By Pastor Don Schatz
It’s What Children of God Do
You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link
One of the classic things to do at the beach is to dig a hole and cover oneself with sand. Kissed by the sun, the dry sand on top is warm. The deeper one digs, the darker the sand, because it is moist and cool. Not only children enjoy this kind of play. Even old “papas” still like to indulge in such play.
“The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.”
Zechariah 8:5 New International Version
A beach is not like playing in the streets as we discourage the latter! The streets of ancient Jerusalem, as Zechariah envisioned them in the Lord’s blessing, were not filled with cars and trucks! Nevertheless, playing is a wonderful image for the children of God. For us. No less than a prophet of the Lord was inspired by the Holy Spirit to use play as an image for the Lord’s blessing.
We might not live in Old Testament Jerusalem, but we do live in the blessing of the Lord. God, our God, has blessed us in and through the person and work of his Christ. We are eternally blessed. Ever forgiven. Ever living. Ever saved. Ever thankful. Ever glad. Ever playing.
Now, I realize that we don’t always actually play. I think the “play image” is God’s way of saying, “Here is the attitude of heart I make possible for you.” The playful heart and spirit are the product of the new creation that we are in Christ Jesus.
Thus, even work is done with the playful heart of one joyful in the redemption of our Lord. So is parenting. So is being a child, regardless of our age. So is school! So is friendship. So is yardwork! So is living with family. So is ____________ . You fill in the blank!
If God sings over us in his joy as our heavenly Father (Zephaniah 3:17), in the Spirit’s blessing we can playfully live grateful lives in the wonder of being the children of his heart. Find a slide today. Or a swing. You know what to do!
Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
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