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CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Psalm 10:17 “O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear.”

GODLIKE HEARING

Anyone who has a tv has probably seen the Verizon commercial that was played incessantly for months.  The spokesman would always end the commercial by saying, “Can you hear me now?”  Of course, Verizon was hawking its great coverage plans compared to other carriers.

Isn’t it nice to know that God’s coverage plan does not have ANY gaps.  There are no dead zones.  There is never any dropped coverage.  You will never be in the middle of a prayer and suddenly hear crickets on the other end. God is always listening.  He is always available to hear us.

TEACHING MOMENT

Do your children constantly call your name? Sometimes we just want to be out of ear range.  Come on, admit it.  Sometimes the 100th“why” question can get on our last nerve.  But your children need to know you are hearing them. I promise you the day will come when you will really want them to know you are listening.  The older they get the less they want you to hear them, or so it seems.

For the sake of your future parenting, listen well now.  Make sure they know you are always available to hear their questions.  More importantly, point them to the One who always listens. They need to know early that God is ever mindful of their cries for help.  He is truly inclining His ears toward earth to hear His children.

Are you crying out to the Lord right now? Rest assured He hears.  Sometimes He delays His response.  Sometimes He says, “No” or “Not now.”  But He is always listening.  Trust that.  God does not need a hearing test.  We just need to keep talking.

O Great Listener, incline Your ear towards me today.  Hear my cry for help.  Answer me according to Your perfect Will for my life.

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TELL EVERYONE

Psalm 9:1-2 “1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. 2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

SHOUT IT OUT

How can you read this Psalm and not get excited about telling someone about Jesus?  Look how it starts out.  “I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.”  Do you do that?  With all your heart?  What else do you do with all your heart?  Giving thanks to the Lord should be easy.

All these things the Psalmist mentions here can be heard – give thanks, tell, be glad and exult and sing praise. It’s hard to stay quiet when your heart is full of praise.  It’s hard to keep your mouth shut when you are exalting the Lord.  Let it out!

TEACHING MOMENT

Get your kids together and have a shout fest.  That’s right. Find a time and place when you can “let it all out.”  Make a list of things for which you are thankful as a family.  Then make sure your family knows each one.  One by one shout them out.  Thank God out loud.

Then make a list of people you want to tell about Jesus.  It can be friends, family or someone you don’t know that well.  Then, with your kids, make a plan to tell each one.  Put a date by each name and check with each other to see how the list is doing.  Don’t forget to pray for these people, too.

Are you thankful today?  Are you rejoicing in what the Lord has done for you? Do that right now.  Praise His name.  Make His name known.  Make sure everyone around you knows you are thrilled to be called His child.

Lord, I am guilty too often of not telling others about You. I get lazy.  I get silent.  Forgive me.

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MY REFUGE

Psalm 7:1 “O Lord my God, in You I have taken refuge; save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,”

 A PLACE TO REST

I pray you understand this verse fully. God is our refuge.  He is the place where we can go and rest when it seems the whole world is against us.  He saves us from those who pursue us. He delivers us from evil.  He is there all the time.  The problem is we don’t see it or acknowledge His presence until we are screaming in agony.

David was pursued by Saul for years. Saul wanted him dead.  David knew he was going to be the next king, but I am sure he wondered at times if Saul was going to succeed and thwart God’s plans.  Every time Saul got close, the Lord provided a way of escape for David.  He will do the same for us.

TEACHING MOMENT

If we could only teach our children this principle of refuge while they are young, oh what a difference it would make in their lives.  Instead of worrying and fretting, your little Susie would know to just turn to the Lord. Little Johnny could face his adversaries boldly because he would know that God is fighting this battle for him.

Every time you face a challenge and the Lord brings you through it, make sure your children are aware.  When your family is going through a challenge, get your kids involved in prayer for that.  Let them experience first-hand God’s deliverance and power.  Let them see Him working, even in the smallest of ways.

Are you running away from your enemies? Are you running toward your refuge? Let God show up.  Let Him wipe out those who threaten you.  He will, and He can if we will allow Him to do that.  He keeps His promises.  He is your refuge.

Thank you, Father, for being my refuge.  I know You are there ready to defend me and bring me safely through.  Help me show others Your power in my life.

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MY SHIELD

Psalm 5:12 “For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield.”

 HE SURROUNDS ME

Every shield I have ever seen only covers one side of you.  But this verse says the Lord surrounds us.  Wow! That is incredible.  I would love to have that around me each day. Wait!  I do!  I just have to realize it and live a righteous life.

The Psalmist says the Lord blesses the righteous man.  Thanks be to God that my righteousness does not depend on me. It all comes through Him, through the blood of His Son, Jesus.  His righteousness is given to us, even though we don’t deserve it. So, His shield DOES surround me.

TEACHING MOMENT

Grab a cardboard box and act out this verse with your kids.  Kids love cardboard boxes, don’t they?  Help them make a shield that fits this verse.  Let them decorate it however they want.  But get them to explain why they decorated it the way they did.  Maybe even give them some hints about righteousness.

Make sure that box surrounds them. Now, talk about how the Lord surrounds them.  When are wrapped in His righteousness nothing can touch us.  We are protected by His blood.  The devil cannot touch us unless He goes through His blood.  (Does that make him a saved devil, lol?)

What are you facing today that requires some shielding? Remember, you have the Lord carrying the shield.  He is right there.  He can protect you.  Don’t try this on your own.  There is no need to.

 Thank You, Lord, for enveloping me with Your shield of righteousness. I am so thankful that it is Your righteousness, not mine.  I rest in You.

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PEACEFUL SLEEP

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety.

 SECURE

Do you ever have trouble sleeping at night?  I do. I have restless leg which keeps me from falling asleep, even though I take medication for it.  It is really quite aggravating.  I don’t sleep much anyway, so to lose an hour at the beginning of the night doesn’t help my rest time.

So, you can see why I picked this verse today.  Our ultimate peace comes from the Father.  He is the One who protects and defends us.  That allows us to lie down and sleep in peace.  Knowing that the Lord is watching over us should relieve us and allow us to get a restful night of sleep.

TEACHING MOMENT

When is the last time your little Gertrude called for you in the middle of the night because she had a bad dream? How about your little Johnny? Does he fight sleep because of the fear of a nightmare?  Read them this verse.  Reassure them that not only are you there, but the Lord is always guarding them.

Now, some kids might freak out knowing someone is watching them as they sleep.  Reassure them that the Lord is not some kind of creeper.  He is looking to and fro for the enemy.  He is not as concerned about watching them sleep as He is watching out for any intruders.  He will keep them safe.

Do you allow your “rest” to come over you?  Do you wrestle with thoughts and worries that prevent you from peace?  Lay it all down.  Let the Lord “tuck you in” tonight.  Let Him stand watch.  Sleep, my child, sleep.

Father, I am thankful that You are watching over me as I sleep.  Help me to rest in that.  Today, I lay all my burdens before You.

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GOD’S ONE LIMITATION

Job 34:12 “‘Surely, God will not act wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.’”

 INCAPABLE

 In chapter 34 of Job, Elihu is still at it.  He is seeking to school Job and his friends on what he knows about God.  Although he is completely wrong about Job, he does spout off a few true things about God that are worthy of repeating.  Today’s verse is one of them.

God only has one limitation.  He is incapable of doing evil.  It is a limitation He imposes upon Himself.  He is pure and holy.  He is righteous and good.  There is nothing in Him that can be considered bad.  Everything He does is for our good.  He will remain just and right throughout eternity.  Wouldn’t it be great if we followed Him in this attribute?

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children are born sinners.  I know you don’t want to hear that.  When I held my granddaughter for the first time and looked into her little face, I knew that was true.  It was hard to imagine that she was a sinner by flesh.  It doesn’t take long, however, for us to see the flesh come out.  Sin is present in this world.

Our job as parents is to teach our children to draw near to God.  We are to lay the foundation in their lives for them to be able to hear and respond to God’s calling.  And with that calling, they are to choose to do what is right and holy, just like our Lord. Unlike God, they are very capable of evil.  For them (and us) doing the right thing is a choice.  But it is a choice we must make.

What are you choosing today? Have you chosen evil or good?  I promise you today you will have that choice once again.  Something or someone will cross your path to allow you to make that choice.  Choose good!  Choose to honor and please your Lord today.

Father, I am incapable of doing what is holy without You in my life. My flesh is strong.  My will power is weak. But I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.

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BEST INTENTIONS

Job 33:31-33 “’31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; keep silent, and let me speak. 32 Then if you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. 33 If not, listen to me; keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.’”

LISTEN

Elihu probably meant well.  I don’t know. But sometimes you just need to keep silent and love on the person.  He didn’t know what was really going on with Job.  He supposed, like the other friends, that Job was being punished by God for sin. He could not have known that God was allowing this in Job’s life for a purpose.

Isn’t is funny how we always see the sin in others, but not in ourselves?  We can easily see their faults and failures and walk right over our own.  I have to imagine that Elihu was no perfect angel.  I am sure he had his own sins which needed confessing.

TEACHING MOMENT

Learning to keep our mouth shut is not easy.  As parents, we need to teach our children the skill of listening.  I have counseled many people by just listening. I don’t say a lot.  Our children need to learn to listen fully before commenting.  When they have a friend who needs advice, listen first.

We should teach them to also pray for their friends.  Job needed that.  But his friends didn’t do that.  Teach your children to pray right when someone asks them to. Don’t put it off. Pray while you are with them. That will bless them.

Who do you need to go to today to lend a listening ear?  Don’t make it about you.  Don’t go with an agenda to “help” them.  Simply go as a friend who loves them and wants to be there for them.  If you have to use words, use His.

