Hebrews 12:11 “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

LOST PUPPIES

I can still remember one of the last spankings I received from my Dad. Our dog, Pepper, had given birth to a litter of puppies. I think there were eight of them. But Pepper was not a good mother. If we didn’t keep her penned up, she would take her puppies into the woods behind our house and leave them. Strange behavior, huh?

Well, she did it again, and we could hear the puppies whimpering down in the woods. My Mom told me NOT to go in the woods to get them since it was summer and the snakes were out. Now, you have to know that I grew up in Southwest Georgia that is home to cotton-mouthed moccasins and rattlesnakes. You can guess what I did – I went anyway.

I will never forget coming out of the woods with my shirt full of puppies and seeing my Dad standing there waiting for me. He tore me up for disobeying my Mom and putting myself in harm’s way. I learned a lesson that day that I will never forget – Do what your Mom says, no matter what.

TEACHING MOMENT

What discipline are you imposing on your child? Do you hold off on the discipline because you don’t want to hear them cry? Don’t do that. We are after the end result of this verse which says, “those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” Our job as parents is to direct our children towards righteousness. The Word says discipline is required for that.

I find a lot of parents are fine with disciplining their little children, but when they get older they “let them make their own mind up about stuff.” NOOOOOO! Discipline never stops. Until the day they leave home for good, you must continue disciplining them. It is for their good! Don’t stop training them through discipline. It is the Lord’s work you are doing. Be diligent, knowing that He will complete the work in your child’s life.

Isaiah 52:7 “How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation, and says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”

JUST FEET

I don’t know about you, but I have never seen very many pretty feet. Some are just down right ugly. My feet are kind of normal, I guess, but they still aren’t pretty. My dad had wide, flat feet. He wore an 11 EEE shoe. As he got older he had some minor foot issues that made his feet hurt. My point is feet are just a part of the body that we just don’t look at much. At least, I don’t.

But this verse glamorizes feet. “How lovely…are the feet…” Really? Now look at the verse. They are not recognized for how they look. The Lord is talking about what they do – bring good news. Now that makes anything look better. They announce peace and bring good news of happiness. They announce salvation and say “Your God reigns.” What a great message to deliver.

TEACHING MOMENT

We have a gaga ball pit at our church that our kids love. They will play for hours. But when they are in that pit playing, dirt is flying and kids are getting dirty. Feet that aren’t covered by shoes and socks get filthy. The kids don’t care. They are having the time of their lives. The next time you wash your kids feet (or have to remind them to wash them) talk about how they can use their feet to deliver the gospel message to someone. People cannot hear unless we go. Sure, we can deliver the message electronically, but there is still nothing like taking the message of the cross personally to someone.

Are your feet dirty from walking the path delivering the message to someone? Have you soiled your feet getting to some out of the way place to preach Jesus? Have you risked ruining a pair of shoes walking through water to bring the good news to someone who needs to hear it? Get your feet dirty! Get on the road! Step out in faith and allow the Lord to lead you as you walk the path He has for you!

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

WHO OWNS IT?

Have you ever purchased a car on credit? Most of us have. The entire time you are paying on that car, it does not belong to you. Sure, you have the keys. You put gas in it. You get it serviced. You wash and wax it. But it isn’t yours. It belongs to the Finance Company. However, the day you pay that car off you receive a title with your name on it signifying that it is now yours to do with as you see fit. That is a pretty good feeling. No more payments. The car is yours. However, the value of that car has dropped considerably since you purchased it. It is not worth what you paid for it.

The word “assurance” carries that meaning. Our faith in Christ is the “title” we hold for our future glorification. Jesus paid the debt years ago, and we can claim title to it. The difference between our faith and a car title though is that our faith will never rust or be destroyed. Our faith is secure because it is not our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). We hold the title, but the faith comes from God Himself. And our faith never loses its value. In fact, the longer we hold it, the more valuable it becomes to us, as we grow and grow in our love for Christ.

