Tag Archives: children

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Consider the Poor

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Read: Matthew 25:31-40

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 3-4; Galatians 6

The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. —Proverbs 29:7

The year was 1780, and Robert Raikes had a burden for the poor, illiterate children in his London neighborhood. He noticed that nothing was being done to help these children, so he set out to make a difference.

He hired some women to set up schools for them on Sunday. Using the Bible as their textbook, the teachers taught the poorest children of London to read and introduced them to the wisdom of the Bible. Soon about 100 children were attending these classes and enjoying lunch in a safe, clean environment. These “Sunday schools,” as they were soon called, eventually touched the lives of thousands of boys and girls. By 1831, Sunday schools in Great Britain reached more than a million children—all because one man understood this truth: “The righteous considers the cause of the poor” (Prov. 29:7 NKJV).

It’s no secret that Jesus cares greatly for those who struggle. In Matthew 25, He suggests that followers of Christ show a readiness for the Lord’s return by helping the hungry to get food, helping the thirsty to get a drink, helping the homeless to find a home, helping the naked to get clothes, and helping the sick or imprisoned to receive comfort (vv. 35-36).

As we bear witness that Christ is in our hearts, we honor our compassionate Savior by considering those on God’s heart. —Dave Branon

Awaken my heart, Lord, to those You care about, including the poor and helpless, the hungry and homeless, the troubled and hopeless in our world.

Open your heart to God to learn compassion, and open your hand to give help.

INSIGHT: Today’s Bible reading is a portion of what is sometimes referred to as the Olivet Discourse, our Lord’s last recorded public sermon before going to the cross. Matthew 24:3 says that Jesus led His disciples to the Mount of Olives, where He delivered this message on the future judgment and the establishment of the kingdom. Jesus spoke to them of tribulation, of the coming of the King, and of the need to have a prepared heart. It’s a sober message, yet one that ends with Jesus calling His followers to a heart of service that reaches out to hurting people with compassion and generosity. Bill Crowder

Campus Crusade for Christ

Our Daily Bread — First Steps

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Read: Romans 8:14-17

Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. —Romans 8:16

A friend stopped me the other day with some exciting news and then spent 10 minutes describing for me the first steps of her 1-year-old nephew. He could walk! Later I realized how bizarre we might have sounded to an eavesdropper. Most people can walk. What was the big deal?

It struck me that childhood provides a quality of specialness that nearly vanishes for the rest of life. Thinking about our treatment of children gave me further appreciation for the fact that God chooses the word picture of “children” to describe our relationship with Him. The New Testament announces that we are God’s children, with all the rights and privileges of worthy heirs (Rom. 8:16-17). Jesus (the “one and only” Son of God) came, we’re told, to make possible our adoption as sons and daughters in God’s family.

I imagine God views each halting step forward in my spiritual “walk” with the eagerness of a parent watching a child take that very first step.

Perhaps when the secrets of the universe are finally revealed, we will learn an underlying purpose of watching children grow. It may be that God has granted us these times of specialness to awaken us to His infinite love. Of the fullness of that love, our experiences here on earth are mere glimpses. —Philip Yancey

Loving heavenly Father, increase our awareness of Your love for us and Your delight in us so we can show the world the difference You make in our lives.

You are loved.

INSIGHT: Notice in today’s Bible reading the extensive nature of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us that the Spirit leads us as God’s children (v. 14), enables us through adoption to call God our Father (v. 15), and affirms God’s saving work in our hearts (v. 16). It is one of the truly great passages in the New Testament on the work of the Spirit in our lives—and one we should celebrate! Bill Crowder

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples –Honoring Mom and Dad

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“Honor your father and your mother.” Exodus 20:12

Who do you think is most responsible for establishing a child’s opinion of his mother or father? The other parent, that’s who! Each wields tremendous influence over what the children think of the other. Early in my marriage to Shirley, I learned that occasional irritation between us quickly reflected itself in the behavior of our kids. They seemed to think, If Dad can argue with Mom, then we can, too. In short, my attitude became the attitudes of my children. I realized how important it was to openly express love and admiration for my wife, even when there were issues that we needed to iron out in private.

If you’re the father in the home, I encourage you to remind your kids how hard their mother works and how wonderful she is. And if you’re the mother, praise your husband’s courage and principles in front of the children. Kids will quickly recognize and mirror the respect fathers and mothers give each other. Showing honor now will pay off for years to come.

Just between us…

  • How did your parents show respect to each other?
  • Have we done a good job of honoring each other, and the Lord, in front of our children? In which situations are we most likely to fail?
  • How could we improve?
  • Do we know a couple that sets a good example in this area? What do they do that seems to really work?

