New Father, New Rules
NEW FATHER, NEW RULES
Read John 15:9-14.
Mr. Arends held the adoption papers as he hugged Alex. “Now you’re really mine!” he said.
Alex hugged him back. “I’m glad you wanted me . . . Dad. I’m going to be the best kid in the whole world for you.”
Alex meant what he said. He had already learned that he had to obey the rules in his new home. At first Alex didn’t like having to come straight home from school, hang up his clothes, and do his homework. But as he learned to love his new parents, he found that he wanted to please them. And it wasn’t long after his adoption was final that he accepted Jesus as his Savior.
One day Alex was writing with a new pen. “Where did you get that pen?” asked his father.
“It’s Jerry Stern’s,” Alex answered. “He broke mine on purpose, so I took his.”
“Son,” said Dad, “when you came into my family, I had some rules for you to obey. When you asked Jesus to be your Savior, you came into God’s family. One of His rules is, ‘You shall not steal.’ You must return the pen to Jerry.”
“But, Dad, he broke mine!” protested Alex.
“You said yourself that the pen is Jerry’s,” Dad pointed out. Then he asked, “Alex, why have you tried so hard to obey my rules?”
“Because . . . well . . . because I love you, Dad, and you love me.” Alex paused as he thought about his words. “I love God, too,” he added slowly, “and I should also obey Him. Okay, Dad. I’ll give the pen back to Jerry.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Have you become a child of God by receiving Jesus as your Savior? Do you obey your heavenly Father? His rules are in the Bible. If you love Him, you’ll want to obey Him.
TO MEMORIZE:
If you love me, obey my commandments.
John 14:15
OBEY YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER.
From the book