TEACHING MOMENT

Why don’t you practice this with your child? Christmas is fast approaching. I bet they have already been giving you hints about gifts they want this year. Why not attach a “title” to one of those gifts. You purchased the gift so technically you own it, not them. But by giving it to them you are giving them ownership of it. Write out a title stating that. Explain to them how they did not do anything to deserve the gift, except the simple action of asking. Once they asked, it was given to them freely with no expectation of them “earning” it.

There are so many opportunities for us to “act out” the Scriptures to our kids. I have found through the years that a visual example helps them grasp the truth we are trying to explain. Most children are concrete learners. Nail it down for them with something they can touch and see. I promise they will remember it for years to come.

Isaiah 48:4 “’Because I know that you are obstinate, and your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead bronze,’”

JUST LISTEN

I know some hard-headed people, myself excluded, of course. Lol. Have you ever been accused of being hard-headed? The Lord is calling the people of Israel that right here in this verse. They were obstinate, stick necked and hard-headed. Wow! Talking about calling names – the Lord does that here.

The Lord is about to lead them into exile for their hard-headedness. Look at these two verses later in the chapter. “18 ‘If only you had paid attention to My commandments! Then your well-being would have been like a river, And your righteousness like the waves of the sea. 19 Your descendants would have been like the sand, And your offspring like its grains; Their name would never be cut off or destroyed from My presence.’” He wanted to bless them, but they just refused to listen.

TEACHING MOMENT

Do you have a hard-headed child? Maybe they are strong willed. Most of the time those children can grow up to be strong leaders who aren’t afraid to make the tough decisions. They can be self confident and sure of themselves. Don’t you want them to be that way? But we have to steer them in the right way to make those decisions. Strong willed children can be a challenge. They can be obstinate, stiff necked and hard-headed, just like Israel. We have to hold them accountable for their actions. We bless them for the right ones and discipline them for the wrong ones. Don’t be afraid to do that.

Whenever possible, let those strong willed kids make their own decisions. Explain to them the possible outcomes of their decisions. They have to live with them. Even if the outcome is not the one you want for them, if it is not life threatening, give them room to make the wrong decision. Yep, I said that. That is hard. We want to avoid those uncomfortable situations. But we have to let them make their decisions or they will never learn how to do that. It is much better for those decisions to be made while they have you to direct them.

Trust the Lord that He loves your children much more than you do. He wants what is best. Point them in His direction and let Him has His perfect will done in their lives. Only He can make them compliant, flexible and clear headed.

Hebrews 10:18 “Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

BATTER UP

Softball! Have you ever had a child who played? Our daughter played when she was younger. We loved watching her play the games with her friends. I truly think it more about the socialization than the game itself, but she loved it. What I didn’t enjoy were those weekend tournaments. You know, those double elimination ones. Most of the season if you lost, that was it, but not in these tournaments. If you lost one game, you just got moved to another bracket and kept playing until you lost again. You had a second chance to redeem yourself. This made the weekend a long one sometimes.

Jesus didn’t need a second try. He got it right the first time. He died once for all. Through His death all sin was forgiven, therefore, “there is no longer any offering for sin.” I am so glad that it true. And just like His death was necessary only once, my salvation is necessary only once. The day I confess my sin and ask Him into my heart, I am sealed with a promise. It can never be undone. I did nothing to save myself, so once I accept His gift of eternal life, there is nothing I can do to unsave myself.

TEACHING MOMENT

How do we explain this to our children so they can understand? Have you had to forgive them lately for something they have done? If so, this is a perfect verse to use in that situation. Explain to them that your forgiveness doesn’t get erased when they mess up again. Sure, you may be disappointed, but you don’t stop loving them. Tell them the Lord forgives them for all their sins once, when they ask Him in their hearts. He, too, is disappointed in our disobedience, but his forgiveness never stops.

Too many Christians believe they have to start all over again if they mess up. That is a lie the devil loves for us to believe. It is defeating. It is depressing. It is discouraging. But most of all, it is deceitful because it is not true. We are promised by the Lord that He will never leave nor forsake us. He is the great Promise Keeper. Believe Him!

