All tagged Children
Have you ever been in a situation where praising the Lord was difficult? How about being so encumbered that you had to struggle for the words? Or, perhaps that it became impossible? Probably not, but In such a situation we would find out just how important our God is to us, and exactly how much we would miss being able to speak with Him. Can you imagine living through such a situation, or place?
God chooses us for His own, and by so doing He pours Himself over us. Even during those times when we blink, and we momentarily lose sight of Him; His Holy Spirit keeps flowing over us in abundance. Not only over us, but over our children, and descendants... such is the mercy and grace of God that He pours out on us through Jesus Christ.
Much like a marriage, which begins at betrothal, grows more certain with the wedding ceremony, and is finally made complete by consummation (which is the joining together as one flesh), so will our full adoption as sons and daughters of God not be made complete until Christ returns to claim us, and God announces us as His Children.
When you worship are you joyous, and lifted up, or do you approach the throne off God in tears, and sadness? When you sing hymns are they morose, or do they reflect the immense pleasure, and majesty you find in God? Being humble before God does not imply a lack of joy, it actually frees us to rejoice in Him, because we realize who He is, and that we are His children... His minions.
Sometimes we are healed by Jesus, and don’t know where the healing actually came from. Quite often we encounter people who have been saved by their faith, and yet they know very little about God, or Jesus Christ. Don’t judge a person’s faith in Christ based on their knowledge, or education in the scripture... Jesus loved the children in faith just as He did His disciples.
Do we obey God to the letter, or do we take His commandments and rationalize them, or apply our own judgement to them? Do we use our own logic in determining that we should obey Him in one circumstance but not in another? If so then, although we try to convince ourselves to the contrary, we are placing ourselves above God. The little things, or uncomfortable ones, can be our undoing. Obey God in all things and always.
Do you make intercession for your family? Do you pray for your wife, your children, your parents, and others in your house? Sometimes we think that we are only responsible for our own salvation, and only have the power to save ourselves, but in fact we have the ability, and even the obligation, to lift up our family before God.
As a believer we are set apart for God’s use, but what about our spouse, and our children? Does God have a plan for them, and does it involve us? Well, whenever something is made holy, God has a purpose and a plan for it. This is true of us as well, and especially includes our role as it pertains to an unbelieving spouse... and our children. The holiness with which we are painted, paints our families with the same color so that we will all be covered by it, and thus we bring the hope of our faith into the household. Salvation enters boldly with us through the front door.
We get married, and if we are so blessed, then we have children. From the moment we decide to bring each of these new lives into the world we begin to make plans for them; we want the best for them. It is the same with God, and He has a plan for each of our lives; a plan made long before we were born... or even conceived. These plans, both ours and God’s, can only be accomplished if the child gives all their effort as they strive to know and do their parent’s will. Are you a fully engaged participant in God’s plan for you?
Do you bless your family? Are you more than a sire, or a dame who brought forth children from the womb? There is so much to raising a family, and all of our children are as different as Jacob’s; each needing a special blessing. Not all of them are presently good, but each one needs to know the Lord, and that necessitates our prayers, our attention, and our blessing as we wait upon God to call and save them. This is our calling, the will of a God for us, but in the end we can’t save them ourselves.
Are you a wanderer in Christ? Did you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, go down in the waters and spirit of baptism and then walk off into a spiritual desert? Well it is time to come back from where you have been and rejoin the house, and the kingdom, of God. Like our savior, we are not meant to remain alone in the desert... are your 40 days up?
When you look at who you are in a mirror you probably see a family resemblance that confirms you to be part of your earthly family, but when you look at the reflection of yourself that is being returned to you by those around you... who do you see? Do you see a similarity to Jesus Christ? How about your Heavenly Father?
We all love our children; Mary loved Jesus, but raising a child means more than just love... it is a challenge. Do your children bring you more than love and joy? Sometimes our children are foolish, and can cause us pain, suffering, or even disappointment during their lifetimes. If you are a new parent, prepare yourself, if you have older children you know this to be true, so was Mary, the mother of Jesus, different, and immune from pain?
When we look at our children, what do we see, and how do we see it? We look on them with our eyes, and see their physical characteristics, we observe their actions, and come to know by studying them with our minds, their character. We go further, and see their heart through the eyes of our own, and come to know their love as it mixes with ours and grows, but there is one other way we should look at our children... one that many neglect, we should see them spiritually.