For you did not receive the spirit of slavery…but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons… Romans 8:15

Flies buzzed and men shouted. Dust swirled in mini cyclones filling noses, eyes, and mouths as cries from the slave market bounced off the distant hills. “Sold!” came a shout, followed by a low roar of approval. Tobias looked up at his father, eyes wide with confusion. “That boy was about my age,” he said. “Why did that man grab him like that and pull him off the block? Was that his dad?” Tobias’s father swallowed the lump in his throat and laid a hand on his son’s head. “No, that man bought him…he’s a slave, brought here from another country.” Tobias’s freckled nose wrinkled as he squinted up at his father. “Will he take care of him?” His father shook his head slowly. “I don’t know. If he works hard, follows the rules, and stays out of trouble…we can hope so.” Tobias’s eyes misted. “Do I have to do that for you to take care of me?” The older man knelt beside the child. “No, son. You’re mine. You used to be a slave, but I adopted you. I’m your dad forever now, no matter what.”

We used to be slaves too. Satan sold us on the slave block and Sin led us away like a cruel taskmaster. We could do nothing to rescue ourselves, so our Father stepped in. He paid a high price— sacrificed His own Son—to buy us back. When we accept His offer of freedom, we don’t have to live as slaves anymore. Sin has no rights to us because Satan lost to a higher Bidder. God doesn’t buy us to be His slaves, but adopts us as His children. He becomes our Dad forever, no matter what.

Final Thought:  If you’ve given your life to Jesus, are you living as a beloved child or as though you were still a slave to sin?

Prayer: Father, thank you for adopting me so I can call you that. I was a slave to my sin, but you sent Jesus to buy me back from Satan. Thank you. I don’t deserve it, but you chose me to be yours. Help me live like your child. In Jesus’ name, Amen.