Psalm 6:9 “The Lord has heard my supplication, the Lord receives my prayer.”

ALWAYS LISTENING

The older I get the more I appreciate good hearing.  I have lost some hearing of high tones in my left ear which can be so aggravating.  But I am so thankful that I can still hear.  I have friends who can’t hear at all and others who need to wear hearing aids.

But the thing I am most thankful for is that I know my God has perfect hearing.  He is always listening for me.  His hearing is absolute.  He can hear me and everyone else in the world who calls on Him.  When someone calls on Him for salvation He is quick to send His Holy Spirit.  When one of His children needs assistance, He is there, listening and directing His angels to respond accordingly.  He doesn’t always answer in the way we want, but He does listen.

TEACHING MOMENT

Has your child ever said, “Dad, are you listening to me?”  I use to get that from mine.  If I am reading or watching television, I have to redirect my hearing.  I cannot focus on a conversation and read or watch something.  I bet your children can’t either.  What a perfect time to use this verse.  Remind them that God is always listening.  He is always attentive.

We need to teach our children to talk to God knowing that He is listening.  When they begin their prayers He is already waiting to hear them.  As they pray He is preparing to answer.  He has the ability to multi-task, unlike the rest of us.

Will you allow the Lord to hear from you today?  Will you speak to Him like He is sitting right next to you?  Open your heart to Him today.  He wants to hear your needs.  He wants to hear your struggles. He wants to work in your life.  But you have to let Him.

Give it all to Him today!  Let Him bend His ear towards earth to hear your heartfelt prayers and supplications.  He is waiting.

Judges 17:3-4 “3 He then returned the eleven hundred pieces of silver to his mother, and his mother said, ‘I wholly dedicate the silver from my hand to the Lord for my son to make a graven image and a molten image; now therefore, I will return them to you.’ 4 So when he returned the silver to his mother, his mother took two hundred pieces of silver and gave them to the silversmith who made them into a graven image and a molten image, and they were in the house of Micah.”

NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH

Did you ever notice in this story about Micah how his mother lied?  Micah had taken 1100 pieces of silver from her.  When he returned it she said she would dedicate it the Lord.  But she actually only used 200 for the image.  What happened to the other 900 pieces?

We parents will often tell our children one thing but do another.  We think because we are the adult we can do what we want, even if that is not exactly what we expect from our children.  Wrong!  Wrong!  Wrong!  We have to be above reproach, especially when it comes to setting the example for our children.

TEACHING MOMENT

The best way to teach this truth is by living it out for our kids.  When we tell them not to lie, we shouldn’t tell them to tell someone we are not home when we are, just to avoid a phone call.  When we are at the store and we buy something that we know our spouse wouldn’t approve of, we don’t tell them to not tell Mommy.  We can’t do those things and then get on to them when they tell us a lie.

Micah’s mother set a poor example for him.  You should read the rest of the story about Micah to see how his life turned out.  Not great.  And his momma has part of the blame, I believe.  Parents have to set the example for their children.

Are you doing that for your children?  Are you hiding things from them that you wouldn’t want them to do?  Moms and Dads, don’t ever ask your children to lie for you, even if that lie is an “innocent lie.”  There are no innocent lies, just lies.

Be the person in Christ you want your children to grow up to be.  Show them how Christ can live in and through you so they will allow Him to do the same in them.

Judges 16:17 “So he told her all that was in his heart and said to her, ‘A razor has never come on my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, then my strength will leave me and I will become weak and be like any other man.’”

SHAVEN

My wife almost always hates it when I get my hair cut.  I like it short, and she likes it a little longer.  I especially like it short when it’s hot out.  It just makes it easier to wipe off and go!

But unlike Samson, I know my strength is NOT in my hair.  Samson, mistakenly but his confidence in his outside appearance (his hair) and thought because he didn’t cut his hair due to the Nazarite vow, he was okay with God.  But, if you read the whole story about Samson, you realize his life was nothing close to the life of a Nazarite.

