1 Chronicles 26:4-5 “4 Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, Sacar the fourth, Nethanel the fifth, 5 Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh and Peullethai the eighth; God had indeed blessed him.”
OBEDIENCE BRINGS BLESSINGS
If you just read these verses you may think, “Big deal! He had eight sons. Why does that mean God blessed him?” Well, you have to go back a little further in the story. Obed-edom was the man who kept the ark after the incident when David was moving it the first time and the cart tilted and Uzziah put his hand out to stop the ark from falling and was killed on the spot. Remember? He welcomed the ark into his home after that.
But then Obed-edom followed the ark to Jerusalem when it was moved the second time by David (this time the proper way by hand). He could have stayed in his home, but he wanted to be near the presence of the Lord. Can you imagine having the ark in your home? How could he not follow it?
TEACHING MOMENT
We don’t have an ark to follow today. As followers of Christ, we have something even better. We have the presence of God in our lives through the Holy Spirit. And it will never leave us. That is the message for your children. God blessed Obed-edom for his obedience and faith. God will bless us for the same reason.
It is so exciting to know that no matter where we go, He is with us. Your children need to understand that and believe that. No matter how they are feeling, He is there. No matter what is happening around them, He is there. We just have to acknowledge His presence and rest in it.
Are you aware of His presence today? Do you feel Him working in and through you? He will, if you will let Him. Even though He is there, He will not force Himself on you. He will not turn you into some sort of spiritual robot. But when you yield, He works miracles.
