"PARENTAL"

Reading through these devotions in the segments of obedience, and now trust, have caused me to think "parental."

As daughters to the King, we must be the most fortunate of all royal subjects that ever were!  Our Father is creator and designer of everything in the whole world (and beyond!); He owns everything outright and holds it all in the palm of His hand; and He places it on the earth for our pleasure;  He loves us unconditionally and perfectly -- there is nothing we could do that would make Him love us more and nothing we could do to make Him love us less; He provides for us incredibly;  He allowed His own son to leave His throne and His side and come to earth in order to show us an example of how to live in this world;  and He planned from the beginning that His Son would be the sacrifice that would pay the penalty for our sin to guarantee that we would never die;  He has informed us in no uncertain terms exactly what he expects of us;  and to help us along, He has hired a guidance counselor who is available 24/7, no appointments necessary; He has gone on ahead and purchased us each a home in a land that will be incomparable to anything we have ever laid eyes on;  and through all of this he boasts that He is our Father -- our parental!

Our earthly parentals have cautions that we have grown up with -- I am sure that you can all complete these phrases:  "take a bath and brush your ______"   "don't talk to _____________" and "look before you cross the __________" because you have heard them so many times.  Our Heavenly Father has similar cautions for our soul -- "purify your _______"  "don't give a foothold to the _________" and "count the _______."  I hope these ring as true!

In John 8:29 Jesus said " I always do those things that please the Father!"  I want to do the same.  I want to be the daughter that puts a big smile on my Father's face and a satisfaction in His heart that I too am doing only what pleases Him!

Kay sums it up perfectly on the bottom of page 179 when she says, "Fight the good fight of faith, for soon it will all be over, and then only one thing will matter:  'Have I pleased my Father God?'"

Thrilled to be His daughter!

Debbie Harris
QUIET TIME AGAIN in SUMMER 10
www.shadowmountain.org
http://blogs.shadowmountain.org/women

PS  Mark your calendar now for Wednesday, August 11th.  Because of the three hour time change to Tennessee, Kay will need to be on just after 6:00 -- I hope you can plan accordingly.  So here is the schedule:  5:30 light hors'doeuvres and a small gift for you, 6:00 program with a word from Kay via skype almost directly, followed by an old fashioned song and testimony time that will lift your soul and remind you of "Christ in you, the hope of glory".  There will also be an opportunity to view all the fall Bible Studies that are upcoming.  I hope you will plan now to be there!