Good evening brethren and Happy Sabbath!  Last week's memory verse was John 17:26 (NKJV), "And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them." Read below for clue's to this week's memory verse!

A man with a plan

Years ago, I worked with a fellow who, along with his wife, were planning to adopt a child from Russia.  It was quite the extensive process.  Lots of requirements by both governments, costs with lawyers here and the orphanage in Russia, the distance and of course the language barrier.  In fact, in his office, he had a whiteboard where he would practice reading and writing in Russian during lunch.

Perhaps the most difficult thing was the timing.  I don't recall the exact reasons, but he never knew if or when the adoption might take place.  There were various levels of government officials on both sides that had to give approval, so he had some indication he was getting closer, but he never knew when he'd get the phone call that told him it was time to go to the airport and fly to Russia.  

Predestined?

While I don't believe their story to be 'predestined', I know that they were predetermined to adopt a child, and with a lot of planning and effort, it was successful.  I am happy to say, that it was apparently in God's will and good pleasure to make their adoption happen.  One day, while I was talking to our boss, he walked up and said, "Well, I just got a phone call.  I'm off to Russia!" A few days later, he and his wife flew back with their little girl.

We look forward to adoption

Are you adopted?  While many would quickly answer that 'no', it's a question worth stopping to think about.  Because no matter whether you were born to biological parents or not, we have a loving God in who has adopted each of us!

While God doesn't 'predestine' our lives, He did in fact predestine the plan to adopt us as children, though Jesus Christ, to Himself.  And while we have physical parents who we are thankful for, let us never forget to be thankful to God for determining to do the good pleasure of His will, and adopt us as sons and daughters into His family!