The Beloved of the Father
A father’s delight isn’t rooted in performance — it’s rooted in love. So it is with our heavenly Father, who delights in the life of His Son within us.
Devotional Credit: eManna
Photo Credit: Unsplash
In today’s reading from eManna, we’re drawn into the beauty of Joseph as a picture of Christ — beloved by his father not because of performance, but because of who he was in the eyes of Israel. The devotional draws a direct line from Joseph to Jesus, who is eternally the Beloved Son of the Father.
But the wonder doesn’t stop there. We are invited to see that only the part of us that is constituted with Christ is pleasing to the Father. This isn’t a message of striving to become pleasing — it’s an assurance that, because Christ now lives in us, we carry within us what God already delights in.
Though we may often feel disqualified due to our faults or shortcomings, the Father does not see us through the lens of our old Adamic nature. Instead, He delights in the Christ-life within us. That life — His Son’s very own — evokes the Father’s joy. And sometimes, in those quiet moments of yieldedness, we sense it: the smile of heaven, the whisper of love — “This is My beloved.”
The devotional gently reminds us that when we are walking according to the life of Christ within, we are not only accepted — we are treasured. The voice of the Father affirms us, not based on our outer conduct but on the inner reality of Christ who is our life.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are accepted in the Beloved, for it is no longer you who live but Christ who lives in you. I have placed My Spirit within you, bearing witness that you are My child, and if a child, then an heir — a joint-heir with Christ.
When you walk in the Spirit, you do not fulfill the desires of the old man. I have made you a new creation; old things have passed away, and the new has come. And this newness is not of you, but of My Son who is your life.
In Him, you are the fragrance of My delight. You may hear whispers of doubt from your flesh, but I have sealed you with My Spirit and clothed you in My righteousness. You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord — walk as a child of light.
You are My beloved. Not because you strive to be, but because Christ in you is altogether lovely, altogether Mine, and altogether pleasing. Abide in Him, and let your heart rest in My delight.
(Scripture references: Ephesians 1:6; Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:16–17; Galatians 5:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:3–4; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Ephesians 1:13; Isaiah 61:10; Ephesians 5:8; John 15:4–9)
Real-Life Analogy
Have you ever watched a child open a gift that they absolutely love — not because it's expensive, but because it matches their personality or joy exactly? Maybe it was a little drawing set for a budding artist or a plush toy that fit perfectly in their arms. And the parent’s heart swells, not just because the child is happy, but because they see something of their own love reflected in the moment. That’s a tiny glimpse of what the Father sees when He looks at His Son in you. He delights, not because you're performing, but because you carry what He loves most — His own joy-filled life.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I rest in the truth that I am accepted in the Beloved — not barely, but richly. Thank You that You don't wait for me to measure up, but You rejoice in the life of Christ that You've placed within me. When I sense Your delight, I don't need to wonder if it's real. I trust that it is the voice of Your Spirit bearing witness with mine — that I am Yours. I walk forward today not trying to become Your beloved, but simply living as one who already is.