II Kings 18:5-6 “5 He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. 6 For he clung to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.

When Hezekiah came on the scene in Judah things were pretty bad. The land had been under the thumb of Assyria who had already taken Israel into captivity. Things looked bad. But Hezekiah decided that he would honor Jehovah God, even in the midst of oppression from a pagan nation.

Post Christian World

It is so important for us to teach our children that the world in which they live should not dictate how they live their lives. Our nation, I’m sorry to say, is in a post-Christian environment now. Every day you hear more and more about Christians being ridiculed, ruled against in court and banned from speaking out for Truth. But that does not determine our allegiance. We, like Hezekiah, must stand for the One True God.

TEACHING MOMENT

May I encourage every Mom and Dad out there to NOT shy away from teaching your children how to respond to the news of the day? As you hear a news story that goes directly against our belief system take the time to explain to your children, according to their ability to understand, how they should respond to honor God. Remember, we are not raising children. We are raising child raisers. We are impacting the next generation in the way we raise our children.

Hezekiah made some mistakes later in his reign, but even then he repented and made things right. We and our children will make some mistakes. The important thing is to make those things right. Our cities, states, country and world need believers who will stand for Truth at all costs. Won’t you instill in your children the boldness they have through Christ? If you do, they can face any hostile force or action and defend their beliefs and stand for Truth!

John 12:9 “The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.”

Don’t you just love this verse? The crowd came not just to see Jesus but to look at Lazarus. I mean, after all, most of them had never seen a dead man living. Right? And Lazarus hadn’t just been dead. He had been dead for four days. He was, according to his sister, already stinking! He was real dead. So the crowd comes not so much to see Jesus but to see the miracle He had performed.

Aren’t we just like that? We want to see a sign. We want to stare at something miraculous. Jesus is right there all the time, but we had rather look for the new amazing thing.

It’s kind of like when we buy our children that very special thing they have been asking for. We shop and shop. We look online. We finally track it down, wrap it special and give it to them. They are overjoyed – until the new runs out. Then they are looking for the next best thing. They simply forgot all about the great gift you have given them. But not only that, they have totally forgotten about the motivation behind the gift.

We need to teach our children the importance of the Giver, not the gifts. We need to point them towards the reason behind the blessings He bestows on us. It is all about love. He loves us with a never ending love. He loves us despite our short memories of His blessings. He loves us even though we look past Him to the thing given.

The next time you buy your child a gift (and there is nothing wrong with that) watch for that first sign of disinterest in the gift. Take that moment to teach this lesson. It is not about guilting your child to appreciate anything. It’s about teaching them about recognizing the motivation behind the gift giving, whether that be from us or our Savior.

II Kings 12:9 “But Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid and put it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord; and the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money which was brought into the house of the Lord.”

Don’t you love to give to others? Don’t you love to see the smile on their face when they receive the gift? Don’t you love it especially when they know how much you enjoy giving to them?

It’s the same way with the Lord. He loves to receive from us. He doesn’t NEED anything we have to give, but He loves to see us giving to Him out of a loving and gracious heart. You know our gifts to Him, whatever they are and whatever the amount, please Him.

The people had not been giving as they should have to restore the Temple. The king went to the priests and basically said, “Enough of this! Let’s get this done!” So they brought out a chest to collect the gifts. It took a visible object beside the altar to stir the people to give.

How do we as Parents encourage our kids to give? How do we stir their hearts to give to the Lord? Some kids are just natural givers while others squeeze Lincoln until he squeals, as my daddy use to say. How do we show our kids the joy of giving?

Well, they watch us. Now, I’m not just talking about money. We can give in all kinds of ways. Some can give money. Others give time. Still others give of their skills and talents. Find a way for your kids to give to the Lord. And when they do, celebrate that with them. Praise them for their faithfulness. Find ways to bless them so they will be encouraged to give even more.

Perhaps you can make a box for your house where the kids can put money for missions or the homeless. Make it visible! Set a goal! Let them see how the money is used once they collect it. You will be setting them on a lifetime journey of giving that can continue for generations.

John 10:11 “’I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.’”

I have to admit I don’t know much about shepherding sheep. I have never owned a sheep, nor do I want to. All I have heard about sheep makes me want to avoid them. They aren’t smart (so I’m told). They wander off. They are easy prey for predators. So why would anyone want to be a shepherd to them?

But someone has to tend the sheep. In my years of ministry I have had the opportunity to lead others. I have seen that as a kind of shepherding. Some of the people who I led were easy to shepherd. Others – well – let’s just say they resisted being shepherded.

