²⁴ Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. ²⁵ And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

²⁶ For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷ And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. ²⁸ There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Galatians 3:24-29

Dear God, Paul wanted to really make his point here. He said it in verse 23: ²³ Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. But apparently, as he wrote it, he decided he needed to articulate it a little more clearly.

So now I am part of the “way of faith in Christ.” That is what you offer me. I can know you through Jesus. I can understand you at least a little through Jesus. Abraham is my ancestor too. And I am an heir to the promises made to him. What are those promises? Well, the one I will claim is that I am reconciled to you. I am in relationship with you. I can follow you, worship you, obey you, and live my life for you. And then I can follow the example of Jesus. I can take the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) seriously. I can be merciful and peacemaking. I can hold myself to the higher standard of not hating, coveting or lusting because they are the same as murder, theft, and adultery. I can turn loose of worrying, and not just about food and clothing, but about politics, money, etc. I can truly love others as I want to be loved. And thanks to the reconciliation through Jesus, I can legitimately love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Father, thank you for grafting my branch onto your vine. Thank you for making me a son. Thank you for this amazing generosity. You don’t owe me one thing, but you give your love so generously. I am grateful for you. I love you. Forgive me for my failings. I don’t mean to. I really don’t.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen