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Post by Unmerited on Jun 11, 2023 4:57:30 GMT -8
Teach Your Children—Part 1 June 11
And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. Deuteronomy 6:6-7
One of our primary responsibilities as parents is to teach our children the way of the Lord. Scripture tells us that this should be a constant and on–going process: “[You] shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (v. 7).
Jesus said that the law hung on two commandments: love the Lord God and love your neighbor (Matt. 22:27–40). The words He quoted come immediately before the command given here to teach our children. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:5). This is what we are to impart to our children above all else.
What are we teaching our children? Are we living in such a way that our children will be drawn to the Lord? May our words and our actions bring honor to the Lord and life to our children as we lead them in His ways.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 12, 2023 4:55:23 GMT -8
Teach Your Children—Part 2 June 12
And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4
What a contrast! Provoking our children to wrath versus bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. The pivotal point is crucial—we are either turning our children away from God or toward God. That puts great responsibility on us as parents!
In a home where anger, condemnation, sarcasm, intimidation, and fear rule, there is no love manifested, and children will be “turned off” to God and “turned on” to wrath. The same traits that we exhibit in our lives will soon be seen in them.
But in a home where there is peace, encouragement, patience, consistency, joy, diligence, and love, children learn of the Lord naturally because they see God’s characteristics lived out in front of them. A firm spiritual foundation can be established for children to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord.
Paul wrote of Timothy, “from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). May the same be true of our children.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 13, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -8
Teach Your Children—Part 3 June 13
But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:6
Jesus sharply rebuked His disciples when they tried to stop parents from bringing their children to Him: “He was greatly displeased and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.’… And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them” (Mark 10:14, 16). Their value to the Lord is great!
According to the psalmist, children are a heritage from the Lord (Ps. 127:3). Scripture repeatedly reminds parents to love, teach, discipline, and protect their children (Eph. 6:4; Deut. 6:6, 7; Prov. 13:24; Heb. 12:11). This warning to those who would cause a child to sin is severe, but it is a reminder of our responsibility before the Lord for our children.
We as parents must guard our words and actions so that we never cause our children to stumble or sin. Rather, out of our love for them, everything that we do and say must reflect God’s love, God’s Word, and God’s ways (Deut. 6:6, 7).
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 14, 2023 6:51:35 GMT -8
Teach Your Children—Part 4 June 14
Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. Exodus 2:9
Moses’ parents obviously took advantage of the short time they had to teach their son about their God.
They had defied Pharaoh’s command to throw their newborn son into the river. Instead, they hid him for three months and then placed him m a small basket among the reeds along the river’s bank. Miracle of miracles happened when Pharaoh’s daughter found the infant and unknowingly called on his mother to be his nurse. After several years, he was returned to Pharaoh’s daughter as her son.
Moses’ parents must have done a thorough job! The writer of Hebrews tells us that, though raised in Pharaoh’s court, Moses, upon reaching manhood, chose to suffer affliction with God’s people rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin and the treasures in Egypt (Heb. 11:25, 26).
Our time with our children is short. How are we doing? Will the spiritual training we provide be adequate? Let us pray that the lessons we teach our children will sink deep into their hearts and make them strong to resist the world’s enticements.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 15, 2023 6:48:22 GMT -8
Joy - June 15
I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Habakkuk 3:18
The word “joy” means to rejoice and be glad. The Hebrew word for joy contains the suggestion of “dancing or leaping for joy, spinning around with intense motion.” What brings this kind of joy to an individual, a marriage, or a family—the kind of joy that would cause one to dance, leap, and spin around? Is it our possessions, our jobs, even our friends or family?
The prophet Habakkuk looked around and saw the devastating results of the Babylonian invasion. He concluded that he could be stripped of everything and his joy would still be there! He had learned that joy does not come from things which can be so quickly lost, but eternal joy comes from the Lord, the God of our salvation.
What a lesson for us who get so easily caught up with jobs, possessions, and the problems of the present moment. Are our children learning to live in the stress of the world or the joy of the Lord? Teach them. Pick them up and dance, leap, spin around. Proclaim the joy of God and His salvation!