Almighty God, we want to be good examples of honoring each other so that our children will grow up to honor their father and mother. We ask for Your wisdom and grace as we seek to excel in honoring one another in our home. Thank You for Your love. Amen.

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Freedom of a Child

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Then little children were brought to Jesus, that He might put His hands on them and pray; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But He said, Leave the children alone! Allow the little ones to come to Me, and do not forbid or restrain or hinder them, for of such [as these] is the kingdom of heaven composed. Matthew 19:13–14

Children seem to be able to make a game out of anything. They quickly adjust, don’t have a problem letting other children be different than they are, and are always exploring something new. They are amazed by everything!

Oswald Chambers wrote in My Utmost for His Highest: “The freedom after sanctification is the freedom of a child, the things that used to keep the life pinned down are gone.” We definitely need to watch and study children and obey the command of Jesus to be more like them (see Matthew 18:3). It is something we have to do on purpose as we get older. We all have to grow up and be responsible, but we don’t have to stop enjoying ourselves and life.

Don’t let the world steal your confidence. Remember that you have been created on purpose by the hand of God. He has a special, unique, wonderful plan for you. Go for it! Don’t shrink back, conform, or live in fear.

Lord, I can’t be a child again, but I can have the freedom and the wonder of a child. I come to You as a child now, and I ask You to renew a childlike faith in me. Amen.

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples -Letting Go

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Bring [your children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4

I admit that it was difficult to watch my two children, Danae and Ryan, grow up. I knew they couldn’t remain children forever, and I certainly didn’t want to freeze their development. But I loved every minute of their childhood, and I cherish the memories we created.

I worked especially hard on “letting go” of Danae during her last three years at home. One of the most difficult times occurred when she was fifteen. She was having trouble getting ready for school on time, and I repeatedly rescued her by driving her there at the last minute. Finally, Jim and I agreed that it was time for Danae to accept full responsibility for beating the tardy bell.

One morning Danae missed her carpool ride, and she appeared at my door as I was preparing for an appointment. I ignored her hints about driving her, and we lived too far from school for her to walk. When she realized I wasn’t going to rescue her, she called Dial‐A‐Ride, our city‐sponsored cab company. She gathered her books and sat on the curb in front of our house with her head down, waiting for the cab.

I reluctantly faced one of my most difficult assignments ever. I backed my car out of the driveway and drove off, leaving my beloved teenage daughter dejected and alone. My mind flooded with all the horrible things that could happen to a young girl by herself. I asked God to protect Danae and help her learn from this experience.

The Lord heard my prayer. Danae came bounding into the house after school, threw her books on the table, and wailed, “Oh, Mother! How embarrassing! Do you know what kind of cab Dial‐A‐Ride has? It is a huge, old, beat‐up station wagon. The driver drove me right up in front of the school, and all my friends saw me. Oh, I will never do that again!” The next morning, Danae was up at the crack of dawn.

It’s extremely difficult for loving, caring parents to let their vulnerable children face embarrassment or failure. Our impulse is to bail them out or cover for their irresponsibility. But if we have faith in our objectives—and in our kids—we’ll stay the course and all do some growing up together.

– Shirley M Dobson

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – God Meets Our Needs

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“I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves Him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry” (Psalm 37:25). 

Tom had been a humble follower and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ from his youth. He had learned of our Lord at the family altar in his modest home. Through the urging of his father and mother, he mastered and memorized large portions of Scripture. By his teenage years he was preaching, and after a brief time of study in a Bible institute he became an evangelist. His work was largely in the smaller rural churches. His speech was never eloquent nor was he distinguished and cultured in his appearance and demeanor, but he was a man of God. wherever he went, hearts were strangely warmed as he spoke the truths concerning our wonderful Savior.

Now he had reached the ripe age of ninety. His hair was snow white and a bit long, but always neat. His ministry had covered over seventy years, and in that period he had come to know heartache, sorrow, adversity and poverty (especially during the depression years). He had performed many wedding ceremonies, had spent long nights at the bedside of the sick and had preached many funeral sermons. In obedience to his Lord, he had ministered to the widows and orphans, the poor and imprisoned. On this occasion, as he was coming to the climax of a rich and overflowing life, a radiant adventure with God – yes, the supernatural life – he reminisced. As he recalled some of the heartaches and tragedies, he said, “You know, not one single time in all my years have I seen the Lord forsake a man who loved Him, nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry. Of course, I have seen Christians suffer, and I’ve been with them in their sorrow. But there’s something different about the life of the one who walks with God. There’s serenity, a peace. And then almost miraculously, while the ungodly go hungry, God meets the needs of His children as He promised.

“Yes,” he said in conclusion, “you can trust God and His Word. He never fails to keep His promise.”

