Children

​If love was a waterfall one would be thoroughly drenched by the Ferraros.  In a small town in Illinois, this family radiates what happens when God permeates a household. What strikes me most about them is their commitment to live simply so as to give as generously as possible to support Christians on the frontlines for their faith-men and women who serve in organizations like Gospel For Asia and Voice of Martyrs.

John and Beth eloquently teach their six young children the joy that comes from obediently following God. Their pure delight in seeking to be “living sacrifices” is both contagious and heart-warming for they have learned a secret most adults struggle to understand-all we have is God's and should be used for His glory!
 
Meditation
Deuteronomy 4:10--The day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, “Assemble the people before Me, and I will let them hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth and may instruct their children.”
 
Do you suspect kids grasp far more conceptually than we often give them credit? What they understand is hinged upon what we do in our daily living.  If we want our children to grow up loving God then we must love God.  For example, parents who drop off their children at church while they go home to engage in leisurely activity on Sunday morning send a clear message-God is important until you become an adult.

I can explain to my children why it honors God to speak kindly, but they must see me in the heat of emotion control my tongue. I can pray in their presence for the homeless or sick but leave them ambivalent towards the plight of others by acting as though prayer absolves me of taking further action.  Meanwhile what money is spent monthly for cable, videos, games and other pursuits that rob the mind of fervor, poison the spirit and steal from their hearts the joy of serving Christ by ministering to others?
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Jesus called the children to Himself because they mattered not so He could win some election. We dare not forsake our responsibility to teach our children! They are an investment in life. What excuse might we offer to our Heavenly Father as to why we passed off our children to others and neglected their spiritual growth for our own pursuits?  Better yet, what stories will we have to share of how God demonstrated His awesome power through the lives of young devoted ones, ones pleasing to Him because we obeyed His word and modeled what it means to be disciples!
 
Inspiration
The teacher who succeeds best with children is the one who does things before them; it is no use teaching children abstract stuff.—Oswald Chambers in The Moral Foundations of Life
 
©2000 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)