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 16, 2023 6:12:50 GMT -8
Discipline in Love - June 16
He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly. Proverbs 13:24
Discipline is the other side of teaching. A child with a teachable spirit will still need thorough explanation, much patience, and opportunity to try and experiment, including the right to fail and to learn by failure. A child, however, who is caught up in willful disobedience (Prov. 29:15), rebellion (1 Sam. 15:23), or stubborn foolishness (Prov. 22:15), closes off effective teaching and disrupts the harmony of the family. God’s answer to this is firm and loving discipline.
The Bible makes a clear distinction between discipline and physical abuse. We are never to inflict harm on a child (Prov. 23:13), but at times pain may be a part of effective correction.
God describes Himself as a strict disciplinarian. He always disciplines us out of love and for our own benefit (Heb. 12:5–11). Likewise, God requires that parents properly correct their children. Discipline drives foolishness from a child’s heart (Prov. 29:15), gives wisdom (Prov. 29:15), and produces righteousness in the child’s life (Heb. 12:11). Even a child’s eternal destiny can hinge upon the godly discipline provided by parents (Prov. 23:14).
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 17, 2023 5:53:32 GMT -8
Rest - June 17
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2
Though he wrote twenty–five hundred years ago, the writer of this psalm obviously had experienced the “rat race.” The theme is appropriate for today Husbands and wives keep a frantic pace just to keep their family financially solvent. They rise early and rush off to the office. They work long hours, and when they finally arrive back home, they are too exhausted to sleep. So they sit up late, usually in front of the television, until at last sleep comes. Meaningful dialogue is nonexistent. The focus is on the job, not home, on the paycheck, not relationships. For what? Solomon knew the answer: nothing. The bread of their labor is sorrow.
But God “gives His beloved sleep.” When we follow God’s way, we do not have to get caught up in this “rat race,” for God will provide what we need, and He can do it so that we have meaningful time with our families. Then the bread of our labor can become joy, not sorrow, and we can rest, not run.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 18, 2023 5:34:01 GMT -8
His Workmanship - June 18
You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. Psalm 139:13
We all need reassurance about who we are. Doubts arise. Who am I? Why am I here? This may be even more true of our children.
Reading the above words of the psalmist can bring confidence, assurance, and self–worth. It is God who made us. His handiwork began in the womb where He skillfully wove our white bones, blue veins, and red arteries into a beautiful embroidery. The thought is repeated in verse 15 where “wrought” means “embroidered with various colors.” His finished work is awesome, wonderful, marvelous.
The Apostle Paul later wrote, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Eph. 2:10). The word “workmanship” comes from the Greek word poiema, which means “that which is manufactured, a product, a design produced by an artisan.” It emphasizes God as the master architect, the Creator of the universe, and the Creator of man. We are His workmanship; we were formed by the master designer Himself, and marvelous are His works.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 19, 2023 6:52:03 GMT -8
Serve the Lord - June 19
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
Near the end of his life, the great warrior Joshua addressed the children of Israel. Now that they were in the Promised Land, they would have to decide where their spiritual allegiance would lie—with the God of their fathers or the gods of their newly conquered land. With boldness Joshua proclaimed that he had made his choice—he and his family would serve the Lord.
Every couple must make this decision for their families. It not only determines their future, but also that of their children. To choose to serve the Lord will bring peace and blessing to the family both now and in the future. “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Is. 54:13). “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him” (Prov. 20:7). The influence goes even beyond our children to our “children’s children” (Ps. 103:17) and our “descendants’ descendants” (Is. 59:21).
Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. And let that choice be to serve the Lord.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 20, 2023 5:47:04 GMT -8
Our Refuge - June 20
In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge. Proverbs 14:26
The word “refuge” occurs twenty times in the Old Testament. It is defined as “a shelter, or protection, fortress; a place of trust; a shelter from storm.”
The writers of the Scriptures often used the image of God as being their refuge. “The eternal God is your refuge” (Deut. 33:27), promised Moses. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1), wrote the psalmist. And the prophet Isaiah described God as being “a refuge from the storm” (Is. 25:4).
Godly families of today are not immune to the storms of life, which seem to move in frequently, often without warning. The present storm may be sickness, heartache caused by a wayward child, a financial setback, the death of a friend, or a broken relationship. But His children still have a place of refuge, a shelter from the storm.
