THICKER THAN WATER By Sally I. Kennedy

Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. Hebrews 2:11

"Blood is thicker than water". That's an _expression I've heard all my life. "When the chips are down, you can count on your family."

My parents taught us that our family may not like or approve of what we do, but they don't throw in the towel, walk away, and disown us. When the chips are down, even if friends desert you, family will stand by you. Others can help, but family, relatives, kinfolk ...it's best to turn to them if at all possible.

It is very cool that Jesus is twice a blood relative. First, we're both children of Abraham. Second, He sacrificed his life and shed his blood on Calvary, making it possible for us to be reconciled to our Father God. In fact God adopted us, making us brothers and sisters with Jesus. Family.

The church universal, the body of Christ, is our family, too! There's an old Gaither song that goes something like, "....I've been washed in His goodness, washed in his blood; joint heirs with Jesus as we travel along, we're part of the family, the family of God."

Last summer I received this email from a friend in Michigan: "The family reunion is well under way this whole week. All 30 of us park on our dock and eat from our kitchen. While it has been nice I am ready to say so-long. Our golf cart was driven into a creek by a nephew ( that was on my side), one of my nieces broke the boat key in half ( my husband's side). Two nephews collided in jet skies and damaged one completely.. ..thank God not themselves too badly. Oh family life!"

Regardless, family is beautiful. The Bible encourages, in chapter 6 of the book of Galatians... ...as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Blood brothers and sisters in the Lord. Thank God, blood IS thicker than water, and exceedingly priceless.