God’s Organizational Skills

Matthew 1:17
“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.”

We often overlook one of the greatest qualities of God, and that quality is His ability to organize. There should be no doubt that God is the greatest organizer of all time. When you look at how God organized this world in creation, you can easily see that He is a great organizer. When you look at how detailed and intricate the body is, you certainly see God’s organizational skills. The verse above, shows how organized God is by dividing generations into sets of fourteen. You should never miss that this is one of God’s great skills.

What is sad is how often we run to man to learn organizational skills when the Scriptures are filled with techniques on how to organize. No matter who you are and what you do in life, you need to acquire organizational skills so that you can be the best Christian that you can be. Let me show you some of the things that make God such a skilled organizer.

First, God plans ahead. You must realize from the verse above that God had each of the generations planned before they existed. This was no mistake by God. This was prophesied in the Old Testament. Planning ahead is one of the greatest ways to organize. A home needs to be organized. A life needs to be organized. A church needs to be organized. A business needs to be organized. Anything that is going to be successful must be organized. If you wait until the last minute to do most things, then you are going to find that you are limiting your potential. Planning ahead means that you must stop and think about what needs to be done, and then plan when you are going to do them. If you don’t learn to plan ahead, then you are going to find disorganization in whatever you do.

Second, God keeps records. It’s interesting that God had a record of each generation. Keeping records will help you organize. You will never know what you need to plan until you have records of what you do. Do you really know what you do on an annual basis? Most people have a hard time planning their day, much less their year. Organizing will only be successful if you have records of what you do and how successful you are at doing those things.

Third, God organized by categorizing. It’s interesting that God had three categories in the verse above. You must learn to categorize your organization. For instance, your life can be categorized in personal, family, spiritual and professional. Each of these areas must be planned. Furthermore, each of these categories should be planned according to day, month, quarter and year. Organizing your life in each of these categories will help you to accomplish more.

God is a skilled organizer. If God sees the importance of organizing, then you should strive to be organized. If organization is of God, then disorganization is of the Devil. Don’t be guilty of following the Devil’s plan, but follow God’s plan of organizing so that you can accomplish what God wants you to accomplish in every category of life.

Yet Now

Haggai 2:4
“Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:”

Israel had experienced God’s judgment. The house of God had been rebuilt, but those who had seen it before looked at it with sorrow. They remembered the first temple that Solomon built. They remembered its magnificence and grandeur. Yet, as they looked at the current temple, they could only regret the price of sin. God even asked them in verse 3, “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?” God understood their feeling of regret.

The good thing is that the story does not stop there. As soon as God reminded them of what their sin caused, He said, “Yet now…” Those two words may be two of the greatest words a person could read. Though God judged Israel, He was not done with them. Though sin’s result was a terrible price, God was still going to be among them and use them to do more works for Him.

Has sin caused you to pay a terrible price? Sin is certainly one of the biggest liars for it never tells you what you will feel like the next day. Yes, the day of sin may be pleasurable, but the next day will come and the feeling of dirtiness and regret will set in. Yet, let me assure you that God is not done with you if you have gotten right with Him. Let me show you a few things God reminds the repentant sinner.

First, God says to be strong. Notice that God said, “Yet now be strong,…” Friend, sin will always take your strength away, but God is reminding you that He still has strength for you today. You may feel that sin has left you weak, and it will, but God still has strength for you to help you serve Him. You don’t need to wallow in the depths of regret. It’s time you pick yourself up and decide to do something again for God. That is what God is trying to get across when He says, “…be strong.” Don’t let sin keep you down; instead, be strong and pick yourself up and start serving God again.

Second, God is not done with you. Notice why God told them to be strong was so they would “work.” God still had things He could do with their lives. Likewise, God still has a work for you to do. Sin may tell you that God can never use you again, but He can. In spite of the Pharisees who would like to keep you down, God still has a work for you to do. What size that work is I don’t know, but He has something for you if you will get back up.

Third, God is still with you. What a comfort it is when God says, “…for I am with you.” Okay, sin makes you feel as if God is not there, but I promise you He is. He promised that He would never leave you, and He says that He is still “with you.” God has not given up on you and never will.

Take these words of encouragement and decide to do something for God. Just because you’ve sinned does not mean God is done with you. The Scriptures are filled with illustrations of people whom God used after sin. Yes, our goal is not to sin, but we will sin. When you have sinned, let these words of encouragement pick you up when sin tries to keep you down.

