Pause

Children always share traits of their parents; there's no getting away from it, even when - usually as teenagers - we want to distance ourselves from our folks.

As a child of the Divine, what traits do you see in yourself that reveal something of your heavenly Parent? In these next few moments, take a look at yourself in the mirror of Scripture and see the lines of your glorious heritage there.

Listen

Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:5-9

Think

How much of your life do you control? Ten percent? Fifty percent? Ninety percent?

Taking into account the weather, the global economy, the law of the land, and the unseen workings of our own bodies, we don’t control much. We certainly don’t see everything in subjection to us.

But we do see Jesus. We have hope because the one who let go of all control, who suffered at the hands of people less than himself, is now glorified and risen. We do see Jesus, whose suffering and death led to resurrection and new life for all who want it.

By the grace of God, we can see the way Jesus showed us – giving over control to the One who can be trusted completely.

Sarah Councell Turner

Pray

Dear God, there is so much I can't control. I trust you; help me trust you more. Amen.

Go

Day by day,
Oh, dear Lord
Three things I pray:
To see thee more clearly,
Love thee more dearly,
Follow thee more nearly,
Day by day.

Richard of Chichester, adapted