A Living Faith in the Living God
[Moses said,] “Commit yourselves completely to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. Deuteronomy 11:18-21
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Parents often spend energy and time helping children develop in sports, academics, and the arts. These are valuable activities, but from God’s perspective, helping children develop a living faith in the living God is far more important than anything else. In Deuteronomy 11:21 the Lord tells the Israelites that only when they love and worship him wholeheartedly will he bless them and cause them to flourish. Failing to teach this to our children would be the greatest disservice.
How do parents, teachers, and others go about this? By being examples of those who are wholly devoted to loving, serving, and obeying Christ. By talking about God’s truth wherever we are. Pointing children to God and the life-giving power of his Word is one of the greatest things we can do because it has eternal consequences. If you are a parent, make a new commitment to pass on God’s truth to your children. If you are not a parent, look for opportunities to share God’s truth with children with whom you spend time.
Prayers:
LORD, I want to love you with all my heart and soul and lead children to love and honor you as well. Help me to live in such a way that they will be drawn to you. Show me practically how to talk with children—mine or others’—about your truth, teach them your principles, and help them apply your Word to their lives.
Quotes:
There’s no doubt that it is the job of us as parents—not the priests, kings, or prophets—to teach God’s truth to our children. Why? Because when our children learn from us, they will more readily move beyond just knowing to obeying.
Bruce Wilkinson
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Deuteronomy 11:1–12:32; Luke 8:22-39; Psalm 70:1-5 and Proverbs 12:4.
