Washington Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

By Doug Bing, Washington Conference president

The United States is known for being a country with many freedoms and the rights to many things. We have the freedom of religion, the freedom of expression, the freedom to bear arms, the freedom of speech just to name a few. We have protested for different freedoms or rights to be given.

When you travel to other countries you soon discover that many countries do not have these same human freedoms and rights. People lose their livelihoods, homes and their freedom when they speak up for their rights. People are sent to concentration camps where they must work hard labor for merely speaking up against their government or for worshiping in their own homes.

In this time of Thanksgiving, there is one right that I am so very thankful for.

It is a right that no person or government can ever take away.

We see this right talked about in John 1:12,13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” (emphasis added).

That is the best right of all and it is given by God alone! Think about the significance of this!

We have the right to be a child of God and part of the family of God.

During this thanksgiving season, think about the table that God will spread out in heaven for all His family. You are a part of that family. You have the right to be a part of that family. Jesus gave you that right. He made it possible for the entire family to be together at that table.

This year you may not be able to gather around a table as a family for many different reasons. However, we can be thankful for the right we still have of being part of the family of God.

May God bless you and your family this holiday season!