Delighting in God’s Word

Delighting-in-God's-Wordby: Bette Owens

“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalm 37:4

It is impossible to separate the Lord from His Word. To delight is to have pleasure, satisfaction and great enjoyment. Have you ever been around someone and all they talk about is their grandchildren? There is something about my grandchildren or any new baby that brings me delight. It is natural for women to delight in a newborn or being able to spend time with the grandchildren. We let nothing interfere with that time, and if someone else needs us to do something, we are busy. The phone, a knock on the door, sometimes even our own husband is not allowed to interfere with those plans. We practically ignore everyone and everything for that special time. We wait anxiously to get the call that the new grand baby has arrived and we cannot wait to rush to the hospital, see pictures or hold that precious baby in our arms. We hold them and talk about who they look like and how cute they are. We cannot wait to tell others all about our new grand baby. Why? Because we delight in them.

Do you delight that much in God’s Word? Do you get so excited when reading God’s Word that you put everything and everyone else on hold? Have you ever been around someone and all they talk about is their grandchildren? Do people comment that all you talk about is God’s Word? Is He that important to you that you delight in His Word?

I was reading Psalm 119 and noticed that we ought to delight in God’s Word.

“I will delight myself in thy statutes…” Verse 16

“Thy testimonies also are my delight…” Verse 24

“…for therein do I delight.” Verse 35

“And I will delight myself in thy commandments…” Verse 47

“…but I delight in thy law.” Verse 70 

“…for thy law is my delight.” Verse 77

“Unless thy law had been my delights…” Verse 92

“…yet thy commandments are my delights.” Verse 143

“…and thy law is my delight.” Verse 174

As I was reading all those “delights,” I asked myself, how can I really “delight” in the Word? I mean, how do I do that? I marked the words in my Bible, making them stand out so they will catch my attention, but how do I really “delight” in God’ Word?

I think that first we need to have a desire or longing for It. Psalm 119:40, “Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.” Psalm 119:131, “I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.” Wow! Do we long for God’s Word so much that we open our mouth and pant for It? It’s someone holding a child’s favorite food in front of their mouth and they are sticking out their tongue trying to reach for it. I think if we really long for God’s Word, we will take time to reach out for It and read It everyday; maybe even more than once a day.

How about learning and memorizing God’s Word? Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Psalm 119:73, “Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.” If you really delight in something, you will learn all about it. You will know where you can find it, and you will know exactly what it looks like, tastes like and smells like; you will have it on your mind and will be mesmerized with it. Do you really delight in God’s Word? How well do you know It? How much time do you spend memorizing It? I don’t think we are ever too old to memorize God’s Word. God’s Word can comfort us as well as help us deal with temptation. Bible verses that we’ve learned will come to our minds and can help us with the many circumstances in our lives. The only way we can learn God’s Word is by studying It.

If you do not respect God’s Word by trusting It, you will not delight in God’s Word. Psalm 119:42, “So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word.” If you really want to delight in God’s Word then you need to cling to It, not as you would a teddy bear, but as you would a life preserver. There is nothing like trusting in God and respecting His Word.

If you love someone, you will delight in them. As my husband and I grow older we delight more and more in each other. I love just to sit and talk with him. It should be the same with the Word of God. If we love God, we are going to find delight in Him and His Word. Psalm 119:97, “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.” When you love someone, you will also keep your word or the promises you made to them. As the years go by, my husband and I continue to delight in each other because we continue to keep the promises and commitments we have made to each other. If we are not keeping our promises to what the Bible says, we cannot be delighting in It. Psalm 119:33, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.” We need to promise to keep God’s Word whether we agree with It or not, whether It is hard to follow, whether others agree or whether or not we feel like it.

If we are truly delighting in God’s Word, it will be a joy to us and we will rejoice in His Word. “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16)

Another way of delighting in the Word is to live by It. James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” If we are truly doers of God’s Word, then we will be sharing God’s Word. We share with others such things as sports, books, and TV shows, the deal we got, coupons, and yes, our grandchildren. We get so excited about these things and just have to tell our friends. Are we that excited about sharing God’s Word, which is so much more important? I think if we really delight in God’s Word, sharing It will be an outcome of that delight.

We can’t really even begin to delight in the Word unless we open It and read It. Just start reading God’s Word. Read Psalm 119 and mark all the verses that have “delight” in them. “How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103) I believe we all need to delight more in God’s Word. Are you delighting in the Word? If you really are delighting in God’s Word, you will read It, long for It, learn It, memorize It, share It, and rejoice in It. We all need to delight in God’s Word more.