Bible Reading: Psalm 37:26-34

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that I can trust God to meet my every need no matter what happens, I shall seek first the kingdom of God. Through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I will live a godly life, a supernatural life for the glory of my Savior, and I will tell others how faithful and trustworthy He is.

 

Night Light - James & Shirley Dobson

Night Light for Couples – Someone Is Listening

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“[The righteous] are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.” Psalm 37:26

Be careful what you say in the presence of your babies. That’s the advice of a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, who tells us that children only eight months of age are capable of hearing and remembering words, good and bad. In a study by Dr. Peter Juscyzk, babies were exposed to three recorded stories for a period of about ten days. When they were tested in the lab two weeks later, they clearly recognized the words in the stories but failed to respond to those they hadn’t heard. According to Robin Chapman, a University of Wisconsin language specialist, the study demonstrates that very young children attend to the sounds of language and are able to pick out those that are familiar. Chapman concludes that “a lot of language learning is happening in the first year of life.”

Whether we like it or not, almost everything we say and do is observed and recorded—by the patrolman with a radar gun, by the convenience store video camera, and even by our young children. If our marriage models a spirit of generosity worth imitating, it will lead to blessings for everyone.

Just between us…

  • What are some of your earliest memories of your parents’ words and actions?
  • If we videotaped ourselves, would we be pleased by what we saw?
  • Besides each other, whom do we influence with our everyday words and deeds? Are we modeling a spirit of generosity for them?

Lord, we know that our every action has a tremendous impact on those around us, and we want to be mature, responsible and positive ambassadors for You. Help us glorify You in how we think, act, and speak. Amen.

From Night Light For Couples, by Dr. James & Shirley Dobson

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — No Need Is Too Trivial

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Read: Isaiah 49:13-18

Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 10-12; John 1:29-51

As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. —Psalm 103:13

Several mothers of small children were sharing encouraging answers to prayer. Yet one woman said she felt selfish about troubling God with her personal needs. “Compared with the huge global needs God faces,” she explained, “my circumstances must seem trivial to Him.”

Moments later, her little son pinched his fingers in a door and ran screaming to his mother. She didn’t say, “How selfish of you to bother me with your throbbing fingers when I’m busy!” She showed him great compassion and tenderness.

As Psalm 103:13 reminds us, this is the response of love, both human and divine. In Isaiah 49, God said that even though a mother may forget to have compassion on her child, the Lord never forgets His children (v.15). God assured His people, “I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands” (v.16).

Such intimacy with God belongs to those who fear Him and who rely on Him rather than on themselves. As that child with throbbing fingers ran freely to his mother, so may we run to God with our daily problems.

Our compassionate God doesn’t neglect others to respond to our concerns. He has limitless time and love for each of His children. No need is too trivial for Him. —Joanie Yoder

You take great delight in me, Lord, and quiet me with Your love. You rejoice over me with singing, like a mother singing a lullaby over her child. Thank You for Your tender love for me.

God holds His children in the palm of His hand.

INSIGHT: Isaiah has the most messianic references of any Old Testament prophetic book, containing extraordinary prophecies of both Christ’s miraculous birth and His atoning death. Today’s reading begins a section of prophecies about the Divine Servant, highlighted by the description of His suffering in Isaiah 53. This suffering comes to the Servant from God’s own hand and ultimately finds its fulfillment at the cross where Christ bore the sins of the world.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Story Stewards

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Deuteronomy 4:1-9

Take heed . . . lest you forget the things your eyes have seen . . . . And teach them to your children and your grandchildren. —Deuteronomy 4:9

Many people take great care to make sure their resources are used well after they die. They set up trusts, write wills, and establish foundations to guarantee that their assets will continue to be used for a good purpose after their life on earth is done. We call this good stewardship.

Equally important, however, is being good stewards of our life story. God commanded the Israelites not only to teach their children His laws but also to make sure they knew their family history. It was the responsibility of parents and grandparents to make sure their children knew the stories of how God had worked in their behalf (Deut. 4:1-14).

God has given each of us a unique story. His plan for our lives is individualized. Do others know what you believe and why? Do they know the story of how you came to faith and how God has worked in your life to strengthen your faith? Do they know how God has shown Himself faithful and has helped you through doubts and disappointments?

The faithfulness of God is a story that we have the privilege to pass on. Record it in some way and share it. Be a good steward of the story that God is telling through you. —Julie Ackerman Link

How great, O God, Your acts of love!

Your saving deeds would now proclaim

That generations yet to come

May set their hope in Your great name. —D. DeHaan

A life lived for God leaves a lasting legacy.

