Children are so important. It does not matter what age of the world we look into, children play an incredible role as we see them as a gift to our families. When I think of the one and final plague in Egypt – the one that finally turned Pharaoh decision – it was the loss of every family’s first born.
They set out from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the day after the passover the Israelites went out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians, while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had struck down among them. – Numbers 33:3-4 NRSV
Being a Christian Education Coordinator in my church helped me focus on the children and their families. It was there that I learned how weak our education perspective was compared to other faith traditions. I spent 17 hours a year with my kids in direct biblical education while the others were closer to 400 and 600 hours. I lot of that had to do with traditional celebration periods, but still, it was engagement with God’s Word. So it is no surprise to see this call to action in the Psalms —
He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their ancestors, stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God. – Psalm 78:5-8 NRSV
Here I am today – I am called a child of God. I know I need to spend time getting to know my Father. This world is not where my hope lies, it lies with my Him.
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. – 1 John 3:1-3 NRSV
My prayer today is similar to the one Isaiah prayed —
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. – Isaiah 25:1
As Your child Lord, I yield myself into Your hands that you may shape me and mold me and then may I be used by You to glorify Your name. Amen.
evanlaar
Sixty-six books in a year 