Mrs. Bette Owens
Pastor’s wife
Westside Baptist Church
Pacifica, CA

Prerequisite for Leadership

Amos 7:15
“And the LORD took me as I followed the flock, and the LORD said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.”

My favorite president of the United States is President George Washington. By far, I believe he is the greatest president of all time. There is not a president who sacrificed more that George Washington. One of the things that caught my mind about him is that he did not want to be president. He was a general who led America to victory, and when they were deciding who should be the president, they thought that only George Washington could run this country. Their reasoning in choosing him was because he was already doing what it took to be president. Their choice did not disappoint them, and the reason he didn’t disappoint was because he was already doing what a president needed to do.

You will find that the reason America chose George Washington to be president is the same reason God chooses people to lead. It says in the verse above, “And the LORD took me as I followed the flock,…” God didn’t choose Amos because he wanted position, but God chose Amos because he was already doing what needed to be done. Amos wasn’t looking to be the next prophet of God, but God saw a young man who would fit that position because he was already doing something for God.

Oftentimes God allows us to discover leaders who are already doing what a leader is supposed to do. God chose Saul when he was looking for his father’s oxen. God chose David when he was caring for his father’s sheep. God chose Elisha when he was plowing in the field. The reason these choices worked so well was because these men did not feel they were entitled to their position. They were honored that God would call them, and when they took the position, they continued working like they worked before. God’s prerequisite for leadership is to do what you’re supposed to do before you acquire position.

Churches who are looking for a pastor would be wise to find a man who is already doing what it takes to be a pastor. Those men who lobby for the position of pastorate should be discarded. The greatest pastors are found, not in the résumé, but in the field of work.

Pastors would be wise to hire people who are already doing what it takes to fill a position. Many pastors make the mistake of hiring talent, when they need to look at those who are already doing what it takes to fill the leadership role. The greatest church leaders are not people who want the leadership role, but those who are a natural pick to fill that role, for they are already doing that role without the title.

When business owners are looking for someone to fill a leadership role, they would be wise to look for someone who is already doing what it takes to fulfill that position. I truly believe that business owners would be wise to fill leadership positions from within instead of trying to find someone on the outside. Just because someone doesn’t have the formal training that others may have, if they are already doing what it takes, their work habits will far outweigh the head knowledge of someone who won’t work.

If you are looking for a position, then let me challenge you to get busy doing what you are supposed to do. You may be surprised how you will be discovered if you will get busy. Stop sitting and waiting for position, and get busy doing what it takes to fill a position. Stop lobbying for a leadership position, and get busy doing what you’re supposed to do.

The greatest leaders are one’s who simply step over from the workforce into the leadership role. The only thing that will change is the title associate with their name. If you want God to use you then get busy!

Going Through the Motions

Joel 2:13
“And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

A disturbing trend happened in Israel, the trend was they performed all the spiritual events they were supposed to perform, but they became a ritual. Often, when they humbled themselves to God, they wore sackcloth. At times they would literally tear their garments off when they felt so convicted and humbled because of their sin. Sadly, these actions became a ritual. That is why God said, “And rend your heart, and not your garments,…” God did not want them going through the motions of getting right, but He preferred that their heart was truly torn over their sin. God was weary with the motions these people performed, and though their motions may have made them look good to their peers, God saw them and realized these people were merely going through the motions.

One of the biggest things you will have to guard against in your Christian life is that your Christianity doesn’t become a ritual. We can learn the Christian life so well that we simply go through the motions. At the writing of this devotional I have been saved for over forty years. I constantly have to make sure that I’m not simply going through the motions. I have to make sure that my heart is involved in what I’m doing. I realize, and so should you, that God wants our whole being to be involved in our service to Him.

Not having your attention on what you’re doing for God is an indicator that you are going through the motions. Another indicator that you’re going through the motions is that you feel you have to do something because it is required. Your Christianity isn’t something that your heart motivates you to do, but your Christianity is something you do out of obligation. If you’re not careful, your Christianity will become nothing more than a penance you feel you must pay to stay spiritual. God doesn’t desire this type of Christianity, but He desires a Christianity that is from the heart.

