Do you ever wonder what God thinks of you--especially when you've just done something that you know He has said is clearly wrong?

Many people think God becomes like a scowling father who angrily turns his back and looks for a way to disinherit them.

But that kind of thinking overlooks one of the great truths of the Bible. Once we put our trust in Jesus to forgive us of our sins and to make us children of God, we don't ever have to worry about not being accepted by Him.

Oh, we certainly don't have God's smile of approval when we disobey Him, but we are not in danger of being thrown out of His family. Our acceptance as His children rests on the completed work of Christ. We're accepted by God's grace, not by our own efforts. Eternal life is given as a free gift, not as a result of our works. If we have trusted Christ, our acceptance by the Father is never in doubt.

Yes, we can know what God thinks of us. He loves us with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). When we stray from Him through disobedience, He urges us to come back to a close relationship with Him. In response to His loving acceptance, let's live in a way that pleases Him.  — Dave Branon