A good parent leaves an inheritance for the children. But a sinner’s wealth is
stored up for the righteous. Proverbs 13:22
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commands that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. ~Deuteronomy 6:4-9
In the future, when your children ask you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” Tell them: “We were slaves, but the Lord freed us with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord brought miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon our enemy. But He brought us out from there to bring us what He promised. The Lord commanded us to obey all His decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. If we are careful to obey all He says, and submit to the Lord our God, as He has commanded, that will be our righteousness.” ~Deuteronomy 6:20-25 (adapted)
God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~2 Corinthians 5:21
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. ~Ephesians 6:4
When our children were young, we were pretty avid listeners to Dr. James Dobson’s radio program, “Focus on the Family.” Both of us felt as though we needed a lot of help and guidance in the child rearing years, so we read a lot of books and did a lot of listening to learn all we could about how to do it better.
There was one phrase that we learned from Dr. Dobson, that he used on his children, and we, in turn have used on ours. The quote is simply, “Just be there!” It meant, whatever it takes, whatever turns you make, please meet us in heaven in the end. The most important thing to us over the years is the burning desire to live in eternity with our children.
We understand that the path for our children will be different than the ones that Kathy and I individually took to get to the foot of the cross. Since all of us are uniquely created and uniquely called, it just makes sense that each one’s path to Christ will also be unique. The how isn’t important, but the result is.
We began instruction early with stories. We tried having family devotions at dinner time for a while. But schedules of adults and kids made consistency in that routine difficult. We found, for our family, that bedtime was the best time to intentionally pass along our faith, which is the inheritance that we have focused on leaving our children.
We have talked a lot over the days in this devotional about passing on our faith to others and not keeping it to ourselves. It starts in the home, before the family that watches us the most closely to see us live out our faith. This is probably the most difficult mission field because, for us, the stakes are the highest, and yet in our human frailty, living up to it is most difficult too.
Jesus understands the difficulty we face when we are trying to share the good news with our family. When He returned to His home in Galilee to share the good news with them, it only made them angry. “Who does He think He is,” was the basic sentiment. Jesus stated: “I tell you the truth…no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (Luke 4:24) Jesus longed to heal them and bless them, but they refused to listen or believe Him, (even though he had no problem living up to it!) so He had to move on.
We can also leave earthly wealth to our children, if they can handle it, and that can be a good thing, but it’s not the eternal inheritance that will last. It can be lost or create new and bigger problems if our children are not using godly wisdom to manage an earthly inheritance. One way of observing your children’s money management skills is “Do your givin’ while you’re livin’ so you’re knowin’ where it’s goin’,” (true author unknown.) Then, you may see what there is to pray about to pass on your eternal inheritance better.
We don’t have to be preachy. You probably have a wealth of stories, of situations that you have faced in which the Lord was faithful. Have you ever considered writing them down, or making little videos, even on your phone, that can be stored for your children to see later, when they are really missing you and wishing they could hear from you again?
Sometimes they won’t be impressed with theology. Questions can be a bottomless pit of opportunities for just more questions and more excuses not to believe. If you can paint a picture of God, the faithful one, you are pointing them in the right direction. We are fallible, forgetful, distracted and faithless. They know that from living with us and watching our lives. But when we can help them see the one who is always there, always noticing, always present and always faithful, we are pointing them to someone worth trusting forever.
If you know that your children or grandchildren are facing a difficult time right now, let them know you’re praying. Ask for specific concerns to pray for. Perhaps, take their hand (if they let you) and pray for them right there: pray to the one who is faithful, faithful to you and to them. That is an inheritance worth passing on and the best way to encourage them to “Just be there.”
Prayer: Father, You have been perfect! And I know it is Your burning desire to have all Your children in Heaven with You! I'm so glad I heard the gospel, believed it and wanted to be Your child. Thanks so much for making it possible and letting me in. Now I want to be just like You to my kids so that they get there too! I am also mindful Lord, that I can have spiritual children as I share the gospel with anyone, and You use me to make disciples. Strengthen me for that too Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.