O God, I am so guilty of judging others.  Help me to see them through Your eyes. Forgive me of my judgmental attitude.

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COVENANT EYES

Job 31:1 “‘”I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?’”

 RESPECT

 It is hard today to not see at least one commercial or advertisement that uses scantily clad men or women to sell a product.  With the access to the internet, it is even more “in our face.”  Even the most innocent searches on the web can open up portals to things your eyes shouldn’t see.

Job was a righteous man.  He had made a covenant with his eyes to not look on another woman with lust.  He knew that was sin and had chosen to guard his spirit.  There is actually an internet filter called “Covenant Eyes” which you can purchase to block some of those images I mentioned earlier.  I wonder if the name came from this verse.

TEACHING MOMENT

We begin teaching our children when they are young to respect other people.  We teach them to say “Yes ma’am” and “No ma’am.”  We even teach young men to open the doors for ladies.  But do we teach them to respect another person’s image?  Do we teach them to look at every person with respect and not as some object?

The next time you and your children have one of those images from a commercial or billboard flash before your eyes, take the time to talk about how it does not honor God.  If we don’t explain what’s wrong with the images, they will accept it as okay.  We certainly don’t want that.  We want them to make a covenant with their eyes, like Job.

Parents, are you guilty of looking at things you shouldn’t?  Are you filling your mind with images that betray your walk with Christ?  If so, put it down.  Pick up the Word.  Make a covenant with your eyes.

Lord, forgive me for not seeing everyone as You see them. Help me teach others the importance of keeping their eyes focused on You.  Help me protect innocent eyes.

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RETURNING THE FAVOR

Esther 8:2b “And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.”

 BLESSING THE PARENTS

Mordecai had certainly sacrificed to take Esther in his home after her parents died. He raised her as his own daughter. Now she is Queen Esther.  Together, they had just foiled Haman’s plot to kill all the Jews.  And Esther returns the favor to her adopted dad, Mordecai.  After Haman was executed, she gave Mordecai his estate.  I bet Mordecai never saw this coming.

It’s that way when our children bless us.  Parents are supposed to do all the blessing, not the children.  So, when our children bless us, especially if it sacrificially, it is overwhelming.  To be blessed by the ones we are raising is truly humbling.

TEACHING MOMENT

 How do children get to that point of being the “blesser”?  They were taught it.  As they watch their parents blessing them and others, they learn to bless.  I am certain that Esther could recall numerous times when Mordecai had sacrificed for her.  Remember, they were in exile.  They were essentially forced refugees.  I am sure life was hard.  But Mordecai took care of her.

Teach your children through your own sacrifice.  Let them observe you making tough choices for them.  Now, don’t hold that over them or remind them of all you are doing. Just do it.  Let them see your humble service to your Lord in caring for them. This will teach them, not your words.

Who do you need to bless today?  Are your parents still alive?  If so, bless them today.  Pay it back. Shock them by doing something special for them today.  When my dad was in his last couple of years I loved to cook him breakfast when I visited. He loved his breakfast.  Simple blessings!

Father, thank You for my parents’ sacrifices for me. Thank You for allowing me to sacrifice for my children.  I pray they will see how that serves You.

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WICKEDNESS REVEALED

Esther 7:6 “Esther said, ‘A foe and an enemy is this wicked Haman!’ Then Haman became terrified before the king and queen.”

 EXPOSED

I love this part of the story.  Haman thought he was “living high on the hog,” as the old saying goes.  He was near the king in power.  He had been feasting privately with the king and queen.  He had arrived, so he thought.  And then the tables were turned on him.

Haman was blindsided by Queen Esther.  She revealed to the king that Haman planned to have even her killed in his revenge against Mordecai and the Jews.  Haman’s best laid plans backfired in his face.  That very day he lost his life.

TEACHING MOMENT

Children need to be taught that scheming against others will be exposed at some point. It may take time, but the truth will be revealed.  Planning evil displeases the Lord.  Planning to sin displeases the Lord.  None of us are perfect.  We will all sin, but we should NEVER plan to sin.

So, what do you do when you discover your child’s intention to harm?  You deal with it immediately.  You cannot let this kind of thing go.  You don’t wait to let them carry out the act. You discipline accordingly and firmly.  “Come on, Carl.  They are just kids.”  Exactly! It is our responsibility to train them. Discipline is part of that.  It is not fun, but it is necessary.

Have you ever schemed against someone?  Maybe as a child you planned how to get back at a sibling.  Maybe as an adult you plotted your revenge against someone who had done you wrong.  Confess that now, if you haven’t already.  You must maintain your fellowship with the Father.  Unconfessed sin breaks that.

Lord, forgive me for harboring resentment against another.  Forgive me for trying to “get even” with others.  Give me Your heart and Your passion to see them come to Christ.

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