Our children are like that. Some are easily directed and cared for while others fight us every step of the way. But they still need to be cared for. The sheep that wanders off needs the shepherd. Our children who “wander off” need a shepherd.

Jesus said the sheep know His voice. Do your kids “know your voice”? Do they hear the caring in the words you use? Do they know when you are warning them of danger? Do they come to you when you call them? Do they long to hear your words?

Shepherding children is often a thankless task. But it is one that the Lord has given us as Parents. We must guard, guide and graze our children, just like a shepherd would for his flock. On those days you want to give up remember that He is the One who can show you how to shepherd. He is the Great Shepherd. He knows all the tricks. Just ask Him.

II Kings 7:9 “Then they said to one another, ‘We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, but we are keeping silent; if we wait until morning light, punishment will overtake us. Now therefore come, let us go and tell the king’s household.’”

Lepers! Unclean! Unclean! These were people who were considered to be the lowest of the low. People were scared to come near them because of their disease. And here in this verse we find them thinking of the very people who would not have given them the time of day.

The Arameans had been starving the city of Samaria through a siege of the city. The people were literally starving to death and had even resorted to cannabilism. Things were bad! And all of a sudden these lepers have the bright idea to go to the camp of the Arameans and hope they give them food or kill them. They find the camp empty and all their supplies just lying there. What a miracle.

This lesson in thinking of others is such a great lesson for our children to learn. You may have a child who is just like that. They had rather give their allowance away that spend it or keep it. They had rather share that piece of candy with their sibling than eat it themselves. But you may have a child who is self-centered and narcissistic. Thinking of others is so important. It is exactly the life Christ wants us to live. He always thought of others – never Himself.

So how can you as Mom or Dad help your child learn that lesson? How about living that life yourself? Can you model that behavior? Can you show them that others matter? When you do your children will notice. They will ask why you are doing that and then you can share our Lord’s example. Those are the teachable moments. Don’t miss them.

John 9:38 “And he said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshiped Him.”

Do you remember playing “Pin the tail on the Donkey?” I loved that game. We almost always played this at childhood birthday parties. Mom or Dad would put the poster of the tailless donkey on the wall for us. Then we would blindfold someone, usually the birthday boy or girl, spin them around several times and point them in the direction of the donkey. They held the tail in their hands along with a pin or tac. Trying to find the poster was always a challenge, much less trying to find the right spot to pin that tail. Once they had pinned the tail on the poster “somewhere” they would yank off the blindfold to see how close they had come to the right spot.

As exciting (and frustrating) as it was to be blindfolded, we knew when we pulled off the blindfold we would be able to see again. But to be born blind! Can you imagine? I can’t. I take my sight for granted, I know. Now that I am getting older it is harder to read small print, but I still can see. But not being able to see from birth? That I cannot understand.

And then….this man meets Jesus. Can you imagine the excitement that must have been coursing through his veins as he went to the pool of water and washed the clay from his eyes? Do you think he was really expecting to see? He must have. Why else would he had even asked for healing.

And then the doubters came. They didn’t believe he was ever blind. Then they questioned the validity of the healer. Then they questioned the parents. Some people just can’t believe.

But not this man. When he went back to Jesus and discovered exactly Who He was he simply says, “I believe.” Blind eyes opening also opened his heart. So many walk around with sight but are still blind to the truth of the Gospel.

Show your children the importance of not only seeing physically, but seeing spiritually. Show them the importance of helping others remove the blindfolds off their eyes so they too can see Jesus.

2 Kings 2:9 “When they had crossed over, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’”

What a request! Elisha knew the acts of Elijah. He had been a bold prophet of God and had been used greatly by the Lord. Now, as his apprentice, Elisha is asking for twice the spirit. Sounds kind of cocky, doesn’t it? Maybe not.

Have you ever been around someone who just reeks of Jesus? I mean, you can just see Jesus all over them. If you could, wouldn’t you want to be just like that, in fact, even more so? Well, of course you would. Who wouldn’t want to be more spiritual? Who wouldn’t want a closer walk with the Lord?

Have your kids ever said, “When I grow up I want to be just like you, Mom”? Chances are they have said that when they were little. Don’t you want them to be better than you? Don’t you want them to love Jesus even more than you? As a good parent we should all want that. We should want more for our kids than we have ourselves. We want them to walk with Christ in a way that makes our walk look futile.

Well then, you have to walk in a manner that reflects that to them. You have to be so intent on leading them to Christ that it is just a normal part of their life. They should want to follow you because you exemplify Christ. They should want to follow you because they want to be – just like Jesus.

