Encouragement . . . for the Journey
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."  1 Timothy 4:12

Investing in your kids . . .
Read a great devotion this morning about investing in our kids.  The writer talked about investing in our kids education, their athletic ability, their musical talents, etc.  All are good things to invest in, but then she asked the question, "what about training them spiritually?"
As Christian parents, we have the awesome privilege of introducing our kids to the perfect parent, God Himself.  Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says, "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 sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."   Always look for teacheable moments.

I remember when our youngest son was little, we would take "joy" walks in the neighborhood, seizing this opportunity to talk about God our Creator.  Simply put, as we walked we looked for things God had made and then we talked about them.  Great thing to do with older kids as well.  We can all benefit by being reminded of our great, Creator God.  As you're driving and see someone homeless, teach your kids to pray for them.  Pray for policemen, firefighters, walkers and joggers, etc.  You get the picture.  Have age appropriate family devotion/prayer time, choosing the best time for your individual family.  Pray with your kids before they go to school.  Take that extra 30 seconds ~ believe me it will have a great effect on their day. They might not thank you now, but they will later.  Trust me on this one. :)   

Training kids to know God through prayer, reading His Word, singing songs that reflect His glory will have an incredible impact on their lives and ours as well.   

Turn 1 Timothy 4:12 into a daily prayer for kids of all ages:

Lord , , ,
Please keep anyone from looking down on ______________________ today because of his/her age.  Faithful God help them to set an example for those who are believers and non-believers in the way they talk (Ephesians 4:29-30, 5:4), in the way they live their life (Ephesians 5:15, Proverbs 3:5-6), in the way they show Christ's love (1 Corinthians 13:4-7), in faith (Colossians 2:6-7) and in purity (Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:1-2, 5, 17).
In the strong name of Jesus, amen!!!

Encouragement . . . for the Journey

Squandering God's Blessings

This morning I was reading from Luke 15:11-32, one of the most recognizable parables in the Bible ~ the parable of the prodigal son. Some of you are saying, oh wow, I love that story!!! Others of you are yawning and saying, oh yeah, I've heard that a zillion times. But have you ever thought that our actions and reactions have been or are much like that of the prodigal son or even his older brother? Both received blessings they didn't earn, both looked at them with their own interests in mind. Both squandered and missed the beauty of these blessings in the way their father chose to distribute them.

All of us can squander and miss God's blessings in the way He wants to distribute them, because we want what we want and we want it NOW!!!  We want a life of ease ~ everything handed to us on silver platter ~ no work ~ no worries ~ immediate self gratification. It's what we deserve isn't it???   NO, not all. I love what Psalm 103:8-10 says, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor anger forever; He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” When we receive Christ as our Savior, we are immediately assured of His spiritual blessings. Blessings we didn't earn; blessings that come from a compassionate, loving Father who only wants the best for His children, just like the father in Luke 15 wanted for his sons.

Both sons had the same father; both had the same privileges and blessings afforded them as a result of being born into that family. When we were first introduced to the older son, he was seemingly content to wait to receive his share of the blessings. The younger son wasn't. He wanted his share and he wanted it NOW!!!   If I was telling this story to my grand-kids, at this point, I would ask them who was this guy thinking about? All of them would shout, “HE WAS THINKING ABOUT HIMSELF!!!” Of course, he was only thinking of himself. How often do we do the same thing??? We want what we want and we want it NOW!!!

The younger son, after asking for his inheritance, leaves all that is familiar, thinking that he knows what's best for his life. He goes as far away from his family as his money will allow, squanders it all and is left bankrupt. Penniless, hungry and utterly dejected, Luke 15:17 says, “When he came to his senses,” he headed for home. He was weak and vulnerable and had no way of knowing how his father would respond, nevertheless, he went.

Little did he know, he had nothing to worry about. His father was watching for him. Can you just imagine how often the father had looked in the distance to see if his son was coming home? When he finally saw this one, who had left, returning, Luke 15:20 says, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Stop and picture this amazing display of compassion and incredible fatherly love, not to mention the huge bear hug these two gave each other. Not only did his father compassionately embrace him, he told his servants to prepare a feast and what a feast it was ~ like none they had ever prepared before. They pulled out all the stops.

But just as the party was ready to begin, in walks the older brother. Now you would think, like his dad he would welcome his brother, but that's not what happened. Instead the green eyed monster of jealousy reared it's ugly head. Angry to the max, he exploded and let his dad have it. Now once again I would ask my grand-kids the same question, who was he thinking about?, “HIMSELF!!!” would be their reply. And again they would be right. There was no compassion here, no display of brotherly love. What it did reveal was what was inside his heart all along. That jealous heart didn't just occur. It had been festering for some time. Because of this, he truly wasn't experiencing the blessings that were his from his dad. He was too consumed with his own selfish desires to enjoy them.

Just like these two sons, sooner or later our sinful hearts are revealed. The sin that was there all along, festering and ready to explode. What is God showing you about your own heart condition? Which son is your life most like? How would others characterize your life, your actions, your words, your reactions when you don't receive what you think you deserve or when you think you deserve it?

Sin is packaged in such beautiful wrappings or should I say trappings. “Sin comes as a friend to entice you and then becomes a master to enslave you. Sin puts a wall between you and those who can help you, but it builds a bridge between you and those who want to exploit you and hurt you.” (Warren Wiersbe, From the Word) Can you just imagine how exploited the prodigal son felt, after trying life his own way and the older brother humiliated by jealousy that robbed him of the joy he should have been feeling toward his brother?

So my question to all of us is, are we squandering God's blessings by self-centeredness or are we receiving all He wants to lavish on us as we walk in obedience to His perfect ways. Remember His boundary lines for us have fallen in pleasant places ~ a place of security and complete rest and a place that will always bring Him glory.

The boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

Psalm 16:6

I would encourage you to read Luke 15:11-32 three times ~ first from the younger son's perspective, second from the older brother's perspective, then from the Father's perspective. Which person's values do you reflect? If your answer is either one of the sons, then seek the Father's watching face, ask for His forgiveness and move forward with Him. Know that when we confess our sins:
~ God forgives – John 1:29
~ God forgets them – Hebrews 10:17

~ God blots them out – Isaiah 42:25
~ God pardons them – Isaiah 44:22
~ God buries them in the depths of the sea – Micah 7:19