Bible in a year: Amos 1-3; Revelation 6

Insight

In today’s passage, Moses reminded the people of Israel that—unlike the nations around them—they were the only ones privileged to have intimate fellowship with God (v.7) and the only nation given God’s law (v.8). If they faithfully obeyed His law, God would make them a great and wise people (vv.6,8-9).

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Passing Down the Faith

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Charles Stanley

 

Have you thought about what you will leave behind when you die? Most people think of possessions—family heirlooms, investments, and other property. But what kind of spiritual heritage will you leave for your children? Will they walk in the Lord’s ways as a result of your influence?

Leading a godly life doesn’t always mean that your children will follow the Lord, and forcing your beliefs on them usually backfires. What are some effective approaches to handing down your faith?

Godly parenting takes . . .

1) Principle: We must instruct our children in the ways of God.

  • Read Deuteronomy 6:4-7. How often were the people of Israel supposed to talk about their faith?

 

Notice they were told to teach their children “diligently” (Deut. 6:7). You may want to have a formal Bible study with your kids on a regular basis, but that isn’t always necessary. It can be more effective to connect daily events to principles in the Word of God during supper, for instance. At bedtime, read and discuss Bible stories with your children. When appropriate, tell them about your failures and the spiritual lessons you learned as a result.

  • Write out the spiritual truths—biblical principles or life lessons—that you would like to pass on to your children.

 

  • What can you do differently to instruct them more effectively in spiritual matters?

 

2) Pattern: Children learn more by watching us than by listening to what we say.

Your example is a key ingredient to passing down your faith. For example, if you blame others when things go wrong, children may learn to avoid taking responsibility. If you pray as a family when life is difficult, children learn they can go to God with their worries.

  • Jesus spoke about dealing with our own sins before trying to correct others (Luke 6:41-42). In what areas do you fail to make godly choices, especially around your kids?

 

  • Write down one way you could be a better example to your children.

 

3) Persistence: We pass on faith by doing the right thing consistently.

No parent is perfect. But those who do the right thing day by day—not just when it is convenient—make a powerful impression on their children.

Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”

  • What areas of parenting or living righteously have the potential to wear you out?

 

  • What motivates you to persevere in doing the right thing?

 

4) Participation: When we get involved in the lives of our children, we establish a caring relationship that makes it easier to communicate with them about our faith.

Without taking on their responsibilities, do your best to help your children with their problems. For younger kids, this may mean giving advice outright or helping them find the answer in God’s Word. Older children may prefer to talk through their ideas with you to reach a solution. If they say something with which you strongly disagree, try not to overreact. Instead, ask how they came to that conclusion. Keep the lines of communication open so you can guide them toward a biblical perspective.

  • Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” How does this verse encourage you in your parenting struggles?

 

  • Name a specific way you could show more interest in the concerns or pastimes of your children.

 

5) Praise: The greatest motivation for learning is praise.

As a motivator, encouragement is more effective than constant correction. Spend more time praising your child for what he does right than you do critiquing his mistakes. Offer help if it’s needed, but don’t be overly demanding (Col. 3:21).

  • Proverbs 12:25 says, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (NIV). How does encouragement affect your children?

 

  • How could you apply 1 Thessalonians 5:14 to parenting?

 

6) Prayer: If you consistently pray with and for your children, you will demonstrate the importance of prayer.

Jesus set an example for us by praying in all types of situations. He prayed for the sick, for calm weather, and for miraculous provision. He prayed at the height of His popularity and when He anticipated persecution and suffering.

  • How should we pray, according to 1 Thessalonians 5:17? What do you think that means?

 

  • What are some situations in which you could pray with or for your children to make prayer a greater part of your relationship?

 

Prayer: Father, parenting is tough—I can’t do it without You. Grant me wisdom to respond appropriately in every situation. Draw each of my children closer to You, that they may honor You with their lives. Amen.

Adapted from “How to Keep Your Kids on Your Team” by Charles F. Stanley (1986).

 

Related Resources

 

Related Video

The Impact of a Godly Parent

Mothers and fathers have a tremendous influence on the success and happiness of their children later in life. That’s why it’s so important for parents to model the Christian life and purposefully instruct their sons and daughters in the ways of God. (Watch The Impact of a Godly Parent.)

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Growing in Servanthood

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Charles Stanley

Kids love to show off their height. They eagerly anticipate being tall enough to do all the things their short stature currently prevents. Many parents record and celebrate their children’s growth. They follow the tradition of marking heights on a doorframe.

God the Father also measures His children’s growth. He delights in seeing us reach new levels of spiritual maturity so we can accept greater responsibility. Because a new believer is like a little child in faith, his or her kingdom tasks are, at first, light. God is beginning the transformation process that will grow a saved human being into the image of Christ.

