child. for loving me. for saving me. I'm so sorry for the times I forget you or reject you or run away from you. These happen so so often. Thank you for chasing after me again and again, and saving me from myself. Thank you for salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Praise be to you, God, the Lord of heaven and earth, my heavenly father.

Changes

Many changes over the last few months: in day-to-day actions, in career, in life direction, in relationships, in heart attitudes, in understanding of the Lord and the ways He works... But leaving college has been good. Life is different and yet the same. Still so much room for growth and faith -- and Lord, help my unbelief. Help me trust you. Help me to obey your law, to renew my mind, to transform my heart day by day by day. You supply enough strength for today. You give bright hope for tomorrow. You are grace and truth and love.

I am glad for relationships. So glad for the marriage of dear friends today. I look forward to the final ultimate wedding of Christ and his bride. We see right now in a mirror dimly: one day we will worship in full glory. So glad for a sister who is learning anew the transition from friendship to courtship and one day, God willing, to marriage. So glad for sisters in Christ who provide laughter and tears and support and counsel and prayer, pointing always back to the One who is always true -- lounging late at night, drinking tea, contemplating and reflecting. So glad for fellowship.

I am scared about the future sometimes. I don't know what's coming. I don't have much in the way of plans right now. Which is a strange and unsettling state for me. Not-knowing, not-planning, not-in-control. But I know the God whom I believe -- and He has plans for me, though I know not what they are. And He works all things out for good. He is perfect and He is sovereign. His ways are higher than my ways, His thoughts higher than my thoughts. Let me not get in the way, but cling to Jesus.

Peace. Trust. He is enough.