Babies are a Gift…except at 3 a.m.!

So you are going to be a new mom or dad. What are you thinking about as you now recognize this new idea?

Judges 13  We love seeing and cooing and holding a newborn but at 3 a.m. when the wee one is screaming and you can’t determine what is wrong you find yourself wondering where is the manual to answer all of your questions.  Forward-thinking Manoah, a godly Danite, heard the news that Mrs. Manoah would soon give him a son. He didn’t question the answer but set out to get help to raise this miracle soon to be born.

Wisely Manoah didn’t go to the nearest library or the nearest midwife but to God alone. He prayed that God would return the messenger so he could ask about the manual he could read ahead of time. He wanted to know how they should raise this child. God answered this godly soon-to-be parent with this counsel:  Follow what I told your wife the first time.  At this point, we want to give a high five to Mrs. Mom! She had repeated what the messenger had said but Mr. Dad needed to hear it straight. This child is to be a Nazirite from birth and therefore she is to live a Nazirite life as well. That meant no wine, no grape juice, no raisins, and no hair cuts! He is to be dedicated to God from birth until the day he dies.

Like many new-to-be parents, Mr. and Mrs. Manoah most likely followed the angel’s words to the letter: “Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” [Pro 22:6] So as we read on in the story we can understand their perplexed state because Samson did not “follow the rules.” Like many today who parent a child who lives and moves outside the mainstream, they begin to wonder if they had done something wrong since Samson lived a less than illustrious life. Yet, even as Samson seemed a failure in his parent’s eyes, we find in the next chapter these words:

Now his father and mother did not realize this was the Lord’s doing.

Instead, God would use him as the first of several judges to begin to deliver the Israelites from the Philistines.

Take a lesson from Manoah; seek God’s direction, obey the word of the Lord, but mostly don’t give up on your children. God may be using them as He used Samson, even though we don’t understand the how or the why.

Parenting is a tough road. Study Proverbs and Psalm 78 for more answers when you are tearing your hair out. Keep on your knees for your children 24/7 so you can hear “well done thou good and faithful servant.” Like Manoah seek God’s direction on “how to raise this child.” Judges 13:8!

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To Our Children….Ps 78

In Matt 25 we sat at the feet of Jesus as he answered the disciple’s questions. We listened as he taught through 2 powerful parables about the eternal consequences of being faithful or being faithless. This is the same point that Asaph makes in Ps 78. He reminds his listeners that the source of being faithful begins early with a grateful heart, teaching the young to be grateful to God for all He has done, grateful to God for who He is.

Asaph says this where we have gone astray. We have not heeded Deut 6 about the Word being taught while sitting, standing and walking. In addition, Asaph says we must resurrect the age old mantra: listen, heed, and incline your ears. But, we do not… instead we talk, talk talk and we escalate our words and the volume until the children just turn us off.  Asaph said if we want to be wise and learn we must go back to the past and resurrect the real way it is to be done. And then he adds: he who would be wise will observe and learn.

Let me once again remind you, or so Asaph says, “I will “begin at the beginning” and make insightful observations about the past.” First, avoid the mistakes of your ancestors who were stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful. Secondly, you parents, teachers etc, why are you not teaching doctrine and lessons you have learned to this generation? You must begin to teach them to honor and praise the Lord. Thirdly, a key point ! Share about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, about his strength and the amazing things he has done. Too often we get caught up in the stories but forget to show how God was the orchestrator and the conductor as he rehearsed his musical creation. We fail to teach the children the names of God and His attributes.

Why is this so needed? In vs 6-7 Asaph says “so that the next generation, children yet to be born, might know about them. They will grow up and tell their descendants about them. Then they will place their confidence in God. They will not forget the works of God, and they will obey his commands.” This is how they will grow and mature into faithful followers of our Master. To neglect these principles is to leave children drifting and heading into faithlessness.

Our mandate is to carry that message to this generation and the next and the next and the next. This year I stepped up and taught 1st graders in VBS and soon will work  in Good News Club at a local elementary school. So here’s my question to you:

Where are you fulfilling this mandate in your home, church or wherever God has planted you?