Let me ask you, are you simply going through the motions? Does your time in the Scriptures stir your heart, or is it simply a time you have to get done so that you feel spiritual that day? Is your time in prayer a time when you look forward to spending time with the LORD, or is it a hit and miss activity that you “have” to do so that you look and feel spiritual? How about church attendance and soul winning; are these activities something you do because you have to do them to show others you’re not backslidden?

Christian, God does not desire for you to go through the motions. He truly wants you to get your heart involved in what you do for Him. Sin will cause you to go through the motions. Familiarity with what you do will cause you to go through the motions. If you’re not careful, you will train your flesh to do right, and you will do right through your flesh and not through the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

I challenge you to take an honest look at what you do for God and be sure that you are not going through the motions. If you find yourself going through the motions, it is time to get alone and truly tell God what is going on. Ask God to reveal to you what is causing you to go through the motions, and when He reveals it to you, you need to remove that thing so that your heart is involved in all that you do for God.

Changing Your World

Daniel 3:29
“Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.”

One of the most amazing stories you will find in the Scriptures is the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These three young men never understood the impact their stand for right would make, but history reveals that they literally changed their world. The impact of their stand changed the laws of the their land.

If there is ever a day when we need people to change their world, it is today. Many look at their nation and see the laws of the land that are against those who want to serve the LORD, and we wonder how we can change these laws. Many try to influence lawmakers, others try to hold political rallies and some stand up and speak against what’s happening in their nation. Though I am not against any of these areas, and all of these areas are needed, you will find that what the three Hebrew children did actually worked.

Let me remind you that these three young men were people just like you. They certainly didn’t have any status in their society, for they were servants of the king. They didn’t have any financial backing to help them organize against the king. One thing they did have, they had a God in Heaven Who could make changes in the heart of the king if they stood for right. The belief that serving the LORD was more important than anything else is eventually what led to changing their world. Let me show you what it took for these men to change their world.

First, they truly believed in God’s way. They wouldn’t have made the stand they took had they not believed God’s way was right. You will never change your world if you waffle on whether God’s way is right. You must be sold on the way of the LORD. You must believe that God’s way is so much better than the world’s way. You can’t sit wondering if the world could be right. You must firmly decide that God’s way is the right way. Anything less than that will not change your world.

Second, they did not concern themselves with the populace. Everyone around them went ahead and bowed to the image, but they were not worried what everyone would say about them. Friend, you will never change your world if you are constantly worried what everyone is going to say about you. You better get comfortable in your own skin and decide that you are not looking for man’s approval. People who change their world most often are looked down upon by those around them, especially their peers. If you are wanting the approval of the brethren, then you will not change your world. You must be willing to stand alone if you are going to change your world.

Third, you must be willing to do right at all costs. The three young men were willing to die for what they believed. If you are going to change your world, then you must decide there is no price tag on your beliefs. This is one of the greatest differences that divides the average from the world changers. You will have to pay a dear price if you are going to change your world. Changing the world costed Jesus His life, and it will cost you many battles and lost friends.

Let me ask you, are you willing to pay the price to change your world? Do you truly believe in what you are doing? Your world will never be changed without this price being paid. Your world needs you to do something to change it. I challenge you to look at your world, burn your dreams and your desires and decide to be a world changer.

Pastor’s Wife Diagnosed with Tumor

LambPlease pray for Mrs. Diane Lamb, the wife of Pastor Mike Lamb. Pastor Lamb has pastored the Landmark Baptist Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia, for many years. This past week he relayed to me that his wife has been diagnosed with a tumor in her brain. The doctors say that the tumor is embedded, but they do not know if it is cancerous. Please seriously pray for God’s healing hand on this dear lady, and that God would give the doctors wisdom as they deal with this situation. Pray for the family as they are concerned for their wife and mother.

Famous for the Wrong Reason

Ezekiel 23:10
“These discovered her nakedness: they took her sons and her daughters, and slew her with the sword: and she became famous among women; for they had executed judgment upon her.”

Fame is highly overrated. Many people think they would want to be famous, but don’t understand what comes with it. Sadly, many of those who were famous for the right reason later became famous for the wrong reason.

In the verse above, Ezekiel used two imaginary sisters who were harlots to show Israel what God thought about their sins. The older sisters name was Aholah. She lost her virginity and ruined her name to the point that “she became famous among women.” No, she wasn’t famous for the right reasons, but she was famous for her infidelity. She was the illustration a mother would use when telling her daughters who not to be like. She became the illustration in every preacher’s sermon. She was famous, but for the wrong reason.

