Many stories from the Bible cause me to wonder. Jacob’s adoption of his two grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh is one of those stories (Genesis 48:5).
There appears to be no logical reason for Jacob to take such dramatic action, given the boy’s father, Joseph, was still living and quite capable himself of providing for the boys.
For those whose lives have been given away to adoption, the experience can bring forth both blessing and sadness. Being welcomed into a new family is, of course, a windfall for a child who faces the prospects of moving from one foster home to another. On the other hand, feelings of rejection from one’s biological family can haunt an adoptee throughout life.
Recently, I had the honor of officiating the celebration of life service for a former member of the church I serve. This noble woman and her husband adopted three children. One of the children came home from school one afternoon crying. She told her mother that a few of her classmates made fun of her for being adopted. With the wisdom of Solomon, the mother quipped, “O.K., the next time they make fun of you because you’re adopted, you just tell them: ‘Well, at least my parents want me!’”
The author of Ephesians makes a boId claim: “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ” (1:5, NLT). What an amazing thought! The God who created the heavens and earth wants you. God chooses you. God desires to share His life with you.
This is a powerful message to anyone who is sequestered behind closed doors alone during these days of quarantine, as well as to those who languish from feelings of rejection or abandonment. When those ugly voices in your head decree, “No one cares about you.” You can rebuff them by confidently asserting: “No, I know that at the least my God wants me.”