Planting His Word in the Hearts of our Children

Today’s Scripture Focus: Proverbs 4:10-27

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.
11 I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.

14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

16 For they cannot sleep till they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make
someone fall.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the
full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them
stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

24 Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.
27 Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Prayer for the day:

Father, cover my descendants in the wisdom of your guidance. Plant flowing canals in their hearts to receive the minerals of the lessons you teach. Keep their eyes focused on the richness of your word so their households reflect the nature of their purpose in you, so the covering of my ancestry revealed to me through my parents, in obedience to you blanket their being until we are all no more, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today’s Scripture Message:

Thinking of the gospel song that says “I had a praying grandmother” and really understanding how pivotal the faithfulness of my family in obedience to the Word of God was in the construction of my acceptance and knowledge of the importance of life & presence of God in our home. My grandmother was a veiled, prayerful woman with a quiet conservative manner, but a pointed, decisive one, but the one thing that really stuck out in my mind was remembering my grandfather always introducing himself in this manner, no matter what setting “I am John Gilbert Yates & I am a born again Christian”. When I was a child, I thought this was grandpa being annoying…as an adult my understanding has evolved to the fact that Christ was as great an identifier to who my grandfather was, as his birth name and there was no break in the consistency of his introduction of himself no matter where he was, there was no shame in the workplace to state “I am a born again Christian”, there was no thrust to “separate” Church from state when in his kingdom the Church is the state of the union. His kingdom is “on earth as it is in heaven”, there is no separation.

Thought for the Day:

“I know that my unity with all people cannot be destroyed by national boundaries and government orders.” Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy

Goal for the Day:

Pass along the knowledge and wisdom of your father that it is always present in the hearts and minds of those who live on after you.