In my lifetime I have watched many people who became famous for the wrong reason. I have watched men who were very well known and were respected among men lose the respect because of one sinful action. What they were once known for is only a memory. When they did right, many pastors and parents alike would point their children to that person as an example of what to be like. But, one moment of indiscretion caused them to be famous for the wrong reason. One moment of indiscretion caused them to lose the good name they worked so hard to obtain. Today, if you were to mention their names, even if they have been spiritually restored, their name comes up in a bad light. Whether or not this is right is not the purpose of this devotional, I’m simply trying to show how one indiscretion can cause you to be known for the wrong reason.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.” It takes years to build a good name. I like to equate building a good name to building a credit file. You don’t build your credit overnight, and neither will you build a good name overnight. Once you have a good name, you need to be sure that you protect it with all of your being.

However, all it takes for you to lose a good name is one moment of weakness. One bad decision can change a good name to a name of ill repute. Just like one bad financial transaction can cause your credit to be marred, one moment of sin will cause you to be known for the wrong reason.

Christian, be very careful with every action and decision. Always remember it’s easier to be known for the wrong than it is to be known for good. This may not be fair, but life is not fair. This is why you need to live your life above board, and do right at all times. Don’t let expediency, fame, convenience or the flesh guide you and your decisions. Always do everything by principles. Let the Scriptures guide you in all you do. Daily ask God to protect you from the moment of temptation that would cause you to be famous for the wrong reason.

Finally, if you are known for the wrong reason, then you still have time to turn that around. No, you probably will never get that mark off your life, but you can make the mark not as noticeable if you will determine to turn things around. Don’t let the actions of the Pharisees discourage you. Ask God to help you make the end of your life better than the moment that caused you to be famous for the wrong reason. Don’t give in to the Pharisee, but keep doing right and obeying the Scriptures. Eventually, you can work through the bad name and end your life on topside.

Gun to Bible

Gun-to-Bibleby: Rex Fahr

It was November 20, 2003, a Thursday night, I had a lot of things going on in my life both at work and in my marriage. I won’t explain them in this article, but they had me at a turning point. I went to Alto-Reste Park cemetery and sat down on my dad’s grave. Beside me was a .357 pistol, and I didn’t have it there for protection. I sat and talked to my dad and God that night, and I asked them to give me some sort of sign on what to do. I sat there for hours talking and crying trying to figure out what to do. I didn’t find out until later that my dad was saved when we found papers confirming that he and my mother had both trusted Christ earlier in their lives. All I know for sure is that I put the pistol back in the truck and went home that night.

The next day I got up and went to work as usual, not knowing what was about to take place. I went in at 5AM and a co-worker, Chip Jones, a meat manager, came in at 6AM. We were talking when he asked me what I was doing that night. Thinking he might want me to go hunting or something like that, I answered, “Nothing.” He then asked me to go to church. What was I supposed to say? I had already told him I wasn’t doing anything. So, I said I would try and come. God was in this whole conversation for I ended up going to church on a Friday night, November 21, 2003.

I walked in to the Heritage Baptist Church and found out I knew a few more people there. I sat with Chip and his family, and listened to Brother Domelle preach that night. He was an evangelist, and a hard, loud preacher who told it like it was! I was leaving that night when a friend, Darrell Snare, asked me some questions, and I told him my faith was jilted at the time and I didn’t know what or how I felt about God. He asked me to stay and talk to Pastor Mark Biter. That night I got saved! I didn’t know how to explain it, BUT something happened that night. I know now it was the Holy Spirit coming to dwell inside of me.

My salvation has ended up touching so many people. Where do I begin? My kids were the first to notice a difference in me. They asked their mother why dad was going to church on a Sunday night or a Wednesday night. I gave up cussing and telling bad jokes. I tried to read the Bible, but struggled in the translation of some of the Scriptures. My wife started to go to church with me and found out what she was missing in the Catholic faith she practiced. She also got saved on the day after Christmas one year later. My son, Rex, got saved and started to attend our church. His story is one by itself. Let me just say he ended up marrying the pastor’s daughter, and we now have at least one granddaughter.

I went to church faithfully, but when asked to go soul winning, my mind and Satan kept me from going. I was brought up by my dad to never accept failure or rejection. The thought of knocking on a door and having it slammed in my face was more than I could stand. But, every week when the pastor would bring it up during the service, it bothered me. I went to the altar every service for months asking God to help me become a soul winner. I also went to the alter for 6 months praying that my son would marry the preacher’s daughter. Finally the Holy Spirit said, Try it, I’ll take care of you.”