TEACHING MOMENT

What a great story to use to teach our children about obedience to God.  Obedience has nothing to do with how we look on the outside.  God is only interested in the heart.  Now, should we keep up our appearance and look respectable?  Sure!  I truly believe the Lord wants us to present ourselves so as to not offend anyone.  But our holiness is not tied to our appearance.

Your children are going to push the limits with their desires for dress or appearance.  You may face that challenge of piercings, tattoos and shaven heads.  Remind your children that they, as believers, are representing the Lord in how they look.  If they have a peace about their decision after truly searching the Scriptures and praying, then we must trust their decision.  Of course, I am talking about an older child who has that ability.

But, before you judge your child, how about you?  Are you keeping your body physically fit to honor the Lord?  Sometimes we are so quick to judge others, including our own children, while we aren’t doing our best to represent the Lord.

Lord, take ALL of me.  Let my life honor you in all I do and all I am.

Psalm 3:3 “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.”

SHIELD

When you read this verse, how do you picture the Lord as your shield?  Do you picture Him as Captain America holding a shield in front of you to ward off any attacks?  Or do you see Him as someone with a sword in one hand and the shield in the other?

I see Him ALL AROUND ME.  The verse says “a shield about me.”  I can envision Him above, below, beside, in front and behind.  NOTHING can touch me unless He allows it.  That is so comforting. That allows me to relax and just follow Him, even if following Him means I walk headlong into a battle.

TEACHING MOMENT

When we teach our children the all-encompassing love and protection of the Lord, this is a great verse to use.  You can even physically show this to them by wrapping them in bubble wrap. Just kidding.  But wouldn’t that be cool?  I bet they wouldn’t forget that.  Lol

Our children do need to understand that, as believers, God is our Protector.  He is our Deliverer.  He is the One who lifts our head, as the verse says.  He picks us up when we have fallen.  He is ALWAYS there, even when we don’t think He is.

How are you doing with this truth, Mom and Dad?  Are you trusting Him as your shield?  Do you believe He is there defending you?  If so, then live like it.  Allow the Lord to surround you with His protection.  Stay inside that protective “bubble.”  Don’t step out, unless He tells you to.

We struggle with wanting to defend ourselves.  But we are no match for our spiritual enemies unless we allow Jesus to defend us.  The puniest demon can whip us any day.  But with Christ as our defender, we can take on the gates of hell with a water pistol and extinguish those fiery darts sent by Satan himself.

Our Shield!  Our Defender!  Our Comforter!

Judges 11:29a “Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah…”

SON OF A HARLOT

Jephthah was a judge of Israel.  What is so interesting about this judge, though, is he was born of a harlot out of wedlock.  He wasn’t the image of the one to be chosen to be a judge of Israel.  But God used him to deliver the children of Israel from the Ammonites who threatened to take back part of the land which the Lord had given to them.

But notice what happens BEFORE he goes to battle.  This verse says, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah.”  The Spirit of the Lord does not come upon someone unless He has blessed them and given them His power to carry out a divine task.  My point is this:  God even use the illegitimate son of a harlot.  God can use anyone He desires to accomplish His Will.  We just have to be willing.

TEACHING MOMENT

I think the object lesson for today is pretty clear.  We need to teach our children that God can use anything or anyone He wants.  God can choose them to accomplish great things for Him, if they will just surrender to His Will.  He can empower them through His Holy Spirit to do what they never thought was possible.

And they will have one advantage over Jephthah.  In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did not live in the hearts of the people He indwelt.  He would come and go, only empowering them at certain times.  As Christians, your children ALWAYS have the Holy Spirit living in them, thus they always have His power.

Do you believe that?  Do you understand that, as a believer in Christ, you have access to the Holy Spirit at all times?  He lives in you.  He empowers you.  He comforts you.  He emboldens you.  So why aren’t you living in His power?  Why aren’t you walking confidently before your enemies?

We all have bad days.  We all face challenges.  But, as believers, we have NO EXCUSE for not walking right into the battles before us knowing that God is with us.  He indwells us.  And He will fight our enemies for us.  Just like Jephthah, who was chosen by God for a specific purpose, we have been chosen by Him before the foundation of the world.  We have a purpose.

