Ready or Not for Foster & Adoptive FamiliesSample

DAY 7: Obedience

“I’m absolutely certain that this is what God has asked me to do.” It’s that same certainty that Abraham must have felt when God asked him in Genesis 12:1–4 to leave everything behind and go to a place that He would show him. Because Abraham was absolutely certain that he had heard God’s voice, he packed up and left—without a Google map, without a written plan, without a destination. He just went. He had no idea how long the journey would be or where he would end up. He just knew that God had spoken and there was only one appropriate response to His voice: obedience. 

As you hear the call of the Father to open your life and home to the fatherless, you will be required to step forward in obedience. Your journey may feel a lot like Abraham’s. God won’t give you a roadmap. He won’t send you a detailed timeline of events. He’ll ask you to trust Him with the destination. The only thing He’ll give you is hope in your heart. The good news is that’s all you need. 

In the middle of this journey, you’ll experience times of uncertainty. It might take longer than you hoped. You might have a country, an age or a gender in mind only to discover that’s not the destination He has in mind. There may be important people in your life who disagree with your decision. Just like Abraham, your obedience to God’s call can’t be based on your own ideas of where you are going, or others’ opinions of what you should do. Can you still obey?

Another consideration in God’s call to foster or adopt is how you’re going to handle the tough times. We’ve all heard the phrase, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” With certainty, the one thing you can count on in this journey is this: the going will get tough. So what does the latter part of that phrase mean to you, “…the tough get going…?” Does it mean quit and run, or buckle down and persist? Children coming into your care permanently or temporarily who’ve been abused, neglected and abandoned require a lot of patience and commitment. There will be days where quitting will seem like the best option for you and for the child. It’s on those days that you have to be absolutely certain that God has called you to this place. He can lead you to resources, counsel, and direction, but only as you fully obey His call. 

Obedience to this call draws you into uncharted territories. In uncharted places, we can find ourselves weary and afraid. In the midst of our discomfort, fear, and uncertainty is a simple word: faith. Faith and obedience are partners. Together, they are the fuel for pursuing God’s call on our lives. Are you ready to travel?

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I encourage you to spend time with your spouse (or a trusted friend if you're single) to ask and answer the following questions.

Discussion Questions – Day 7: Obedience

1. Talk about a time when obedience to God caused you discomfort. What happened?

2. Today’s devotion says, “There will be days where quitting will seem like the best option for you and for the child.” In what ways does that idea challenge you? 

3. Has anyone in your life had a negative reaction to your desire to be involved in foster care or adoption? How did that affect your desire?

4. What is one thing that scares you about foster care or adoption? How has it influenced your obedience to God’s call?

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