Tag: teach children
Growing in Father’s House!
Scripture reading for March 5th: Deuteronomy 6-9, Luke 2
Key Scriptures: Luke 2:49-52 “And He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s house? And they did not understand the saying that He spoke to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And His mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”
Jesus’ early years and growth until 30 years of age are summarized here by Luke. These few verses give us insight into Jesus’ early understanding of His mission and yet His need to fully submit to being human and growing up in this world under parental authority and experiencing temptations common to all people. Jesus knew that “He must be in Father’s house.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise.”
Prayer: Holy Father, today I want to be in Your house and learn Your Word and ways. Let me increase in wisdom and favor with You and those I interact with. Amen.
God’s concern for children!
Scripture reading for January 24th: Exodus 10-13, Matthew 18
Key Scriptures: Exodus 12:21-22, 26-28 “Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. . . .And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for He passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.'”
God had prepared a plan of salvation for His people. It involved taking an innocent lamb for each household and slaughtering it and catching the blood in a bowl or basin. The head of the house then took some hyssop as a brush and sprinkled or spattered the blood on the lintel and doorposts of their home. This ritual was called the “Passover” because this sign caused the death angel who was taking the lives of the firstborn to ‘pass over’ the marked houses. This ritual would teach children about God’s protective covering through sacrifice. God did not want one of the children to perish.
Matthew 18:10, 14 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. . . . . So it is not the will of My Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.”
Prayer: Father, thank You for Your love for little children. Help me to be sensitive to children and teach them about You and Your great love through the blood of Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
Hear, O Israel!
Scripture Reading for February 23rd: Deuteronomy 5-7
“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 commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
This passage from our reading today is known by faithful Jews as the “Shema” and was to be quoted twice daily. This Hebrew word simply means “listen”. Jesus used this passage to define the greatest commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37-38) This ancient word from a sermon of Moses around 1500 years before Christ was foundational in the devotional life of Israel and has meaning for us today.
First, hearing is important! God wants us to have ears to hear His voice! Remember that the nation of Israel did not want to hear God’s voice speaking His commandments. They had asked Moses to hear for them so they would not die. (Exodus 20:19) Moses was repeating what God had told him. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God! (Romans 10:17) God sends His people out to speak His Word to bring faith and obedience and the resulting blessing to those who will listen.
Second, the Lord is One! He is the Creator of heaven and earth. He is holy and complete in Himself. His love is expressed in his Word and commandments. When we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we are actively responding to His Love. If we love Him, we will obey His commands. (John 15:9-11) His joy will be in us and our life will be full!
The last point to look at in this devotion is the need to impress these commands of the Lord on our children. If these commands are on our hearts, we will pass them on. The most effective way to pass them on is to live them out and speak about them in the normal flow of daily life. This will impact the next generation! Are you listening?