Daily Devotional for August 9, 2019
Favorite Son
As they traveled with their parents, Noah and Tess played a game to see who could spot the biggest variety of license plates. Soon Noah had seen seven different kinds, and Tess had seen five. Then Tess said, “Look, there’s another one! I saw it first!” She read it. “Ill-a-noise, Land of Lincoln.”
“That’s pronounced Ill-a-noy,” Mom said. “It’s called Land of Lincoln because that’s where Abraham Lincoln completed his education, got married, and was elected to Congress and eventually to the presidency. The people of Illinois are pretty proud of old Abe.”
“No wonder! He’s my favorite American president too,” Noah said.
“When a politician earns the respect of their neighbors and the people of their state, they’re often called a favorite son or daughter of that state,” said Dad. He looked at the kids in the rearview mirror. “What would you think if the people of Illinois refused to acknowledge Abraham Lincoln? What if they were ashamed to say he was from their state or to even mention his name?”
“That would be crazy,” said Noah.
“I think it would be sad,” said Tess. “Nobody really acts that way, do they?”
“It’s hard to believe that anyone would,” said Dad, “but you know what? That’s exactly what happened when Jesus came to earth. In the book of John, it says He came to ‘His own’—that’s referring to the nation of Israel—but most of them didn’t receive Him. They didn’t believe in Him.”
“It seems like He should have been their favorite son,” Noah observed.
“Yes,” said Mom, “and it’s sad that to this day, the majority still don’t recognize Him as their Messiah—their Savior.”
“In another sense, Jesus came to all the people of the world,” said Dad. “John points out that the whole world was made by Him, but so many people all over the world don’t know Him. They fail to recognize Him as their Savior.”
“That’s sad too,” said Tess.
“Yes,” Dad agreed. “I’m glad each of us knows Jesus. Let’s pray that many more will know Him as their Savior too.” Sherry L. Kuyt
How about you?
Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Do you trust in Him for salvation? God created you, and He sent His Son to this world to save you. Jesus took the punishment for the sins of the whole world—including yours. If you receive Him by trusting Him as your Savior, you will be a child of God. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)
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