This past weekend I had the privilege of teaching a couple of classes during the Heartland Women’s Retreat themed “Be Dazzled.”

This local retreat — like a smaller version of Women of Faith — featured Lauren Nelson Faram, the former Miss America who discovered how much more rewarding it was to be a daughter of the King than wearing the national crown. She spoke from the pulpit on women in the Bible who were in the lineage of Christ: Ruth the Moabitess and Rahab the Harlot.

My lessons focused on “What does it mean to be a daughter of the King?”

Even though we get 1) royal treatment from our Father, 2) adopt our Father’s traits, and 3) have advantages as the Father’s child, we have a tendency to forgo them. It is easy to get caught up in the ways of the world and forget we have a heavenly Father and unearthly home waiting for us.

I wanted to remind the ladies of all ages in my room we have so much going for us as His girls.

The royal treatment we receive includes love, acceptance and protection.

Our Father’s love is unwavering and unconditional. Nothing we do can cause separation from Him (Romans 8:35-39) and nothing we can do will make Him love us any more or any less. In fact, His love isn’t based on our performance. It is based on what His Son did on the cross (Ephesians 2:4-6, Romans 4:7-8, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:21). As a result of this, we have direct access, the privilege to come before Him boldly (Hebrews 4:14, 7:23-38). Not to mention, we are the object of His love and affection (Psalm 18:19, Isaiah 43, Deuteronomy 7:6, Zephaniah 3:17).

We are defined by Him and His grace, not our sin or our shame, past, present or future. Because our identity is in Him, His opinion should be the only one that matters. He made us in His image and we are accepted by Him just the way we are. The world will not understand or accept us because we are strangers in a strange land (Hebrews 11:15-16, 1 Peter 2:11).

He will protect and defend His own; our enemies are His enemies. We are His and He won’t allow anything to happen that doesn’t work toward my good (Romans 8:28). Not to mention, our Father is bigger than anything that comes our way (Psalm 27:1-4, Psalm 56:3-4, Romans 8:31-34, Isaiah 40:25, Psalm 77:13, Hosea 11:9).

When we become daughters of the King, we start adopting His traits such as faith, grace and confidence.

We put our faith in the Faithful One, having assurance of things hoped for, having a taste of things to come, evidence of things not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1). We realize every step we take is orchestrated by Him, and through Him alone we can survive.

His grace overflows through us, because we are so moved by what He has done for us, we have no hesitancy in reciprocating for others without expecting anything in return. So full of Him and His love, we are motivated to love others as He loves. We look beyond others’ failures and faults and see them as our Father sees them.

As we become secure in ourselves, free to be what He has called us to be, we shrug off what others say (1 Corinthians 15:10). We don’t worry about what others think and we don’t seek their approval because we choose not to conform to this world (Romans 12:2, John 8:23). We can even smile in adversity because we know we already have the victory (Joshua 1:9)!

Lastly, the advantages of being His kids include power, purpose and security.

The very power that created the world is harnessed within us through the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2, Acts 1:8). We know we can call upon the Great I Am and He will answer (Jeremiah 33:3). I shared with the women that look anywhere in the Bible and you will see shepherds are mightier than soldiers.

Since we are set apart through Christ’s righteousness and holiness, we are new creatures who must cast off old ways (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:17-32). Everything we do, we do for Him, whether at home, at work or in the church or community (Colossians 3:23, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Philippians 3:7-11). He appoints seemingly ordinary people to be extraordinary — just read about Moses, Joseph, Rahab, Ruth and Esther, to name a few.

Our Father’s security allows us to not worry about yesterday, today or tomorrow. He is still on His throne and in control (Psalm 103:19). He gives us a Light that permeates the darkness (John 8:12, 12:46).

My prayer is you will meditate on what it means to be a child of the King and the blessings that come with that glorious position!



Follow Ruth Ann Replogle on Facebook at http://www.face book.com/pages/Just-Hold-On/419800328081972 or email her at justholdonrr@gmail.com.