Exodus 21:9 English Standard Version (ESV) If he designates her for his son, he shall deal with her as with a daughter.

Given that God has created man after His own image, it is reasonable to think that God would not ask man to do a thing that God Himself would not do. Here in Exodus God instructs a father to deal with a woman he has chosen for his son to be treated as a daughter.

We have been chosen for His Son Jesus Christ and we are treated after the fashion of a daughter, His daughter. Men might have a problem with that, but remember this, we are talking about Kingdom living.

Under the Jewish tradition which in many ways forms examples of how God interacts with man, a daughter does not own property. Everything belongs to her betrothed.

John 17:6 English Standard Version (ESV) I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

In Kingdom living we can only “keep” His Word. This is not the world, in the world we are nothing more than stewards. We are given the responsibility of handling the King’s business dealings in the world. While we get to decide how to use it, it still belongs to Jesus.

Governments make demands upon us in the world and we are to honor the rules of governments but our allegiance is first to Jesus Christ. He told us plainly to render unto Caesar that which belongs to Caesar but unto God what belongs to God. We can only do that by faith, rendering as God sees fit.

We live in both worlds at the same time, the physical world and the Kingdom of God. Some might claim dual citizenship but we must choose which has our allegiance.

The secondary issue of being a daughter is that all our needs are met without any effort on the daughter’s part. This is where pride hinders us when it says “I have worked for everything I have, it’s mine.” Maybe according to the government, but according to Kingdom living, it all belongs to God and we are nothing more than stewards.

Stewardship is an awesome responsibility.

Romans 8:35 English Standard Version (ESV) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Distress is just one on the list. Distress is defined as extreme anxiety, sorrow or pain. That touches three areas of our lives, mental, emotional, and physical. If we break down the effects of all the other things on this list they each only touch on one aspect of our experience.

So it would seem that if we cover distress, it takes care of all the rest.

The mental aspect of distress is extreme anxiety. If you have ever had a panic attack you know it is no laughing matter. It is overwhelming and leaves us with a feeling of hopelessness. That is the emotional aspect and it affects us physically so drastically that we can end up curled up in a ball at the back of the closet.

Our only safe place is in Christ. We are in Christ and He is in us. In those moments we lose sight of that fact, but by faith, it is a fact.

Psalm 34:17 English Standard Version (ESV) When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

It is difficult to remember when we are in distress but try crying out to the Lord.

Hebrews 6:18-19 English Standard Version

18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,

The inner place behind flesh.

Hebrews 10:20 English Standard Version (ESV) by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

His abiding presence makes us one flesh. He is here for you.