The call to servanthood requires us to do as the Lord Jesus did: act humbly on behalf of our fellow man. When we successfully minister where we are called, new opportunities will open up and offer fresh challenges.

Every opportunity to bless others honors the Lord and increases a believer’s wisdom and stature before Him. Much of God’s work goes on where only He can see it. But our heavenly Father is always measuring His children for future service. He’s gauging how much closer we are to His goal for us and what new task will draw us even closer.

God calls each believer to a life of service, just as He called Paul, Peter and James. This should be an exciting prospect. But too many people get hung up believing they can’t be “as good” as the apostles of old or the preachers and missionaries of today. A popular idea in the church is that the Lord’s servants are only those doing full-time ministry. Everyone else is simply trying to live well. Nothing could be further from the truth. From God’s perspective, you and I are the same as Paul, Peter, and James: servants with important kingdom work to do.

Some kingdom jobs look more important than others. But that’s only because we evaluate them with human eyes. Every work that advances the Gospel or serves a need is valuable—from cleaning the church or preaching to evangelizing or recording a praise album.

Everyone can’t be on a foreign mission field. But we can all share the gospel with a neighbor. Some people can sing in the choir. Others can put a dollar in the hand of homeless man. God invites us to do His work in the world, whether the task is great or small. We accomplish it by serving our fellow man. Ask Him what He would have you do.

Whatever your calling, remember… spiritual growth impacts our fruitfulness. The longer we’ve been believers, the greater our service should be. That does not mean tasks will be highly visible. Satan tries to convince people that some jobs are trivial. But the moment a believer falls for that lie, growth is stunted. God will promote those who put forth the best effort, no matter what the task is.

 

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – He Gives Good Gifts

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dr_bright

“And you hardhearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask Him for them?” (Matthew 7:11).

“Daddy, we love you and want to do only that which pleases you.” Do you know what I would do if my sons expressed their love for me and their trust in me in this way?

“I love you, too,” I would tell them, as I put my arms around them and gave them a big hug. “I appreciate your offer to do anything I want. Your expression of love and faith is the greatest gift you can give me.”

As a result, I am all the more sensitive and diligent to demonstrate my love and concern for them.

Is God any less loving and concerned for His children? Of course not. He has proven over and over again that He is a loving God. He is worthy of our trust. Further, He has the wisdom and power to do for us far more than we ever are able to do for our children.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those that ask Him?” (Matthew 7:11 NAS).

By our attitudes and actions, most of us say to God, “I don’t love You. I don’t trust You.”

Can you think of anything that would hurt you more deeply, coming from your children? The average Christian is a practical atheist living as though God does not exist. Even though we give lip service to Him, we often refuse to trust and obey His promises as recorded in His Word.

Bible Reading: Matthew 7:7-11

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that God wants to give me a supernatural, abundant life, I will trust and obey Him today in all that I do.

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Our Daily Bread — Tender Loving Care

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Our Daily Bread

1 Thessalonians 2:1-7

We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. —1 Thessalonians 2:7

Max runs a small farm as a hobby. Recently when he checked on the cows he is raising, he was surprised to see a newborn calf! When he bought the cattle, he had no idea one was pregnant. Sadly, the mother cow had complications and died shortly after her calf was born. Immediately, Max purchased some powdered milk so he could feed the calf from a bottle. “The calf thinks I’m its mother!” Max said.

The tender story of Max’s new role with the calf reminded me of how Paul likened himself to a caring mother in dealing with the believers at Thessalonica: “We were gentle among you,” he said, “just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children” (1 Thess. 2:7).

Paul adopted a nurturing attitude when teaching people. He knew believers needed the “milk of the word” for spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:2). But he also gave special attention to the concerns of those he cared for. “We dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,” Paul said, “encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God” (1 Thess. 2:11-12 NIV).

As we serve each other, may we serve with the tender loving care of our Savior, encouraging each other in our spiritual journey (Heb. 10:24). —Dennis Fisher

Dear Lord, help me to be sensitive

and caring as I serve others.

Help me to love others tenderly as You

so tenderly love and care for me.

God pours His love into our hearts to flow out to others’ lives.

Bible in a year: Job 25-27; Acts 12

Insight

Because of the severity of Paul’s words in battling false teachings and correcting sinful conduct, he often comes across as devoid of tenderness, gentleness, or compassion (1 Cor. 16:22; Gal. 1:8-9; Phil. 3:2; 2 Tim. 4:14-15; Titus 3:10). But there is a gentle and tender side of Paul that is equally evident in his letters (1 Cor. 2:3; 2 Cor. 10:1; Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:24-25). In 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8, Paul shows parental qualities such as gentleness and love. In verses 11-12, he encourages and comforts his spiritual children, urging them to live holy lives.

Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg – Open Adoption

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Alistair Begg

We wait eagerly for adoption as sons. Romans 8:23

Even in this world saints are God’s children, but the only way that people will discover this is by certain moral characteristics. The adoption is not displayed; the children are not yet openly declared. Among the Romans a man might adopt a child and keep it private for a long time; but there was a second adoption in public; when the child was brought before the constituted authorities, its old clothes were removed, and the father who took it to be his child gave it clothing suitable to its new status in life. “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared.”1 We are not yet clothed in the apparel of heaven’s royal family; we are wearing in this flesh and blood just what we wore as the children of Adam. But we know that “when he appears” who is “the firstborn among many brothers,”2 we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

Can’t you imagine that a child taken from the lowest ranks of society and adopted by a Roman senator would say to himself, “I long for the day when I shall be publicly adopted. Then I shall discard these poor clothes and be dressed in clothes that depict my senatorial rank”? Glad for what he has already received, he still groans until he gets the fullness of what has been promised to him. So it is with us today. We are waiting until we put on our proper clothes and are declared as the children of God for all to see. We are young nobles and have not yet worn our crowns. We are young brides, and the marriage day has not arrived, but our fiancée’s love for us leads us to long and sigh for the bridal morning. Our very happiness makes us long for more; our joy, like a swollen stream, longs to spring up like a fountain, leaping to the skies, heaving and groaning within our spirit for lack of space and room by which to reveal itself to men.

11 John 3:2 2Romans 8:29

Devotional material is taken from “Morning and Evening,” written by C.H. Spurgeon, revised and updated by Alistair Begg.

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The family reading plan for June 20, 2014 * Isaiah 55 * Matthew 3

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — Teaching By Example

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Our Daily Bread

Ephesians 6:1-11

Bring [your children] up in the training and admonition of the Lord. —Ephesians 6:4

While waiting for an eye examination, I was struck by a statement I saw in the optometrist’s office: “Eighty percent of everything children learn in their first 12 years is through their eyes.” I began thinking of all that children visually process through reading, television, film, events, surroundings, and observing the behavior of others, especially their families. On this Father’s Day, we often think about the powerful influence of a dad.

Paul urged fathers not to frustrate their children to the point of anger, but to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Think of the powerful example of a dad whose behavior and consistency inspire admiration from his children. He’s not perfect, but he’s moving in the right direction. A great power for good is at work when our actions reflect the character of God, rather than distort it.

That’s challenging for any parent, so it’s no coincidence that Paul urges us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (v.10). Only through His strength can we reflect the love and patience of our heavenly Father.

We teach our children far more from how we live than by what we say. —David McCasland

Heavenly Father, I need to know Your love

in order to love others. I want to experience

and share Your patience and kindness with

those I care about. Fill me and use me.

We honor fathers who not only gave us life, but who also show us how to live.

Bible in a year: Nehemiah 1-3; Acts 2:1-21

Insight

In today’s reading, Paul writes of two of the most basic human relationships: parent-child (6:1-4) and employer-employee (6:5-9). The parent-child relationship is particularly sacred. The fifth commandment to honor parents is the only one of the Ten Commandments with a special blessing attached for those who observe it (Ex. 20:12; Eph. 6:2-3). On the other hand, ancient Israelites who physically or verbally abused their parents were put to death (Ex. 21:15,17; Lev. 20:9).

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Growing in Servanthood

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Charles Stanley

Kids love to show off their height. They eagerly anticipate being tall enough to do all the things their short stature currently prevents. Many parents record and celebrate their children’s growth. They follow the tradition of marking heights on a doorframe.

God the Father also measures His children’s growth. He delights in seeing us reach new levels of spiritual maturity so we can accept greater responsibility. Because a new believer is like a little child in faith, his or her kingdom tasks are, at first, light. God is beginning the transformation process that will grow a saved human being into the image of Christ.

The call to servanthood requires us to do as the Lord Jesus did: act humbly on behalf of our fellow man. When we successfully minister where we are called, new opportunities will open up and offer fresh challenges.

Every opportunity to bless others honors the Lord and increases a believer’s wisdom and stature before Him. Much of God’s work goes on where only He can see it. But our heavenly Father is always measuring His children for future service. He’s gauging how much closer we are to His goal for us and what new task will draw us even closer.

God calls each believer to a life of service, just as He called Paul, Peter and James. This should be an exciting prospect. But too many people get hung up believing they can’t be “as good” as the apostles of old or the preachers and missionaries of today. A popular idea in the church is that the Lord’s servants are only those doing full-time ministry. Everyone else is simply trying to live well. Nothing could be further from the truth. From God’s perspective, you and I are the same as Paul, Peter, and James: servants with important kingdom work to do.

