Best Verse: Matthew 17:27 “However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”

FISHING

I love to fish, but sometimes it is hard to figure out what the fish are biting.  You have to use the right bait.  Now that could be live bait or an artificial bait.  Either way, if the fish don’t want it, they are not going to bite it.

The first thought I had about this verse was, “What kind of bait was Peter using to catch that fish with money in its mouth?”  I think I want to find that bait and use it here.  I could always use a little extra money.  LOL.  Seriously though, I bet Peter (who was a fisherman) never caught a fish before or after with money in its mouth.

TEACHING MOMENT

So how can we teach our children this verse?  I mean, come on, what lesson does this teach us?  What was Christ doing?  He was obeying the law.  He was paying his taxes.  He just got very creative in doing it.  Our children can learn from this verse that Jesus was obedient to those in power, even if they were scandalous.

It seems a lot of young people today do not respect authority unless they agree with the authority.  Our children must learn to obey the authorities in their lives, unless they are asked to do something illegal or immoral. They may not “like” the person in charge, but they have been placed over them for a reason.

How about you, Mom and Dad? Do you have a boss you don’t like?  Tough!  Submit!  The Lord has placed them in your life for a purpose.  You must allow the Lord to teach you through them.  Perhaps the Lord has placed you there for them.  Will you be obedient to Him?  Submit and allow Jesus to show you how He will use that in your life.

You see, this verse wasn’t about fishing after all!

Matthew 14:35-36 “35 And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent word into all that surrounding district and brought to Him all who were sick; 36 and they implored Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were cured.”

It never ceases to amaze me how I find “brand new” verses in the Bible every year.  But it has happened again.  I don’t recall reading this passage before, even though I know I have.  We all remember the woman who had the issue of blood sneaking up behind Jesus and touching His robe and receiving healing.  But look at this passage.  It says “as many as touched it were cured.”

How many touched it?  Who were they?  What ailment or disease did they have?  It doesn’t mention that Jesus asked who they were.  It just says when the people knew He had come they sent word and brought all the sick to be healed.  All they needed was just a touch of His robe.  Now that is power.

TEACHING MOMENT

What’s the point for us?  How do we teach our children this truth?  Our children need to know that Jesus is there and that He is perfectly fine with them touching Him.  I don’t mean He is physically present, of course, for them to touch.  But He is always available for us to reach out and touch through prayer.  He invites us to touch Him.

One of the best truths we can teach our children is the reliability of the healing power of Jesus.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I am not saying that Jesus is going to heal every boo-boo or scrap they have.  His healing goes much deeper than that. His healing can remove the grief and pain of heartache.  His healing can take away the hurt and anger we have towards someone who has hurt us.  His healing can….

Mom and Dad, do you need to reach out today and touch the fringe of the garment?  Do you need a fresh touch of Jesus?  Won’t you allow Him to surge His healing power through you today?  He wants to.  He, in fact, is inviting you to do just that.  Touch Him today!

Job 8:21 “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting.”

Don’t you just love a good belly laugh?  Some of the funniest videos online are of babies laughing.  I still remember an old one of quadruplets all lying on the bed laughing.  When one started, they all started.  It was impossible to watch that and not smile.

I truly believe the Lord gives us laughter, not just for ourselves, but for others.  He knows if we are joyful and full of laughter we can bring a smile on the face of others.  Bildad, the Shuhite, (who by the way was the shortest man in the Bible.  Shoe height, get it?  Made you smile, didn’t I?) said these words to Job.  Not much of what he said was any good, but these words are certainly true.

TEACHING MOMENT

It’s not hard to teach our children to laugh.  It comes naturally.  But before long the childhood laughter ends due to the influence of the world.  They begin to worry about stuff and get their feelings hurt.  We have to be diligent to keep laughter ringing throughout our homes.  They need to be reminded that laughter is good when it is pure.

What does that mean?  I mean they need to know that we don’t laugh AT people. We laugh WITH people.  We join in with them during those happy times and just bust our gut with laughter.

When is the last time you laughed until you cried?  Don’t remember?  That’s sad.  You need to call up some old friends or go out to eat with some buddies and laugh.  We need that.  God knows that.  Enjoy those laughing times.  It is good for your soul!  Does the Word call it medicine?

Psalm 16:1 “Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.”

I love a nice hedge or bush.  In fact, I have planted or maintained several through all my moves.  One, in particular, reminds me of this verse, though.  When we lived in Florida, our first house had an ugly utility box in the right front corner of the lot, right next to the street.  So, I decided to plant something around it so it would be hidden.  I wanted a nice flowering hedge of some sort, so I picked a bougainvillea.

Do you know anything about bougainvilleas?  Well, it grows pretty fast and has beautiful flowers.  However, it also has large thorns which can tear you up.  What began as a flowering hedge to hide something became a flowering tormentor which “protected” that box.  You see, that word “preserve” in our verse can be translated “put a hedge about.”

