Luke 2:22-38
“… Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord…”- Luke 2:22
A small humble home in Nazareth-a poor old village in Galilee, tells the divine story of two godly parents. This is where the beloved Son of God the Father was brought up and nurtured for His divine purpose on this earth. A close look at the story of this little family gives us greater wisdom in bringing up our children in this crooked and perverse generation. Our key verse speaks of the parents bringing their first born to be dedicated to the Lord. Then Vs. 40 says “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” What a complete picture of the result of the good efforts done by the godly parents! What a great achievement by these humble parents!
How are we? Can we be called godly parents? Let us take some advice from these godly parents.
In today's meditation we get the following practical wisdom in bringing up our offspring.
Godly Parents bring up godly children:
Joseph and Mary obeyed God in everything regarding bringing up the child.
Conceived according to God's will-Luke 1:31
Named as per God's direction-Luke 2:21
Submitted to God-Luke 2:22
Consecrated and set apart as holy to God-Luke 2:23
Provided for the safety of the child-Mathew 2:13-14
God's Word & Prophecy:
Joseph and Mary regarded every prophecy told about the child
Mary treasured up everything in her heart -Luke 2:19
Father and Mother marveled at everything told about the child- Luke 2:33
Ready to bear difficulty for the way in which God was leading the child. Luke 2:35
When we are ready to listen and obey God and bear difficulty for the sake of raising up our children, we will surely reap the benefit of having spiritually strong children, who have found favor with God.
We are often guided by the realities of the world that is surrounding us. Every child born into this world is carrying the fallen nature. We need to work according to godly pattern to bring them up to the ways of eternity. To do this we need to have the right focus. Our focus should be in impacting the heart of the little ones- catch them young! We may miss the mark if we overly focus to feed to their senses and to their mind. When we capture the attention of their heart, we have won half the battle. Lay the foundation of God’s Word and His principles in the home. This can happen only with due diligence and true self-sacrificing love, which includes us being patterned according to God's word, battling against every spiritual forces that try to destroy the children etc.
Is your home a place of love where your children are raised in the reverent fear of the Lord? Have you received God’s vision of your children so that you are praying for them to see it fulfilled in their lives? Let us not look at the godless world for bringing up our next generation instead look to God and His word for getting guidance and providence for bringing up our children in a godly manner.
Prayer: Dear Father we look to You for real guidance in bringing up our next generation who will be strong spiritually and favored by You. Amen
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