My wife and I have some dear friends who walked through the foster-to-adopt process over the past four years. It was a long season of waiting and praying—with many moments of joy and heartbreak along the way. But earlier this year, they welcomed a four-year-old boy into their home and began the process of formal adoption. This child, who had spent most of his life in the foster system, quickly became part of their family. As they grew to love their son more and more, they eagerly awaited the day when they would stand before a judge and make the adoption official. In November, their season of waiting finally came to an end. On the appointed day, I was honored to gather with more than 20 family members and friends to witness this momentous event at the courthouse in McKinney, Texas. One of the most powerful moments was when their child’s last name was officially changed, and he received the last name of his forever family. With tears in our eyes, we all cheered when the gavel came down at the end of the ceremony.
In Isaiah, Scripture tells us that Jesus is called Everlasting Father, representing the never-ending, father-heart of God. The word “everlasting” can also be translated as “forever.” You see, it wasn’t enough that Jesus provided our forgiveness, healing, and salvation. Through Jesus, we are adopted into God’s own family; He is our forever Father. This was His plan before the foundations of the world were laid, and it gives Him great pleasure to welcome you into His family. No longer are we orphaned and alone, but we have a loving heavenly Father who protects, provides, and guides.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 NIV).
Just like my friends who patiently waited to adopt their son, our waiting is nearly over. Tonight is Christmas Eve. Tomorrow, Christ arrives, and God’s beautiful and wonderful plan of salvation and adoption begins to unfold through the life of Christ. If you are a believer, take a moment today and rejoice that you, too, have been included in the family of God. If you don’t know Christ, today is a wonderful day to receive Jesus as your Savior and be adopted into God’s own family. Wherever you find yourself this Christmas Eve, I invite you to settle your heart on the promise of God’s love for you found in Ephesians 1:4–5: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (NLT emphasis added). Our Everlasting Father wants nothing more than for you and me to rest confidently knowing that we are part of His family this Christmas.