TEACHING MOMENT

We can build hedges to hide or protect.  We need to pray a hedge around our children to keep them from harm or evil influences.  Have you ever prayed that?  “Lord, please put a hedge of protection around little Gertrude.”  We need to do that.  We need to ask the Lord to protect their hearts.

But we also need to teach our children to pray that themselves.  They need to learn how to pray for spiritual wisdom and understanding.  There is no better “hedge of protection” than God’s wisdom and understanding.  If they have the mind of God they will make good decisions.

How are you doing, Mom and Dad?  Are you praying that for yourselves?  We can get attacked and brought down.  We need to be praying that for ourselves each day.  Temptations are great.  We must guard our hearts.  No – we must pray for God to guard our hearts with His hedge of protection.  I want the Lord to plant huge, spiritual bougainvilleas around me to keep the enemy away.  How about you?

Job 6:6 “Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the white of an egg?”

TASTELESS

What a strange verse!  In this chapter of Job, Eliphaz has just finished rebuking Job, and now Job is responding.  But why did he say this?  Salt and eggs?  Really?  What is he trying to say?

Many commentators believe Job is saying that his suffering must be accompanied with grieving or lamentations, just like salt must accompany food to give it flavor.  Perhaps that is it.  We can’t be sure.  But we do know that every Word of God is meant to teach us, right?    Certain things are meant to go together.  When we suffer, it is natural to grieve.  That’s okay.

TEACHING MOMENT

So here is a challenge for you. How do you teach this truth to your children?  The next time you are boiling eggs for something, show your children the egg white.  Let them taste it (if they don’t have an egg allergy, lol).  Let them see how tasteless it is.  Then read this passage to them.  They will probably be amazed this verse is even in the Bible.

Then explain the meaning of the verse to them.  It is not about an egg white being tasteless.  It’s all about how, even in a simple illustration like this, God’s Word points us to another truth.  Certain things are meant to go together.  It’s okay to be sad when bad things happen.  It’s okay to cry.  But we can’t stay there.  We have to allow the Lord to be our Healer.

Are you living a tasteless life?  Are you so down and depressed that the whole world seems without flavor?  God does not want you to stay in that place.  Yes, we are flesh, and we respond emotionally to events in our lives.  But we have a God Who cares deeply for us.  He gives us the flavor we need to keep living.  He gives us the salt for those tasteless times.  After all, don’t you like a little salt on your food?  Let God supply it for you.

Matthew 9:27-31 “27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ 28 When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ 29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘It shall be done to you according to your faith.’  30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: ‘See that no one knows about this!’ 31 But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land.”

CAN’T KEEP A SECRET

Several times in the Scriptures we read that Jesus tells someone He has just healed to NOT tell anyone what He has done.  I am sure Jesus knew they would not be able to keep that secret.  After all, look at this story.  These men were blind.  When they showed up seeing, don’t you think the questions would start flying?  And how about the people (who aren’t mentioned in the story) who saw this this happen?  Don’t you think they were telling everyone what they saw?

Jesus did this “according to” their faith.  He saw they believed in Him, not just to heal their sight, but they believed in Him.  We do not know what happened to these two men, but I have to believe they were followers of Christ from that day forward. One day we will know, won’t we?

TEACHING MOMENT

Children love these stories of Christ.  But they need to know the real reason for them.  They aren’t just miraculous stories of healing.  They have a much deeper meaning.  Jesus healed because of their faith, not to impress the crowd.  Jesus heals our hearts today because of our faith which we have placed in Him as our Savior.  He doesn’t save us to use us a trophy for others to see.  He wants no recognition, except to be known as the Savior of mankind.

Will you commit to telling others what He has healed you of?  You also were blind, but He has given you heavenly eyes.  You were deaf to the truth until He opened your ears to hear His voice.  You were mute with no words to express your love until He touched your tongue with His Spirt and gave you His words to spread to everyone.  Rejoice in His healing powers of salvation in your life.  And, by all means, tell someone!

Job 4:5 “But now it has come to you, and you are impatient; It touches you, and you are dismayed.”

I have often wondered what I could get out of Job’s chapters in which his friends speak.  Their counsel was so misinformed.  They truly believed, because Job was suffering, he had some secret sin that he just refused to confess.

But here, Eliphaz, one of his friends, says something that can be so true, even today.  Have you ever encouraged someone who was suffering, but when the tables are turned you forget the comforting words you shared with others?  It’s one thing to see others hurting and to reach out to them.  It’s a whole other world when it’s you.  Right?  That is what Eliphaz is saying to Job.  “Take your own advice.”

TEACHING MOMENT

I have seen this so much in children through the years.  When a child’s friend is hurting they are quick to come alongside them and try to comfort them.  But when they get hurt, say by being dumped by a boyfriend or girlfriend, their whole world crumbles.

