Daily Devotion in Galatians 4


Daily Nugget:
Again, in this chapter, Paul discusses more about the law. He clarifies that under the law, the Jews were “children” and under bondage to its statutes (Galatians 4:3). Those under the law were commanded to serve, and if they did not, there were threats of penalty.

Then something marvelous changed. All the Old Testament promises and pictures of future prophesied occurrences were fulfilled. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to this earth (Galatians 4:4) and redeemed those under the law (Galatians 4:5).

“Redeemed” is to “purchase or to obtain.” Jesus purchased us and paid for all our sins — every single one of them: past, present, and future!

When we accept Jesus’ payment for our sins, we become adopted sons (Galatians 4:5). We are adopted into God’s family. No longer are we subject to the laws that helped us grow up and know right from wrong. They were only shadows to show us the Saviour (John 8:12). No longer are we servants to the schoolmaster’s laws (Galatians 3:24), but we are free to serve God by our own free will, and not because we must!

Our Master in Heaven now becomes our “Abba.” “Abba” is an endearing term meaning “papa.” We are closer to God and now do what we do because we want to please “Daddy.” We are sons of God and should wish to please God because of our appreciation and love for Him.

Because of a new, closer relationship with God, our hearts should change. We should read the Scriptures to learn more about what “Daddy” says. When His Words stir our hearts, we should not resist doing what “Daddy” desires us to do. Stopping sin, living differently, giving wholeheartedly, and being an exemplary citizen, parent, and spouse should not be a problem, but the desire of our hearts because that is what “Daddy” wants.

Unfortunately, many become born into the family of God but still gravitate back to being under the law’s control (Galatians 4:9). Many try to “do” when all has been “done” for them. Jesus did it all when He died on the cross for our sins. He paid our fare to Heaven, and we should spend the rest of our life rejoicing that we are heirs of His kingdom (Galatians 4:1). We should be willing to please our wonderful, spiritual “Daddy.”

The best example of our new, desire to willingly please God I can think of is my dog, D-O-G. D-O-G (Di-O-gee — yep; that is her name) has been trained to help me when I write. When I turn on the printer, no matter if she is sleeping nearby or in another room, her ears go back, and she knows she is needed. She comes to me, sits waiting, and often panting for her “work.” I get the printed work, fold it, and place it in her open mouth. She then delivers it to my wife, who proofs what I have written. D-O-G willingly works and often waits for the opportunity to do her job. We also should have that same desire to wait on the Lord and always want to do what we can for our Master.

Today’s Thought: 
“Slow obedience is no obedience.”

Words to Understand:
Allegory: a symbolic description
Desolate: left alone; unhappy; sad
Heir: one that has inherited property or riches from another
Travailest: pain in the giving birth of a child; worked hard

Today’s Reading:
Galatians 4
1 Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
2 But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
8 ¶ Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
10 Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
11 I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
12 ¶ Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.
13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.
16 Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
17 ¶ They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.
18 But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.
19 ¶ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
20 I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
21 ¶ Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.
24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.
25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.
26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.
29 But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.
30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.
31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Daily Devotion in Psalm 150

Daily View Devotion in Psalm 148

Daily Devotion in Psalm 149