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

SURVIVING THE DRY SEASONS

Did you know you can actually buy drought resistant plants? I didn’t, until a few years ago. I grew up in the South where it rains a good bit every year. Sure, every few years we would have a dry year, but I never thought about buying drought resistant plants. I always depended on the rain to take of things.

This verse is a reminder to us that the Word of God will never dry up, wither and blow away. It is always fresh and growing. It is always giving new life. It doesn’t depend on anything to flourish. In fact, it’s just the opposite. If we want to flourish, we must come to it and partake of it.

TEACHING MOMENT

What part do you play in your child’s growth? Do you do anything to help them grow physically? Sure you do. You provide a safe, warm environment called a home. It doesn’t take a huge home, just one in which they can get out of the elements. You provide food and water. You actually feed them on a regular basis and make sure they get enough to drink. Depending on where you live in the world, the food can vary, but it is still necessary.

You tend to any cut or wound they may get to prevent infection. You make sure they get their immunizations to ward off any diseases. I think you get the picture. You do a lot to help your child grow physically. But all that is for naught unless you also feed them with the Word of God. If they are the most perfect physical specimen on earth, yet die and go to hell, what good have you done.

Will you spend time today with your child in the Word? It doesn’t have to be a lot. God’s Word can enrich their life and your life in ways you cannot imagine. But you must take the time to dig into it. Let the Word indwell you so that you too may not wither.

Hebrews 8:1 “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,”

GETTING THE JOB DONE

Having a “right hand man” implies that you are the person with power. The President of the United States has a right hand man. That is usually not the Vice President, but rather his Chief of Staff. Most great generals had a right hand man who handled all his daily scheduled activities. And we see in this verse that even God has a right hand man – Jesus Christ, His Son, and our High Priest.

Now God doesn’t NEED a right hand man. He chose to have one. He chose to send His Son to earth to die for us and then return as the God-Man to sit beside Him in Glory. Jesus, God’s right hand man, is the one who is constantly interceding for us. He is constantly rebuking the accusations of the Evil One. God can handle it ALL Himself, but He chooses to have Jesus sit at His right hand. The one difference between a human right hand man and Jesus is Jesus has equality with God the Father. He is not His subordinate who is given power. They share the same power.

TEACHING MOMENT

Now, how in the world do you teach this concept of the “right hand man” to your child? Do your kids like to help you in the yard or around the house? This is a perfect opportunity. Explain to them that you don’t NEED them to accomplish your task, but you want them with you. You desire them close to you. You love seeing them accomplish the tasks with you. You especially love it because you know the task they are completing benefits the whole family.

Now there is a difference. They may not complete it perfectly. Jesus always does. He can’t, because He is God, doing anything imperfectly. We struggle to complete tasks, but He can just speak and it will be done. Aren’t you glad He is the “Right Hand Man”? Knowing He is there beside the Father on my behalf gives me comfort and peace. I pray you can rest in that too.

Isaiah 39:8 “Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘For there will be peace and truth in my days.’”

I’M SORRY (NOT REALLY)

Have you ever caught your children red-handed doing something they shouldn’t have? Instantly, they say “I’m sorry,” but you know they didn’t really mean they were sorry. They were just sorry they got caught. That is the story here in this verse. Hezekiah had just been caught by Isaiah showing all the kingdom’s riches and defenses to the son of the king of Babylon. He had spilled the beans, so to speak.

Hezekiah agrees with Isaiah’s words, but is thinking, “At least it won’t happen while I’m alive.” Wow! Isaiah had just told him that his sons would be carried off into exile. Thousands would probably be killed, and Hezekiah shrugged it off. Sounds kind of cold-hearted to me. How about you?

TEACHING MOMENT

We have to teach our children what true remorse is. They need to learn that just saying “I’m sorry” doesn’t cut it. There has to be a change of mind and heart. Words don’t mean anything unless our actions change. How can you teach them that? How do you get your children to understand true repentance?