Some kingdom jobs look more important than others. But that’s only because we evaluate them with human eyes. Every work that advances the Gospel or serves a need is valuable—from cleaning the church or preaching to evangelizing or recording a praise album.

Everyone can’t be on a foreign mission field. But we can all share the gospel with a neighbor. Some people can sing in the choir. Others can put a dollar in the hand of homeless man. God invites us to do His work in the world, whether the task is great or small. We accomplish it by serving our fellow man. Ask Him what He would have you do.

Whatever your calling, remember… spiritual growth impacts our fruitfulness. The longer we’ve been believers, the greater our service should be. That does not mean tasks will be highly visible. Satan tries to convince people that some jobs are trivial. But the moment a believer falls for that lie, growth is stunted. God will promote those who put forth the best effort, no matter what the task is.

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – God Meets Our Needs

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“I have been young and now I am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves Him; nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry” (Psalm 37:25).

Tom had been a humble follower and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ from his youth. He had learned of our Lord at the family altar in his modest home. Through the urging of his father and mother, he mastered and memorized large portions of Scripture. By his teenage years he was preaching, and after a brief time of study in a Bible institute he became an evangelist. His work was largely in the smaller rural churches. His speech was never eloquent nor was he distinguished and cultured in his appearance and demeanor, but he was a man of God. wherever he went, hearts were strangely warmed as he spoke the truths concerning our wonderful Savior.

Now he had reached the ripe age of ninety. His hair was snow white and a bit long, but always neat. His ministry had covered over seventy years, and in that period he had come to know heartache, sorrow, adversity and poverty (especially during the depression years). He had performed many wedding ceremonies, had spent long nights at the bedside of the sick and had preached many funeral sermons. In obedience to his Lord, he had ministered to the widows and orphans, the poor and imprisoned. On this occasion, as he was coming to the climax of a rich and overflowing life, a radiant adventure with God – yes, the supernatural life – he reminisced. As he recalled some of the heartaches and tragedies, he said, “You know, not one single time in all my years have I seen the Lord forsake a man who loved Him, nor have I seen the children of the godly go hungry. Of course, I have seen Christians suffer, and I’ve been with them in their sorrow. But there’s something different about the life of the one who walks with God. There’s serenity, a peace. And then almost miraculously, while the ungodly go hungry, God meets the needs of His children as He promised.

“Yes,” he said in conclusion, “you can trust God and His Word. He never fails to keep His promise.”

Bible Reading: Psalm 37:26-34

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: Knowing that I can trust God to meet my every need no matter what happens, I shall seek first the kingdom of God. Through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, I will live a godly life, a supernatural life for the glory of my Savior, and I will tell others how faithful and trustworthy He is.

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Teaching Children to Focus on God

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 Charles Stanley

Listening to God is one of the most important skills we can ever acquire. When believers know how to hear Him, they become much less vulnerable to temptation. Early childhood is the ideal time for someone to learn how to focus on the Lord. If children don’t start this training as kids, it becomes more difficult as they go into their teen and young adult years.

Here are some practical ways to train your children to focus on God, an important step in learning to hear His voice.

Preschool Children

Encourage preschoolers to pray throughout the day. This will set a pattern of daily communication with the Lord. But because their attention spans are short—usually just one minute per year of life—guide them toward short prayers of gratitude. For example:

“Thank You, God, for the pretty flowers.”
“Thank You, God, for the yummy ice cream cone!”
“Thank You, God, for our family.”

Prayers like these lay a foundation of thankfulness to God as the wonderful Creator of good things. Philippians 4:6 reminds us, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (emphasis added). You will find that most preschoolers love to express thanks to God.

Find a good Bible geared to preschoolers, and read it to your children regularly. Kids love listening to stories and looking at pictures from an age-appropriate, well-written Bible storybook. For ages 1-3, try The Beginner’s Bible, and for older pre-schoolers, try The Jesus Storybook Bible. Once your children are past the book-tearing phase, you can let them look at the pictures and “read” the Bible on their own. A good children’s Bible will help them develop a love for God’s Word.

 

Elementary Students

Elementary school kids should also have their own copy of the Scriptures. Look for a children’s Bible in an easy-to-comprehend translation designed for elementary students. (NIV Adventure Bible is a great resource.) Even before children become Christians, they can read the Word and ask God to help them understand it. You may want to guide your children to passages with clear application so they don’t get bogged down in difficult sections of Scripture.

Give them their own prayer journals. Then encourage them to ask God to help them understand a particular Bible passage and how to apply it to their lives. Have them write down anything God reveals. (But don’t expect too much—early
elementary students might write just one to three sentences.)

