Key Verse
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
(Matthew 2:13 - New International Version)
Central Truth
An important step in being a protective and guiding parent is to prayerfully seek God’s will and His guidance and dutifully obey, as Joseph did.
PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN
As we read and reread Matthew Chapter 2, even reading in different translations, the words in this chapter just impressed upon us how then is not that much different than now. We as parents are like Mary, Joseph, and even the Wise Men. As we are blessed with three sons, we can only sense and feel an inkling of what Mary and Joseph must have felt in protecting their only son from DEATH. In today’s world, we do not have to protect our children from that certain death. However, we do have to protect our children from influences, situations and evilness in our world, and yes, sometimes even protect them from death by wrong choices.
As we thought back to when our three sons were each infants, we started to understand better how each phase of a child’s growth brings with it different levels of parental guidance and protection. For us, they have also brought worry and stress. We have a 9, 12, and 15 year old. Thus far, infancy has been the easiest phase. Early adolescence has been the most challenging. As we reread Matthew 2:13, it does not say Mary and Joseph were worried or stressed. Joseph simply listened and obeyed when the angel of the Lord appeared. You know those quiet moments when we shut out the world, and truly seek God’s will and guidance not ours? With God’s will comes guidance, peace, comfort and, yes, answers. What we as parents have to do is listen to the Lord, read his word, and act upon His word. Just like Joseph and Mary acted to protect their child, Jesus. So with the New Year of 2010 just beginning, our prayer is to seek God’s will much more frequently in raising our children.
Central Truth
An important step in being a protective and guiding parent is to prayerfully seek God’s will and His guidance and dutifully obey, as Joseph did.
PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN
As we read and reread Matthew Chapter 2, even reading in different translations, the words in this chapter just impressed upon us how then is not that much different than now. We as parents are like Mary, Joseph, and even the Wise Men. As we are blessed with three sons, we can only sense and feel an inkling of what Mary and Joseph must have felt in protecting their only son from DEATH. In today’s world, we do not have to protect our children from that certain death. However, we do have to protect our children from influences, situations and evilness in our world, and yes, sometimes even protect them from death by wrong choices.
As we thought back to when our three sons were each infants, we started to understand better how each phase of a child’s growth brings with it different levels of parental guidance and protection. For us, they have also brought worry and stress. We have a 9, 12, and 15 year old. Thus far, infancy has been the easiest phase. Early adolescence has been the most challenging. As we reread Matthew 2:13, it does not say Mary and Joseph were worried or stressed. Joseph simply listened and obeyed when the angel of the Lord appeared. You know those quiet moments when we shut out the world, and truly seek God’s will and guidance not ours? With God’s will comes guidance, peace, comfort and, yes, answers. What we as parents have to do is listen to the Lord, read his word, and act upon His word. Just like Joseph and Mary acted to protect their child, Jesus. So with the New Year of 2010 just beginning, our prayer is to seek God’s will much more frequently in raising our children.
I loved this. It is so true
ReplyDeleteToday's devo was in God's perfect timing. Mike and I are stressed and not feeling too blessed as parents lately. I keep coming back to the same thought, "We're not on our knees enough for them." We talk and talk in circles- I'm so sick and tired of praying in crisis mode. It's not all the time- but lately we feel heavy with fear and disappointment for poor choices or not taking the path that we feel God has for them. I want to block out all the parental guilt, comparisons, and have-to's and just hear His voice and His will for my kids.
ReplyDelete