Reflection on Genesis 21:1–7
Why did
God wait until Abraham was a hundred years old before giving him a son? If
Sarah was childless because she was unable to conceive, why not give her a
child earlier in life when she had greater physical capacity to care for him?
God’s
miracles are often timed specifically to validate a message that he has spoken
or to build faith in his people. God went out of his way to demonstrate to
Abraham and Sarah that indeed he was going to make Abraham into a great nation,
and it would not be merely through good luck or natural circumstances. The
building of this nation would be God’s doing. He made it exceedingly clear from
beginning to end that this was his work, not Abraham’s or Sarah’s. And in the
process, he established Abraham as Scripture’s great example of faith.
THE SEDUCTION OF OUR
CHILDREN
Ephesians 6:4
Bring them [your
children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord
What
are parents, Sunday school teachers, youth workers, and pastors to do in the
face of Satan's assault on the minds of our children? Let's begin by stating
what we can't do.
First,
we can't bury our heads in the sand. This is not the time to respond in denial
or claim that our Christian kids are immune to this kind of problem. Satan's
seductive activities are aimed at destroying the church at its point of
greatest vulnerability: the family. The enemy is after Christian families in
general and the families of Christian leaders in particular. Half of all my
counseling regarding demonic influence has been with Christian leaders and
their families.
Second,
we can't run in fear. Remember: Thanks to the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, Satan is a defeated foe. The war against the seduction of our children
is a winnable war. If we retreat instead of advance, we forfeit ground to the
enemy that doesn't belong to him. We must exert our authority in Jesus Christ
and claim His victory in the lives of our children.
How
can we do that?
First,
we must become aware of the spiritual nature of the world we live in. Our
children are growing up in a seductive world. Many of the things that surround
them are subtly influenced by the New Age Movement, the occult, and Satanism.
Second,
we need to understand how parents and parenting styles can either assist or
block the resolution of a child's spiritual conflicts. If a child comes from a
dysfunctional home, it's rather pointless to deal with his problem only to send
him back into the home that caused the problem in the first place.
Third,
we need definite strategies for protecting our children from spiritual assault
and helping them resolve their spiritual conflicts. This is a winnable war, and
it is a war we must win for the sake of our kids and the cause of Christ.
Prayer: Dear Father,
keep me alert to spiritual opposition and bondage in my children, and equip me
to assist them in appropriating Your freedom.
source:
No comments:
Post a Comment