I love the different words God uses to describe our children. God loves to reveal His plans to us by pictures. Psalm 128:3 tells us that our children are like "olive plants" sitting all around our table. The Hebrew word for "olive" which is "zayith" says "an olive ("as yielding illuminating oil)."
Among many other uses the olive was used as oil for the lamps to light up their homes. It was also used to light the golden candlestick in the holy place of the tabernacle.
Just think, God gives you your children to light up your home. John 1:9 says that Christ lights each one who comes into this world. As we feed this light with God's Word, our children will become more and more filled with light, to not only bring more light into our home, but to one day take the light of God to a dark and deceived world.
Every child you embrace from the loving hand of God is another illuminating light to light up this world. In fact, the only way God can bring His light into this world is by His people (Matthew 5:14-16). Don't deprive the world of God's light by saying No to His children.
Love from Nancy Campbell