The Bible has a lot to say about children. “Children are a gift from the LORD, they are a reward from him” (Psalm 127:3 NLT). How amazingly awesome! This means no matter how children came to be, they are still from God. I believe the gift is given from the time of conception, so that the circumstances under which they are conceived do not matter. It could mean having a baby you don’t want because of financial restraints, rape or the like, but it is still the gift of God. God makes the decision when to give a gift, and under what circumstances.
The average
recipient of a gift accepts it with joy and gratitude and cherishes it, even
when he or she does not see the usefulness of the gift right away. The
appreciation stems from the fact that the giver has expressed love. Gifts are
not necessarily given because the recipient deserves it, worked for it, or
requested it. Usually, the giver gives out of the goodness of his or her heart.
No wonder when families are expecting a baby, they go out of their way to
prepare in very special ways to welcome this gift from God.
When God
gives the gift of children, He also has plans for them, and expectations for
their nurturing and godly upbringing. He does not leave His expectations to
chance, but carefully maps out how to make it all happen. Through the Bible, He
gives clear instructions for raising and caring for children. God has plans for
each child’s welfare, and plans that each will come to faith in Jesus Christ.
It is also
important for us as parents and caring adults to be aware that the devil has
intentions for each child. Knowing that the devil is evil, we should conclude
that his intentions will be the opposite of what God wants for our children.
The devil, of course, is very secretive about his intentions, and being the
liar and deceiver that he is, he will misrepresent everything to mislead and
misdirect. He tries to undo what God does, because God is his arch enemy.
Because we have God’s nature, God instructs
us, and makes it natural for us, to provide for the needs of our children (see
Matthew 7:11). He also wants us to train them in the way they should go, which
should be the way we are going ourselves—the way of godly living! Successful training should start very early in
a child’s life. The training should be well thought out and well planned, and
ongoing, not occasional or haphazard. God, through Moses, conveyed to the
Israelites, “You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I
am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about
them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to
bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your
forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and your
gates” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NLT). This is God’s prescribed training for raising
Godly children. The devil does not take a break from plotting evil, and neither
should we take a break from training and encouraging our children!
Let’s consider being positive role models for our
children in all that at we do and say, allowing them to see us as we read the
Bible and pray and relate kindly and respectfully with others. And how about replacing some of those
cartoon characters on their bedroom walls with Scripture verses that they can
see every day, read, meditate on, and memorize?
God is
faithful, and so are His promises. In Proverbs, He promises that if we raise
our children the right way, they will continue on that path, “Direct your
children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it”
(Proverbs 22:6 NLT). Yes, some do go astray every now and then, but with
continued prayer, they come back to the path they had left
behind.
The devil
hates God! He is a liar, and will use any tricks he can to misdirect our
children as an attack on God. How can we afford to let these
precious gifts from God go in the wrong direction? Let us train and encourage
them in their walk and let’s pray for them, without ceasing, that they will
continue to walk faithfully with their God.
The
Scripture tells us the devil is looking for someone to devour, and that
includes our children. “Stay alert!
Watch out for your great enemy, the
devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT). Let’s
fight and weep on our knees over the souls of our precious children. What
tricks has the devil succeeded in using in your home to discourage your
children and to strain your relationship with them, making you ineffective in
your leadership role? The apostle Paul tells us, “Fathers, do not provoke your
children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the
discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 NLT).
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