YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN, No. 644
YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN
“Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands,
and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into
the bosom of their children after them”
(Jeremiah 32:18).
In my devotion last week we learned how God loves to bless His people. But His blessing does not stop with us. It continues to our children. But there is a catch. The blessings depend on how we live our lives. Dear mother, we do not live our lives to ourselves. Everything we do, either good or bad, affects our children. If we want our children and future generations to be blessed, we must do the following:
- LIVE IN GOD’S PRESENCE
God spoke to Abrahm and said unto him: “I am the Almighty God, walk before me, and be thou perfect.” The GW translation says: “Live in my presence.” And then it goes on to give further promises not only to Abram but to his future descendants: “I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee . . . And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land . . . and thy seed after thee in their generations . . . between me and you and thy seed after thee.”
Five times God says the words: “and thy seed after thee.” This is how God sees our parenting. It is not only for today but for future generations.
- KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS
Deuteronomy 4:40: “Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth.”
- DO THAT WHICH IS GOOD AND RIGHT
Deuteronomy 12:28: “Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.” Read also Deuteronomy 12:25 and 30:2.
- FEAR THE LORD
Deuteronomy 5:29: “O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever.”
The words “may go well” is the Hebrew word “yatav” and means “to do good, beautiful, pleasant, lovely, blessed.” We want our children to have a lovely life, don’t we? God promises this to them if we as parents walk in the fear of the Lord and obey His voice.
Psalm 112:1, 2 is a wonderful promise to fathers who fear the Lord: “Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments. His seed (his children) shall be mighty on the earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.”
Acts 2:39: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
OUR LIVES IMPACT OUR CHILDREN FOR GOOD OR EVIL
Exodus 20:4, 5 states: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” These words are repeated in the following Scriptures: Exodus 34:6, 7; Numbers 14:18; and Jeremiah 32:17-19.
The above are powerful Scriptures, showing us that the lifestyle we live in our homes will impact our future generations. We don’t live for this day only but our lives will determine the destiny of our descendants! When we harbor sin in our lives and do not walk in the fear of God, if we harbor bitterness, rejection, jealousy, and hate etc. it doesn’t only hurt us, but the destruction continues in the following generations.
Let’s give God the preeminence in our lives, in our marriages, and in our homes that we will bring blessings on our children and children’s children.
Blessings from Nancy Campbell
PRAYER:
“Dear Father God, I pray that You will help me to continually realize that my life will have impact upon my children and children’s children and future generations. Help me to lay a foundation in my life and in my home that will cause blessings to rain down upon my future descendants. Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
I am not only mothering for today, but for generations to come.