How did I get past the feeling of rejection? First of all, I realized it wasn’t me who people were rejecting, it was Jesus. The door was being slammed on Him, not me. The first four months I went with the pastor, and even though we were rejected by many, nobody slammed the door on our face. I was very nervous with the first person I helped to find salvation, but it was like no other feeling. I have won championships, been voted MVP, won sportsmanship awards, top bowler, best average, hit home runs and pitched no hitters, and the list goes on, BUT nothing compares to the feeling you get when you win someone to Christ. And if you think that’s great, try the feeling you get when you lead a family member to the LORD! Most of my family has seen that it’s not a religion that is important, but what is important is that you accept Christ as your Saviour.

In the summer of 2007, I was asked to teach at Bible school. That year at Bible school, my oldest grandson got saved. The next year I was asked to be an usher and help with security at church. Now I teach a Sunday School class of young boys and hope l can make a difference in their lives. I still go soul winning every Tuesday night, and so far have helped over 50 people find the Lord. I do not intend to stop until I can’t do it any more. I’m not patting myself on the back, I’ve just realized there are so many people in this world who need to know the truth about eternal life and how to receive it!

My only regret is that I didn’t do this earlier in my life. I thank God for allowing me to live long enough to get saved so that I can serve Him as much as I can in my declining years. God truly took the gun from my hand and put a Bible in it. Praise the LORD!

Rex Fahr
Faithful Church Member
Heritage Baptist Church
Martinsburg, PA

Parenting Principles in Preparing Children for Life

Ezekiel 19:2
“And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions.”

One of the sad results of children being born outside of the boundaries of marriage is the lack of a sense of responsibility by the parents. Any person can produce a baby, but not everyone will take on the responsibilities of child rearing. Rearing children is no easy task, and the responsibility of rearing them is great.

In the verse above, God uses a parable of a lioness to lament the sins of Israel. In this parable are hidden some responsibilities of every parent. As the lioness takes care of her whelps and prepares them for life, I believe you can see  parenting principles to prepare each child for life. Let me show you some things you can learn as a parent from the lioness.

First, spend time with your children. The verse above says, “…she lay down among the lions,…” Too many parents are never with their children to teach them how to live life. Sadly, there are parents who are busier running with their friends, playing in city sports leagues, spending time with their friends at the mall or going to activities. You will never be able to train your children for life if you are not with them at home. There is no substitute for time. You can’t throw money and gifts at your children and think that is a great substitute for spending time with them. They need to be with you.

Second, make sure your children are properly fed. The lioness “nourished her whelps.” In other words, she made sure they had a proper diet. I know, it seems very obvious that a parent should properly feed their children, but you would be surprised how many children aren’t fed a proper diet. My mother made sure that I had a proper diet. She kept us from eating a lot of sweets, but made sure that we had a good balanced meal. She didn’t let us skip our vegetables because we didn’t like them. We had to eat everything that was placed on the table. I believe you would be wise to be sure your children eat a proper diet so they can go into their adult years healthy.

Third, teach them principles for life. Nourishing your children is also teaching them principles for life. A parent is responsible to make sure their children know how to face life. Teach them the responsibility of paying their bills on time. Teach them to get up early and on their own, for they will have to do this when they get a job. Teach them they have to fulfill their responsibilities before pleasure. You’re responsible as a parent to make sure your child knows how to face life as an adult.

Fourth, teach them how to avoid sin. In verse 4, the lioness found her whelp was caught in the traps men set for it. Parents should be sure to teach their children the price of sin. One of the best ways to do this is to take them with you as you reach the lost for Christ. If you are trying to reach everyone, you will run into those whose lives are ruined by sin. This is a great teaching moment. Likewise, when someone falls into sin, that is a teaching moment and not a gossiping moment.

Last, teach your children how to make it in tough times. Verse 13 tells how the lioness “planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.” Times are not always going to be easy. Part of your responsibility as a parent is showing your children how to make it in tough days. Show them they need to prepare ahead by saving and not always spending on wants.

Parenting is no easy task. If you train your children with the proper skills of life, you will find you will have less heartache when they become adults. I’m not saying you won’t have heartache, but if you teach them how to be responsible adults, then you can at least be proud when they choose to live responsibly.