You Are Heirs of God! – Family Devotion – January 5, 2022

Read: Galatians 4:4-7

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4,5,7

You Are Heirs of God!

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Have you seen the movie Frozen? In it, the older sister, Elsa, inherits the crown and becomes queen when her father dies in a shipwreck. Do you know why she becomes the queen? Because she was the heir to the throne. An heir is someone who inherits or is given something when someone dies. In this case, King Agnarr died, and his daughter Elsa was his heir, so she was given the crown to be queen. It is special to be an heir.

In our Bible reading, God calls you an heir. Do you know why? God had a plan set to make you an heir before he even created the world. Then, when everything was just right, he put his plan into action. He sent Jesus to redeem us. Jesus lived and died and rose again to pay for our sins so that we could be God’s children. When we were baptized, God put his name on us and adopted us into his family. You and I are sons and daughters of God. That also makes us his heirs.

Did you know that you are an heir to something that is extremely valuable? It isn’t a crown, a big chest of gold, a huge house, or a fancy sports car. But look at the treasures of being part of God’s family. We can talk to God confidently; we can call him our Father and know that he will hear and act on all our prayers in a loving and gracious manner. He will answer our prayers in the way that is the absolute best for us!

But do you know the best part of being God’s heirs? Someday, we will inherit eternal life with God in heaven. There we will live in beautiful mansions filled with treasure beyond belief. We will see all our believing family members from our time on earth. And Jesus, our brother, will be with us forever!

Closing Prayer:

Dear God, I love you for all kinds of reasons. You made me your child, a member in your family, and an heir of all that is yours. Thank you for your forgiveness, your never-ending love, and the eternal life that is now mine. In Jesus’ name! Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• In the movie Frozen, who was King Agnarr’s heir? In today’s devotion, who is God’s heir?
• Tell your parents something special they have that someday you would like to be given as an heir. Then tell your parents something special God has already given you.

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• What happened in order for you to become God’s heir?
• Why is it important to know that we can talk to God as a loving father?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Name two things that we inherit because we are heirs of God.
• How does knowing that you are God’s heir change how you ought to feel about yourself and your life?