Song: I Want To Be Just Like You Cause He Wants To Be Like Me
Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commands that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. ~Deuteronomy 6:4-9
In the future, when your children ask you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?” Tell them: “We were slaves, but the Lord freed us with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord brought miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon our enemy. But He brought us out from there to bring us what He promised. The Lord commanded us to obey all His decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. If we are careful to obey all He says, and submit to the Lord our God, as He has commanded, that will be our righteousness.” ~Deuteronomy 6:20-25 (adapted)
God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. ~2 Corinthians 5:21
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. ~Ephesians 6:4
When our children were young, we were pretty avid listeners to Dr. James Dobson’s radio program, “Focus on the Family.” Both of us felt as though we needed a lot of help and guidance in the child rearing years, so we read a lot of books and did a lot of listening to learn all we could about how to do it better.
There was one phrase that we learned from Dr. Dobson, that he used on his children, and we, in turn have used on ours. The quote is simply, “Just be there!” It meant, whatever it takes, whatever turns you make, please meet us in heaven in the end. The most important thing to us over the years is the burning desire to live in eternity with our children.
We understand that the path for our children will be different than the ones that Kathy and I individually took to get to the foot of the cross. Since all of us are uniquely created and uniquely called, it just makes sense that each one’s path to Christ will also be unique. The how isn’t important, but the result is.
We began instruction early with stories. We tried having family devotions at dinner time for a while. But schedules of adults and kids made consistency in that routine difficult. We found, for our family, that bedtime was the best time to intentionally pass along our faith, which is the inheritance that we have focused on leaving our children.
We have talked a lot over the days in this devotional about passing on our faith to others and not keeping it to ourselves. It starts in the home, before the family that watches us the most closely to see us live out our faith. This is probably the most difficult mission field because, for us, the stakes are the highest, and yet in our human frailty, living up to it is most difficult too.
Jesus understands the difficulty we face when we are trying to share the good news with our family. When He returned to His home in Galilee to share the good news with them, it only made them angry. “Who does He think He is,” was the basic sentiment. Jesus stated: “I tell you the truth…no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” (Luke 4:24) Jesus longed to heal them and bless them, but they refused to listen or believe Him, (even though he had no problem living up to it!) so He had to move on.
We can also leave earthly wealth to our children, if they can handle it, and that can be a good thing, but it’s not the eternal inheritance that will last. It can be lost or create new and bigger problems if our children are not using godly wisdom to manage an earthly inheritance. One way of observing your children’s money management skills is “Do your givin’ while you’re livin’ so you’re knowin’ where it’s goin’,” (true author unknown.) Then, you may see what there is to pray about to pass on your eternal inheritance better.
We don’t have to be preachy. You probably have a wealth of stories, of situations that you have faced in which the Lord was faithful. Have you ever considered writing them down, or making little videos, even on your phone, that can be stored for your children to see later, when they are really missing you and wishing they could hear from you again?
Sometimes they won’t be impressed with theology. Questions can be a bottomless pit of opportunities for just more questions and more excuses not to believe. If you can paint a picture of God, the faithful one, you are pointing them in the right direction. We are fallible, forgetful, distracted and faithless. They know that from living with us and watching our lives. But when we can help them see the one who is always there, always noticing, always present and always faithful, we are pointing them to someone worth trusting forever.
If you know that your children or grandchildren are facing a difficult time right now, let them know you’re praying. Ask for specific concerns to pray for. Perhaps, take their hand (if they let you) and pray for them right there: pray to the one who is faithful, faithful to you and to them. That is an inheritance worth passing on and the best way to encourage them to “Just be there.”
Prayer: Father, You have been perfect! And I know it is Your burning desire to have all Your children in Heaven with You! I'm so glad I heard the gospel, believed it and wanted to be Your child. Thanks so much for making it possible and letting me in. Now I want to be just like You to my kids so that they get there too! I am also mindful Lord, that I can have spiritual children as I share the gospel with anyone, and You use me to make disciples. Strengthen me for that too Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.
Song: I Want To Be Just Like You Cause He Wants To Be Like Me
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