DEVOTIONAL INSIGHTS & REFLECTIONS

Follow Him - January 2

Good morning! This second day of the New Year, God is reminding us to follow Him, and to teach our children and grandchildren to follow Him.

Let's take a look at Abraham... When God called Abraham out, Abraham obeyed God and moved his entire household in faith and obedience----at the same time, not knowing specifically where God would have him go. (See Genesis 12:1 and Hebrews 11:8.)

When Jesus was born, He had to be trained in the things of God. He who is fully God and man, the God of all creation, had to be taught by His earthly parents. Jesus studied the Torah under the tutelage of Father God as well as His earthly parents, Mary and Joseph.

The bible promises, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) The bible presupposes that we will also live right and, therefore, be good role models.

For hypocrisy sends mixed messages saying, "Do what I say, don't do as I do," and we certainly don't want to teach our children to be hypocrites.

Yet there is always room for confession of sin, repentance and restoration with God; and our children and grandchildren will watch us walk that out as well. Jesus paved the way for cleansing and forgiveness by shedding His own blood, being crucified in our stead.

…Instead, those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, He said: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for me.…" ~Hebrews 10:3-5

The law was given to show us that in and of ourselves we cannot keep the law. We need God's help to do what is right and just in all our affairs... and so do our children.

So we live for God and follow him as Abraham did "not knowing where He will take us." Thus we demonstrate a life in submission to God for all the world to see, including our children, teaching them through the bumps and bruises, the joys and the sorrows of life.

Even as our children become adults, we continue to be there for them, guiding without meddling---living a "real" life in submission to God; and they continue to watch us.