Mom and Dad, you must be like Eliphaz here and remind your children how compassionate they were for their friends.  Remind them of the words they used to comfort their friends.  Allow them to grieve appropriately, but remind them of their greatest friend, Jesus.  He always has the right words to say.

How about yourselves?  Are you allowing the comforting words of the Lord to advise you?  Are you seeking wisdom from His Word daily?  There is no better source of guidance and truth.  Friends can help you through hard times, but there is one who sticks closer than a brother, remember?  Let Him be your advisor and comforter.

Matthew 4:1 “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”

SPIRIT LED

Does it seem odd to you that Jesus was led up by the Spirit to be tempted?  What?  Why?  Doesn’t that fly in the face of everything we have ever heard about God and the Holy Spirit?   Well, you have to know what the word “tempted” really means.  It can also mean test, as in a positive way.

Jesus wasn’t tempted toward evil.  He was being tested, not for His benefit, but to show the devil that he had no power over the Son of God in human form.  Satan probably thought this was his chance.  Surely, the fleshly body of God would yield to the physical and emotional temptations.  But nope, not this time and not any time.  Jesus was above any test or temptation.

TEACHING MOMENT

As parents we have the responsibility to teach our children how to resist the temptations to do wrong.  The older they get, the harder it gets.  I am so thankful my kids are grown and that I didn’t have to grow up in this age.  But God is still God.  He still has the power over temptations.

As believers, your children have all the power necessary to yield to the Spirit of God rather than to the temptations of the world.  If they aren’t believers or are not yielded, they have no ability to refrain from the evil influences.  We have to be so diligent to teach them to surrender daily, moment by moment, to the Holy Spirit.  They are virtually running on empty against the forces of evil without the Holy Spirit in their lives.  But thanks be to God, that He is able to draw them and influence them toward heavenly things.

We are a part of that.  We have to live our lives pointing our children heavenward.  We have to guard our tongues and our actions so they see Jesus in us.  We are helping the Lord to shape their spirits by the way we ourselves yield to Him daily.

Have you yielded your life today?  Have you asked the God of the universe to fill you with a fresh filling of His Spirit to resist the temptations of the world around you?  Little eyes and little ears are watching and listening.

Matthew 2:17 “and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.’”

WELL DONE

Have you ever wondered why Jesus was baptized?  He had no need to be.  We get baptized to show everyone we have made a public profession of faith in Christ as our Savior.  He certainly wasn’t doing that.  So why?  Simple – He wanted to please His Father.

And what did God do?  He spoke from heaven.  God, the Father, said to God, the Son, that He was pleased.  One part of God said to the other part of God, “That was good.”  I don’t even begin to understand all the complexities of the Trinity.  I just know Jesus was being obedient to His Father.

TEACHING MOMENT

I think this lesson could teach itself to our children.  Obedience is the theme.  Do your children need to learn obedience?  Perhaps your children are getting into the tween or teen years.  Obedience is certainly a major issue with most kids at that age.  You should show them this passage.  If they are believers, they need to see that even Jesus chose obedience.

Kids today are less and less obedient, it seems.  But I don’t blame the children.  Children have always been children.  We parents are the ones who have allowed our children to become disobedient, for the most part.  I know there are exceptions, but we are the ones who have allowed the world to dictate to us how to raise our children.  Stop it.  Let the Word guide you.

But maybe the problem isn’t the children.  Are you being obedient?  Are you allowing the Lord to guide you?  Do you rebel at His commands?  We must allow the Lord to speak to our hearts and direct our path.  After all, don’t you want to hear, “This is My beloved child, in whom I am well-pleased”?

Matthew 1:5 “Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.”

GOD CAN USE ANYONE

The first part of Matthew gives us the genealogy of Jesus. You may find that boring, but I think it is so interesting.  I have been trying to research my family tree, so anytime I see a genealogy I try to learn something.

This verse caught my eye today because of the women mentioned.  Do you see it?  King David’s father was Jesse.  But look who his great grandmother was – Ruth, the Moabite.  And David’s great, great grandmother was Rahab, the harlot from Jericho.  Wow!  Tell me God can’t use you!  If the God of the universe used a harlot and a Moabite in line of Jesus, He can use anyone He wants.

TEACHING MOMENT

This is a great story to share with our kids.  You may not want to go into great detail about Rahab’s career choice, but you can definitely talk about them being pagans whom God called into His family.  Your children need to know that God can use them, just like they are. He has a plan for their lives. They just have to yield to Him.

Perhaps your little Leroy is farsighted.  So what?  God can use that.  Maybe Susie is short.  Big deal!  God can use that.  It does not matter what “deficiency” the world may say your child has.  God can take them and use them for greatness.  Do you really think Rahab and Ruth knew the Messiah would come through them?  I don’t think so.

Are you allowing the Lord to use you, Mom and Dad?  Are you allowing Him to take your shortcomings and make them strengths?  Are you bowing your will to His?  Stop making excuses and let Him use you.  He will!