Learn the Language of Our Lord

Learn the Language of Our Lord

Adoption is such a beautiful thing. Welcoming a child into your home and loving them as if you had given birth to them is life-changing for all. Many families I am pleased to know care for foster children. Several of these families have adopted one or more of the children who have been in their care. Other families who I am also blessed to know have adopted children from other countries. These children would’ve grown up in impoverished orphanages had someone not stepped up with a desire to love and care for them.

Adopting from a foreign country can have its own set of challenges. Many of the children have learned to speak their native tongue and have had little or no exposure to English, the language that will be spoken here in the United States. Once brought into their new family, the process of learning to communicate accurately will be critical. Even if a child has learned English as a second language, there will still be a great transition. Beyond the basic language, there are terms of endearment and manners of speaking that are unique to each family. To fully appreciate the love and care of their new parents, these children must first learn their language.

God has adopted us into His family. “For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent]” (Ephesians 1:5 AMP) We have the privilege of calling Him Father and knowing that we are His children. In order to truly appreciate all that we have as members of God’s family, we need to learn the language of our Heavenly Father.

We learn the language of God by communicating with Him. This is accomplished through prayer and Bible study. Three themes that are evident throughout Scripture our faith, hope and love. “And so faith, hope, love abide [faith—conviction and belief respecting man's relation to God and divine things; hope—joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love—true affection for God and man, growing out of God's love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13 AMP) Both listening to God and speaking to Him and others must involve these.

God took the initiative to become a man and come to earth so that He could relate to us directly. As we become children of God by receiving Jesus Christ, we must begin to grow up in our faith. “Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation.” (1 Peter 2:2 AMP) This is imperative because Scripture tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].” (Hebrews 11:6 AMP) God can be trusted in all things and our faith is secure because, “With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.” (Matthew 19:26b AMP)

In order to have faith, we must learn to put our hope in the Lord. “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].” (Hebrews 11:1 AMP) Hope always looks to the future with confidence. We find our hope by knowing the character of a loving Father who always has our best interests at heart. “O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is mercy and loving-kindness, and with Him is plenteous redemption.” (Psalm 130:7 AMP) When we find hope fleeting, like David we encourage ourselves in the Word of God. “Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the help of my countenance, and my God.” (Psalm 42:11 AMP)

And the greatest language of the Lord is love. Our salvation was secured by the ultimate act of love ever. “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.”  (John 3:16 AMP) God did not leave us alone to die separated from Him because of our actions. He reached out through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and offered adoption to us. Now as His children, we are to love in the same way. “I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.” (John 13:34 AMP) This command is followed in the very next verse with a purpose and promise. “By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].” (John 13:35 AMP) When we love as Jesus did, we not only know the heart of our Father better, others will see that love. By this we can invite them in to also be adopted as sons and daughters of God.

The language of God is not hard to learn. We study the Scripture and talk to our Heavenly Father regularly. As His children we will not only understand Him, but we will begin to speak as He speaks as we copy His actions.  “Therefore be imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].” (Ephesians 5:1 AMP)

Spend time with the Father regularly and learn to listen to and speak His language of faith, hope and love.