THE BLESSING OF CHILDREN

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

Psalm 127:3-5

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Of all the blessings that the Lord has lavished upon me (and the list is VERY extensive), I count the gift of my two daughters at the top of the list. As I tell people all the time, there will not be a more challenging thing you’ll do in your life than raise a child but there is also no more rewarding thing you will do. And as my daughters are now in adulthood, it’s very satisfying to see them both living and loving the right way, following the lead of Christ in what they do.

Yes, children are gifts from God but I just want to take a moment in this devotion to say a little more about the experience, to bring things a little more into focus for parents regarding the kids they are blessed to have.

First of all, it needs to be said right up front that all children belong to God. There is no exception to this truth. Every child born is born out of God’s purpose and He never makes a mistake there. He creates and He owns every person brought into the world we live in. He is the ultimate parent, THE Father of all of us.

The importance in this comes in the way we value and cherish children, not just the ones we are blessed to have but ALL children. God, their Father in heaven, has placed them under our care and with that we have a great obligation. As we look at the word of God from the remaining verses in the 127th Psalm, we read that children are God’s reward and a part of His heritage. He always keeps His family here on earth replenished, bringing new children into creation while he is calling for others to depart.

If you have children of your own, keep in mind that God has given them to you to love and care for as He would. That’s an incredible responsibility and accountability point. Keep in mind that everything to do (or don’t do) to your child and everything you say (or don’t say) to your child is under God’s watchful eye. He sees everything.

With this, don’t feel pressured. Just rely on God to guide you as a parent. Seek Him and allow Him to help you raise His children the way He wants them to be raised. Make your thoughts His thoughts; your actions His actions. On days when your patience and strength feel like they are absent, draw close to Him and He will grant you exactly what you need to get through. When you’re not sure how to handle behavior or circumstances, look to Him for guidance and direction, knowing He will impart it. He wants the best for His children and you are counted in that number. We all are. So don’t make it hard. Allow God to help you and He will deliver.

If you are not able to have children, then consider adopting a child. Every child is of God and in need of a loving provider. Pray over the possibility and follow the will of God. It breaks my heart to see so many children abandoned or orphaned as their parents pass away. God has not forsaken these children. There are more than enough people in the world to love and care for them. People just need to realize their obligation to care for God’s richest rewards, His heritage, and then take action to ensure no child goes without love and nurture.

Today and every day, let’s all make a commitment to love and care for the children of God as God loves and cares for them. They are a rich blessing to us from Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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