Like the faithful of long ago, we must pass on to our children our confidence in the Lord, so that they, too, will be able to weather the storms of life after they leave the shelter of home.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 21, 2023 5:28:27 GMT -8
Hearts of Love - June 21
But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Luke 15:20
The parable of the lost son is one of the most moving stories in all of Scripture. It is a story of folly, repentance, compassion, and forgiveness. After reaching the depths of sin, the runaway son comes to his senses and remembers his father. There is only one thing to do—return home and beg forgiveness.
In the meantime, the father’s love has not diminished. Daily he scans the horizon for his wayward son. And then one day it happens—his son appears in the distance. The father runs to him, and as the son begins to confess his sins, the father interrupts and calls for a celebration (Luke 15:24).
The point is clear. This is the story of our return to our compassionate heavenly Father. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). It, too, is a promise for parents and their unbelieving children. In spite of their sin may we always have hearts of love, compassion, and forgiveness that allow them to return.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 22, 2023 7:10:09 GMT -8
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1
Paul’s life matched his words to such an extent that he could make this bold statement! And those who imitated his life became more like Christ.
As parents, we should follow Christ so closely that we can say to our children, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” We are our children’s first and most closely observed role model. This does not mean that we have to be perfect. But our lives should be open before them to see all of what Jesus does in us as we rely on His strength for our obedience and His redemption for our failures.
In his letter to the Philippians Paul wrote, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:9). What have our children learned and received from us? What have they heard us say? What have they seen us do? If we are imitating Christ, they will have learned, received, heard, and seen Him. And the promise is that God’s peace will be in their hearts.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 23, 2023 9:53:14 GMT -8
Obedience June 23
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1
Obedience is a trait that we as parents should instill in our children at a very early age. The lessons usually begin for their protection and safety: “Don’t touch the hot stove,” or “Don’t go into the street.” As children grow, obedience to our word should become second nature, and they should begin to obey out of love and trust for us.
The word “obey” comes from the Greek word hupakauo, which means “to hear as a subordinate, listen attentively, obey as a subject, answer and respond, and submit without reservation.” The word contains the ideas of hearing, responding, and obeying.
Paul concludes this verse by saying, “for this is right.” The Greek word for “right” is dikaious, which implies “conforming to the laws of God and man.” By teaching our children to obey our words, we are teaching them to obey God and His Word. And it is that obedience that matters for eternity.
Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life
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Post by praiseyeshua on Jun 23, 2023 9:54:56 GMT -8
Obedience June 23
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1 Obedience is a trait that we as parents should instill in our children at a very early age. The lessons usually begin for their protection and safety: “Don’t touch the hot stove,” or “Don’t go into the street.” As children grow, obedience to our word should become second nature, and they should begin to obey out of love and trust for us. The word “obey” comes from the Greek word hupakauo, which means “to hear as a subordinate, listen attentively, obey as a subject, answer and respond, and submit without reservation.” The word contains the ideas of hearing, responding, and obeying. Paul concludes this verse by saying, “for this is right.” The Greek word for “right” is dikaious, which implies “conforming to the laws of God and man.” By teaching our children to obey our words, we are teaching them to obey God and His Word. And it is that obedience that matters for eternity. Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. |
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Post by Unmerited on Jun 24, 2023 7:17:39 GMT -8
Obedience June 23
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1 Obedience is a trait that we as parents should instill in our children at a very early age. The lessons usually begin for their protection and safety: “Don’t touch the hot stove,” or “Don’t go into the street.” As children grow, obedience to our word should become second nature, and they should begin to obey out of love and trust for us. The word “obey” comes from the Greek word hupakauo, which means “to hear as a subordinate, listen attentively, obey as a subject, answer and respond, and submit without reservation.” The word contains the ideas of hearing, responding, and obeying. Paul concludes this verse by saying, “for this is right.” The Greek word for “right” is dikaious, which implies “conforming to the laws of God and man.” By teaching our children to obey our words, we are teaching them to obey God and His Word. And it is that obedience that matters for eternity. Jack W. Hayford and Sam Middlebrook, Living the Spirit Filled Life Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. That why I like Daily Devos, they make you think about God's Word. |
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