Just like Elisha had to see Elijah being taken up to receive the double portion of the Spirit, we have to be watching Jesus to be like Him. We have to keep our eyes on Him, not on others.

John 8:12 “Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.’”

Don’t you hate it when you grab a flashlight to go into a dark room or out into the night and the batteries are weak or dead? It is so hard to keep fresh batteries in those things. I think there is some kind of little gremlin that sneaks around and sucks all the energy out of batteries. Lol

I just love this verse today. We are promised by the very mouth of Jesus that, if we have His light, we will not walk in darkness. We will have the Light of life. Wow! Never ending light. We never have to walk in darkness. Now of course this is talking about a spiritual light, not a physical one. But isn’t it even scarier to walk in spiritual darkness, not knowing what’s out there? Not with Jesus. He lights the way.

The next time your children ask to use the flashlight (and you know they are going to leave it on and drain the battery) read them this verse. Explain to them that just like the flashlight you are giving to them can light the room or the path, Jesus can light their spiritual dwelling and walk with Him. Go into a dark room with them and turn on the flashlight. Kids understand concrete things. Show them the effect of the light in a dark place. Then explain the effect of Jesus’ Light in a dark world.

And as we possess the Light of Jesus through salvation we let His Light shine through us. We illuminate the dark things around us by our godly living and testimony. We become the flashlight, which is only powered by the batteries (Jesus). The only difference is the Jesus batteries never run out because He is Light, not just a source of Light.

So, today Moms and Dads, won’t you shine for Jesus? Won’t you let your kids see you being that human flashlight yielded to the touch of the Light?

I Kings 19:13 “When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

Man, Elijah was in a bad spot. Jezebel had threatened to kill him because he had killed all the prophets of Baal. So he had fled and hid himself in a cave. Talking about scared? He was shaking in his boots, well, his sandals.

But God comes to him in gentle wind and Elijah went to the entrance of the cave to hear from God. And what does God say? Did He say, “Don’t worry about Jezebel”? Did He say, “Don’t be scared Elijah”? No, He said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” In other words, God was saying to him, “Why in the world are you hiding from that woman? She is nothing to fear. If you want to fear something, you should be fearing Me.”

God had given Elijah the strength, boldness and stamina to slay over 400 Baal prophets, and now he was hiding from one woman. Wow! But aren’t we the same? We fear the things we can’t control. We fear cancer! We fear betrayal of friends. We fear storms that bring tornadoes and hurricanes.

As Parents, we must teach our children that fear has no part in their lives as believers. I John 4:18 says perfect love casts out all fear. And what is that perfect love? Jesus. With Jesus by their side, they never have a cause for fear. With Jesus living within them through the power of the Holy Spirit, they can face the greatest dangers the world can throw at them secure in the fact that Jesus is the one fighting their battles.

As you face the fears of life, let your children see you trusting Him! Show them that even though the future is not guaranteeing an easy path, you can face it fearlessly because of the confidence you have in our great Savior. As you lead courageously your children will also trust Him with their fears. Rest easy in the strong arms of our God.

John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.’”

There aren’t many things in this life that smells better to me than bread baking in the oven. When you walk in the house your nose begins to draw you to that smell. And then, when it comes out of the oven, oh my! The hardest part is having wait. But when it is finally out of that pan, sliced and a thin layer of butter is applied… Excuse the drool marks. Lol

Jesus calls Himself the bread of life. Why did he choose that phrase? Why not the “steak” of life or the “casserole” of life? Now, I am not being sacrilegious. Why did he say “bread” of life? Bread was a basic food in every household. Even the poorest had bread in their home for meals. He was in every home. Of course, this was before the whole gluten free thing hit. Lol

Bread was basic to life then. And just like then, Jesus is saying, “I am the basic thing in your life. You may try to add other things in, but I am the basic food for your soul.”

The next time your child drags out the loaf of bread from the pantry, why not tell them this “I AM” statement of Christ. Explain to them that He still is our Bread of Life. He is the one Who sustains us when our soul hungers for spiritual nutrition. He is not some old, crusty, stale, moldy bread that youwould turn your nose up to. He, just like that freshly baked bread, draws your spiritual nostrils toward Him.

And just like freshly baked bread, Jesus is meant to be shared with others. I have a friend who is known, among other things, for her homemade bread. She loves to bake loaves of bread and give them away. She guards the recipe closely and doesn’t share it with many, but she will gladly bake you a loaf and give it you. Remind your children to share the “bread of life” with others. He promises to “fill” them and sustain them. So they will always have bread to share with others.