“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 (ESV)
I often teach and speak about our Native First Nations people and culture. There is such a vast variety of nations from the northern villages of Alaska to the jungles of South America. I always say there is one word that sums up the values of all Native First Nations people — relationships. One vital relationship we hold with great respect is our relationship with God, our Creator.
From the very beginning words of God’s story (Gen. 1&2), we see He is a God of relationship, interactive with all He has created. He created us to reflect His image and character (Gen. 1:26-27). He created a place of fellowship, the garden (Gen. 2). He pursued us (Gen. 3:8) in relationship with Himself.
Yet, due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience to honor and respect God’s word, they separated themselves in relationship with their Creator
through sin (Gen. 3). From this point on in God’s story, you read of the brokenness of relationships with God’s creation. Then in the New
Testament, you read of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, coming to restore that original relationship between the Creator and His creation. It is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9), accomplished and accepted through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf (1 Cor. 15:3-4). For those who accept God’s gift, they are renewed in relationship and the eternal community of God (Rev. 21:1-7).
Within many of our Native First Nations cultures the greatest honor is to give a gift. On the other hand, the greatest offense is to reject such a gift offered. I have discovered that God’s greatest gift to His creation is restoration of relationship through His Son Jesus Christ. The question today is do we accept it or reject it? The decision is yours!
— Huron Claus
Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website.
Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org