When you pray with your child before bed, get on your knees with them. (Also let them “catch” you on your knees in prayer during your times alone with God.) Kneeling helps us concentrate on Him and hear Him better, and is one way we can demonstrate humility before the Lord.

Encourage kids to write down some of their prayers. Have them begin with simply keeping a list of requests and the ways God answers. As children mature, you can encourage them to write out their prayers as letters to the Lord.

Last, don’t forget to pray for your children as they begin the life-long journey of listening to God’s voice. It’s not always easy to focus on the Father’s message to us, but it is definitely worth the effort!

Related Resources

Ravi Zacharias

Ravi Zacharias Ministry – Faces in the Light

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Master photographer Edward Steichen once remarked that the mission of photography is to explain human to human and each to him or herself—a mission he found at once both complicated and naïve, but worth fumbling toward. “Every other artist begins with a blank canvas, a piece of paper,” notes Steichen. “The photographer begins with the finished product.” It is a thought befitting of a scene from 2001, when the who’s who of the country’s finest photographers volunteered their time for such a mission. What they discovered is that when the “finished products” are the faces of children in foster care systems across the country, photography can offer the chance of new life.

Diane Granito is the founder of the Heart Gallery, a unique program that uses photography to help find homes for older foster children, sibling groups, and other children who are traditionally difficult to place with families.(1) The program started in New Mexico in 2001 at the suggestion of a local photographer. Space was then donated by a prominent gallery in the city, where more than 1,000 people came opening night. The photos on exhibit were the end result of the photographers’ attempts to coax out the unique personalities in hundreds of children—a great contrast to the typical photos attached to a child’s file. “They look like mug shots,” said one of the photographers of the typical case photos. “This is an opportunity to just portray them as kids in their environments,” said another involved. “We’re treating this as a living, breathing project.”

Since its inception, the Santa Fe project has inspired 120 more Heart Galleries across the United States. In some places, the adoption rate after an exhibit is more than double the nationwide rate of adoption from foster care.  Such photography earns a description worthy of its roots: the word in Greek means “to write in light.”

Those who work to find foster children adoptive families are used to rubbing up against the public perception that most foster children have serious emotional and behavioral problems. Sometimes, though not always, it is an accurate perception. And a picture offered in a different light does not change the child it portrays. But an image of a troubled child at play does offer the accurate light of hope.

We all have many faces that could be portrayed to the world. If the pictures that represented us to the world were pictures that showed our worst sides, I wonder how different the circles of people around us would be. There are definitely certain faces I would prefer not to have captured in a photograph and placed in my file. While those close to me have by now seen me in many kinds of light, it is frightening to imagine my adoption being contingent on any one of them. And yet, for the Christian, this is precisely the story we tell. Our adoption as God’s own was completed as we stood in the worst of all possible lights. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). That is to say, as Christ died for the sins of the world, he held dear even the pictures of us at our worst.

While imprisoned for his attempts to stand again Adolf Hitler, Dietrich Bonhoeffer struggled with the many reflections of his own life. As a seminary instructor he was considered a saint and a giant. In America they made him feel like an escapist. In prison they made him feel like a criminal. There were days when he saw himself as all three and all the stages in between. It was in such a convolution of images that he asked:

“Who am I?

This or the other?

Am I one person today, and tomorrow another?

Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,

And before myself a contemptible woebegone weakling?

Or is something within me still like a beaten army,

Fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Who am I? They mock me,

these lonely questions of mine.

Whoever I am, Thou knowest, O God, I am Thine.”(2)

In the Christian story, our adoption by God is our identity. It is the picture we hold as children until the day when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, and God will wipe every tear from our eyes. And neither death nor life, nor anything else in all creation, can separate us from this love of God that is in Christ.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) See http://www.heartgalleryofamerica.org/.

(2) Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison (New York: Touchstone, 2001), 348.

 

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Teaching Children to Serve the Lord

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Charles Stanley

God wants us to live strong lives of serving others for Him while we live on this earth. How can your family show love to people in your neighborhood? Children enjoy sharing happiness with others and including them in your plans for ministry is a sure way to ramp up their excitement about serving God.

Here are a few simple ideas to get you started:

  • Bake and take cookies to new neighbors you notice have recently moved in nearby.
  • Share a pot full of warm soup (and all the fixings) with an elderly neighbor who has a difficult time getting out of her home.
  • Offer to pick up pinecones or leaves from the yard of a single mother who lives near you.
  • Babysit free of charge for a young couple this week who may not have the financial ability to go out very often. If your children are close in age, this could naturally become a play date for the kids.

Psalm 100:2 reminds us to, “Serve the Lord with gladness.” That’s a Bible verse that your children can easily remember as you guide them in serving God in fun ways this week.

 

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