In Thanksgiving, We find Family
What does it mean to be “part of God’s family?”
Answering this question typically has a lot to do with our own family experience. We tend to see the local church as an extension of our biological families, and whatever good, bad, or ugly we’ve inherited from our biological connections is ported over to our local church.
If you come from a dysfunctional family, those dysfunctions are heightened in our church experience—if we even choose to go. A bad father will leave quite a bit of baggage in the minds of his children when they hear “Our Father Who art in Heaven.” If your family is known for arguing and yelling, some business meetings will make perfect sense to you…if even you’ve read the Bible’s commands of unity and harmony.
If you happen to come from a healthy family, disruptions, arguments, and cantankerous spirits are inexcusable. Your family reunions are celebrations, and so each Sunday should also feel like a celebration of getting family together.
While this connection between “biological family” and “spiritual family” is understandable, it is not biblical. God’s family transcends biological connections, and even more so, how we act in the Family of God (or at least how our Father tells us to act) is not the same as how we act in our biological families. When we surrender to Jesus, turning from our sin and receiving eternal life, we are also adopted into the Family of God. Earthly adoptions are actually a great illustration of the concept. The orphan must turn away from his older way of living in order to take on the new way of life in his new family.
In order to follow Christ in our new family, we must turn away from our old way of living.
Interestingly, secular psychologists have studied children who are able to attach to their new families coming up with four factors in “attachment theory.” Attachment theory essentially is described with 4 S’s. The four S’s of a secure attachment refer to feeling safe, seen, soothed, and secure. While we certainly do not want to impose modern psychology on top of the Bible all the time, it is interesting how this theory certainly lines up with the biblical narrative—especially in relation to how God adopts us as His children.
Safe
The Lord saves us from an abusive, destructive family in order to bring us into His loving, life-giving family.
Seen
The Lord sees us in our struggle with life.
Soothed
The Lord actively cares for us in our affliction.
Secure
The Lord secured our eternity and future.
As we continue our Thanksgiving series giving thanks for what God has done for us, let’s take a look at Psalm 27 and see how it relates to our life in God’s Family. In it, we will see how we find safety, are seen, soothed, and made secure in our new forever family.
Safe: The Lord is our Salvation | Psalm 27:1-3
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.Psalm 27:1-3
David wrote this psalm probably with his many physical enemies in mind. He was chased by Saul early in life. He fought armies of foreign enemies throughout Canaan and beyond. His first claim to fame was taking down a giant Philistine.
Not too many of us will find ourselves in the heat of battle with foreign enemies, but we all still face some foe. Of course, our greatest enemy is usually our own self. Connected to our own selfish desires is also a myriad of dark forces and spiritual enemies that will cater to our own sin. When we find ourselves surrounded by temptations and attack, we can seek the Lord for safety and salvation.
The Lord is our light and salvation. He makes truth known to us and provides the means to overcome sin and this world. He has already done so by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, who went to the cross to secure the payment and cure for sin.
The Lord is our stronghold in life. When we find ourselves surrounded by enemies that only want our harm, the Lord provides a safe haven.
David sings that his many foes that encircle to kill him find themselves stumbling and falling. There is no need to fear. Three times David tells us he will not fear.
Being part of God’s Family gives us confidence to face the fears and enemies of life.
Soothed: The Lord is our Hiding Place | Psalm 27:4-6
One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.Psalm 27:4-6
When was the last time you experienced the beauty of the Lord?
David knew going to the Temple meant being in the presence of God. He desired to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, because in the Lord’s house he could bask in the presence of God. He could experience the comforting peace of just being with God.
There is salvation in the Lord, and there is also peace. David’s confidence in the Lord’s House is in knowing that he can hide there and his enemies will not touch him. He is not cowering in the Temple hoping that maybe the Lord will protect him. He is giving “shouts of joy” as the enemies fall outside the Temple. He sings and makes melody because he is perfectly safe and perfectly at peace.
In God’s Family, we find joy and rest from the weariness of life because the Lord cares for His children.
Seen: The Lord Hears Us When We Pray | Psalm 27:7-10
Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
It seems superfluous at this point for David to ask God to not turn away from David. Always remember in reading the psalms, we are reading songs and poetry. Each stanza builds upon the last. David has been drawing closer and closer to the Lord through this psalm. In the beginning, he stands in confidence outside the Temple because the Lord will save him. In the second section, David stands in the Temple making music to the Lord. Here, as David has drawn closer and closer, he has also been reminded of his own sin.
The closer we draw to the Lord, the more our sin is revealed. Why is David suddenly concerned about the Lord turning away? It is because he knows he does not approach the presence of God blameless.
But look again at verse 10. David says a rather bizarre statement which has led to Jewish traditions/legends about David’s family dynamics. We have no biblical evidence that David was actually forsaken by his parents. It may just be artistic license to make a point about the Lord’s faithfulness. We do know, however, that David’s father did not think he was up to the task to fight the Philistines. This lack of confidence probably had more to do with David’s age, though, than anything else.
Regardless, it is a line that helps make the point for today. When we become part of God’s family, it is not like biological families. Some earthly families break apart. Some fathers and some mothers do, in fact, forsake their children. It is a horrendous act, but the reality of life nonetheless. No matter if your parents have failed a little bit, or a lot, never forget your Heavenly Father will never leave you forsake you.
No one who surrenders to Jesus is ever an orphan.
Secure: The Lord will Guide Us into the Next Age | Psalm 27:11-14
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!Psalm 27:11-14
Having acknowledged his sin, David now seeks the wisdom and way of the Lord. He seeks a better way than where he has been. His enemies have pushed him in directions he doesn’t want to go. He knows if the Lord teaches him the heavenly way, David will not fail.
Then, he makes another interesting statement. “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Why does David speak about future matters when he has already seen the goodness of the Lord in his own time? And where is the “land of the living” if not on this earth where David already is?
We see, here, a look to the future and end of this age. David knows that one day his body will be laid in the grave. It is the fate for all humanity. And yet, the goodness of the Lord will bring him back to the land of the living. There will be a resurrection when Christ returns.
One day, the Lord will return to us and will gather his people from all over the earth. Those who are dead in Christ will rise first, and then those who are still alive will rise. And all God’s children will be gathered with the Lord in the air.
In God’s Family, we are provided for today and for eternity.
And so, in David’s psalm we see how we are safe, seen, soothed, and secure. But before we close, let’s consider one last aspect of the Family of God. How does the Lord do these things?
First, the Lord sent His Son to us. Jesus came to us, died on a cross for our sins, and rose to life ensuring that whosoever calls upon His Name will be saved.
Second, the Lord gathers us together into this family. In this new family, we have brothers and sisters in Christ who can share the burdens of their family members. Let’s look again at those points of attachment.
Safe
How are we, as a community of believers, offering a safe place for people to come and find salvation?
Seen
Do we keep an eye out for those who are hurting and afflicted? Are we actively seeking ways to demonstrate the grace of God and lift them out of their affliction?
Soothed
As a community of believers, the Family of God, how are we bringing comfort to those who are hurting…especially this time of year for those whom the holidays are not bright and cheery because they have lost loved ones?
Secure
Last, only the Lord can secure a person’s eternity, but do we remind others of the security that is available to them? Crowder has a wonderful song we have sung at times that includes the line, “Earth has no sorrow that Heaven can’t heal.” Remind believers and tell the lost about the secure hope we have for eternity.
As we give thanks for the Family of God, demonstrate that thanks by extending a family invitation to those around you who need to hear about the hope of Christ and His eternal family.