What is your purpose?  Why has God chosen you?  Why is His Holy Spirit living in you?  Ask Him today.  He will show you.

Ephesians 5:13 “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.”

IN PLAIN VIEW

Have you ever walked into a room and flipped on the light only to see roaches scurrying to hide?  Not only is that gross, it is also unhealthy.  Those little critters carry germs that can spread.  You have to spray and spray to get rid of them, right?  Isn’t it interesting that you seldom see them during the day or when the light is on?  Hmmm.

You know, sin is kind of like that.  Most sins we commit are done in private, in the dark.  We don’t want others to see us sinning.  We don’t want to admit that we are sinners.  We try to hide from the exposure of our sins, especially from God.  But those sins, left “unsprayed” will spread “germs” just like those roaches.  Only a through cleansing will rid us of the spread of more and more sin in our lives.

TEACHING MOMENT     

I bet your children have seen a roach before.  If not, they will.  You just can’t keep them out of your house.  After little Susie stops screaming (lol), talk to her about how these little roaches are like our sins.  I bet she will never look at a roach again in the same way.

Our children need to know that they should keep their life clear of sin.  Just like we need to have regular cleaning and spraying to prevent roaches, we need to have regular confession to God to keep our spiritual life free of hidden sins.  Help them learn how to ask for that from the Father.

Where are the “roaches” in your life?  Are they still scurrying about, hidden from the light?  You need to confess those sins.  You need to shine the light of God’s forgiveness on them.  Ignoring them won’t make them go away.  That only allows more to come.

Father, forgive me of those hidden things in my life.  Shine the light of Your Truth on my life so all those “scurrying” things will be exposed and dealt with.

Judges 7:7 “The Lord said to Gideon, ‘I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.’”

CRUDE COMPARISON

Don’t you just love this story of Gideon and how the Lord chose the men who would fight with him?  He starts out with 22,000 men and ends up with 300.  300!  Now that’s a huge RIF (Reduction in Force).  There would be no mistaking the fact that it would be God who delivered Israel and not their huge army.

But God uses how they drank to pick them.  Those who knelt at the water (9,700) were sent home. Only those who lapped the water with their tongue, like a dog, (300) were chosen.  So, being looked at like a dog was a good thing here.  I just find that strange.

TEACHING MOMENT

Of course, the lesson for our children in this verse is obvious.  Drink like a dog.  No, just kidding.  The lesson is to allow the Lord to decide how you fight your battles.  God has a bigger plan than yours.  He can see the end result – we can’t.  He can see the outcome. In fact, He can see the outcome, however we chose to obey.  But He wants to direct us in His way.

This is a fun verse to act out with your kids.  They will probably think you are silly and maybe a little crazy as you show them how these 300 lapped their water.  But they will remember the verse.  Just make sure you make the application that goes with it.

So, are you lapping or kneeling?  Are you allowing the Lord to direct you and chose you?  Are you alert for the enemies around you or are you looking down and unaware?  These are great questions to get you thinking about your circumstance.

Do you think Gideon was concerned about the Lord’s tactics?  Perhaps, but the Lord gave him specific instructions for the battle.  He basically said to Gideon, “Do it my way and you will be victorious.”  He is still saying that today.

Will you follow the Lord, no matter how illogical it sounds?  Will you trust Him in the battle?

Judges 5:31c “And the land was undisturbed for forty years.”

NO WAR

This probably seems like a strange verse to use today.  It is the last part of the last verse in Judges 5 which is the “Song of Deborah” after they had defeated the army of Jabin, king of Hazor in Canaan.  You really should read Judges 4-5 to get the full picture.  But the story ends with this short phrase, “And the land was undisturbed for forty years.”

I was thinking about my country, America.  We have been at war with terrorism since 2001 – 16 years.  How sweet would it be if we could have forty years of peace?  Doesn’t that sound great?  No young men or women would be sent into harm’s way.  No deaths due to battle.  Billions of dollars could be used for other purposes.