This is one of those skills that is better caught than taught. We have to show them through our own lives what it means. The next time you do something or say something in their presence you shouldn’t, make it right quickly. Tell them how sorry you are that you did that and they had to witness it. Then ask them to help you. “What!? Me, ask my child to hold me accountable!?” Yep! And I promise you they will.

We all need people in our lives to help us walk the path Christ has laid out before us. I have people right now in my life who will nail me to the wall if I get out of line. For that I am grateful. I need accountability. I need someone to point out my flesh when it raises its ugly head. It happened just the other day. And because of the Holy Spirit in me I was able to apologize and make it right. Mind you, it wasn’t me. It was the Spirit of God in me that drove me to that. I NEVER want to admit I’m wrong. Lol

Will you live true repentance before your child today? They need to see it lived out!

Hebrews 7:22 “so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.”

LASTS FOREVER?

Have you ever bought something that came with a lifetime warranty? That’s really hard to beat. I have some sandals that have that. If they ever tear up, I just send them back and get a new pair. I have had brake pads on my car before that had a lifetime warranty. That’s really hard to beat.

On the other hand I have had some stuff that carried only a one year or three year warranty. Sure enough, it seemed just as soon as that time period expired, it would break. It almost seemed there was a built in timer that went off to tell the product to break.

TEACHING MOMENT

But don’t you love this verse? Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant for us. This covenant never expires. It lasts for eternity. Wouldn’t this be a great verse to use with your child the next time one of their toys breaks? When you explain to them that the warranty has expired on the toy, you can bring up the fact that our “warranty” with Jesus never expires. We are secure in our relationship. He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if everyone in our lives were that way? No divorces, no broken relationships, no estrangements! No broken promises, no desertions, no deceptions! Wow! That would be incredible. While we can’t rely on other humans for a lifetime guarantee, we can rely on the Chief Promise Keeper. He will never break our hearts. In fact, His focus is always on us. He longs to be with us. He is always bending His ear toward earth to hear our pleas. He loves us so much.

Warranties are only as good as the word of the company or the life of that company. Isn’t it nice to know that the one guaranteeing our eternal warranty is The Eternal One? He isn’t going anywhere.

Best Verse: Isaiah 33:22 “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us-“

HERE COMES THE JUDGE

Have you ever had to go before a judge? Have you ever needed a lawyer? I have only had to retain legal counsel a couple of times in my life. Neither time was it my choice. It was a matter of necessity to protect my legal rights in an unpleasant situation. But having an experienced person who knew the legal system was important.

The Lord IS our legal system. He knows our guilt, but declares us innocent. Not because of anything we have or have not done, but because of His Son’s act of taking on Himself our guilt and punishment. As believers, Jesus is advocating for us daily. Shoot, in my case, He is probably advocating every second. But I can rest in the fact that my final verdict reads “Forgiven through the blood of the Lamb.”

TEACHING MOMENT

When is the last time you have caught your child red handed? There was no doubt about their guilt in the commission of a sin. Perhaps they lied to you about something. Perhaps little Bubba hauled off and hit little Leroy right in front of you. Perhaps Susie stole something from her brother Elrod. Whatever, you know they are guilty. Here is an opportunity for you to portray forgiveness. They need to know that justice must be served, but this time, you are going to pay the price for them. You want to illustrate very clearly that Jesus has done the same for them for eternity.

Now, you can’t do that every time (and there will be more times, lol) or they will begin to think they can “get away” with anything. But what a perfect chance to teach them grace and mercy. There may still be consequences for their actions, but the punishment is removed. Wow! That is what we all have in our judge, lawyer and king.

Have you forgiven yourself? Have you allowed the Lord to remove from you the guilt you are feeling for past sins? Don’t wallow in the mud. Let the fresh, clean waters of forgiveness wash over you today. Walk in newness. Enjoy the grace and mercy bestowed on you today. That is what our Lord has done for us. Hallelujah!