Don’t hear me wrong.  I am not against the war on terror.  We have to defend ourselves, and we have to fight against evil.  I guess I am just a little jealous of the forty years of peace Israel experienced here.

TEACHING MOMENT

This might be a little challenging to teach to your kids.  But hey, how about this?  The next time your children get into one of those knock down-drag out fights that only siblings can get into, pull this verse out.  Tell them, “I wish I could have forty minutes of peace in this house!”  lol

Seriously, our children do need to learn to experience peace.  That only comes from obedience to God and resting in Him.  The Israelites’ peace came after obeying God and listening to Deborah, the judge at the time.  That is definitely a lesson worth learning.

Are you at peace today?  Or are you reaping the turmoil of disobedience like the Israelites were under Jabin?  Aren’t you tired of fighting?  Won’t you allow the Lord to direct your steps toward peace?

He wants to give you rest.  He desires that for you.  He wants to lead you beside still waters.  Take His hand.  He will lead!

Ephesians 2:8-9 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” 

YOU CAN’T CLAIM THIS

Did you really read the verses today?  Read them again.  Salvation is a gift.  There is NOTHING you can do to earn it.  No amount of works or good deeds will get you there.  You can’t say, “Look what I did.”  Every other religion in the world demands that you “do” for your god.  Not Christ.  He DID it all for you!

So, the question is, “Why don’t people want this gift?”  I mean, think about it.  How many people turn down a gift.  It is expressly given to them.  This gift is always the right size, color and usefulness.  But people reject it every day.

TEACHING MOMENT

When is your child(ren)’s birthday?  How do you celebrate it?  I bet that day involves gifts, right?  Of course, it does.  You want to bless your child for being born into your family.  On that special day, why not share this passage with them?  As you give them their birthday gift, remind them of the gift of salvation that the Lord Jesus died to give them.

I have never met a child yet who doesn’t want a free gift.  They love to open gifts.  This gift of salvation requires some explanation, but make sure they understand that they can never earn it.  It has to be received freely.

Have you received this gift?  “Sure I have Carl.  I’m reading this devotion, aren’t I?”  Reading the Bible or a devotional doesn’t save you. You have to deliberately say to the Father, “I am a sinner and I need your gift of salvation.”  Then and only then can the Father give you this gift.  Don’t you want it?

Father, thank you for the gift of salvation.  Thank you that your storehouse of salvation never gets low.  You have enough “gifts” for everyone on this planet.  Help me be more deliberate about sharing these gifts with others.

Will you share the gift with someone today?

Judges 1:19 “Now the Lord was with Judah, and they took possession of the hill country; but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had iron chariots.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

I want to you to take a look at this verse today and then look at the following verses also (21, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35).  What do they have in common?  The sons of Israel failed to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan, which is EXACTLY what the Lord told them to do.  The task got a little hard, and they quit.

God had clearly told them to clear the land of the current inhabitants.  He knew what would happen if they didn’t.  As you read Judges, you see how they were influenced by these pagans to compromise and incorporate their gods into their lives.  Hmmmm, sounds familiar.

TEACHING MOMENT     

If there is one warning we need to give our children, it is this – DON’T COMPROMISE YOUR FAITH.  The church has been doing that too long.  Our children are pressured to accept all kinds of “faith” as valid.  It’s not.  Only Jesus can save them.  Only Jesus can give them life.  Only Jesus can lead them to the Father.

When your little Gertrude or Elrod comes home from school stating how they learned that all religions are equal, correct that quickly.  When they tell you that their teacher or friend says there is more than just one way to heaven, correct that on the spot.  Don’t let these “false teachings” gain a foothold in your child’s life.

What have you allowed to water down your faith?  What have you compromised on in your spiritual walk with Christ?  “Well Carl, it’s just too hard to being so dogmatic.”  Well yes!  Of course it is!  What did you expect when you surrendered to Him?  He demands obedience. He expects us to follow ONLY Him.

I want to challenge you today to take a look at what you believe and why.  Do all your beliefs and convictions hold up to Scripture.  There is only one absolute truth – His Word!