Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.”

WRONG BELIEFS

I know, I know.  You are probably saying, “You shouldn’t use that word “stupid.”  Well, it just so happens that the Hebrew word nabal means just that – stupid, foolish.  Do you remember David’s wife, Abigail?  Her first husband was named Nabal.  He was named properly as he was foolish and stupid.

But look at this verse.  It says anyone who doesn’t believe in God is stupid or foolish.  That may seem harsh, but I didn’t say it.  God did.  The world tells us we are stupid for believing in God.  They say we are deceived and weak for believing such an entity exists.  They just don’t get it.  They will continue to do no good and to mock their very Creator.

TEACHING MOMENT

Now, I agree we shouldn’t use that word “stupid” around our children, and we certainly shouldn’t call them that name or allow them to use it toward others.  However, we should make sure they know that God considers anyone foolish who refuses to believe in Him.  How does a fool stop being a fool?  He gets educated.  He learns the truth.  And our children need to be taught how to share this truth, this stupid eraser, with someone.

Truth erases ignorance if it’s accepted.  Stupidity can be “healed” if the person will hear and believe.  What better lesson for our children to learn and experience.  How I long for all God’s children to learn the truth.

So, let me ask you a question.  Are you stupid?  Are you foolish?  “Wow, Carl, that’s kind of harsh.”  God says you are if you refuse to believe in Him.  Are you tired of feeling that way?  Then simply take Him at His word.  Let Him educate you.  Let Him show you the truth.  But you must accept it.

Father, let me not be like one of the foolish.  Help me to trust you completely and allow your wisdom to flood over me.

Nehemiah 12:31,38: “31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great choirs, the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall…  38 The second choir proceeded to the left,..” 

REJOICING

These probably seem like strange verses to select to write a devotional about.  Well, I’m just strange like that.  Lol.  Seriously, you have to ready all of Nehemiah to understand why I selected these verses.  They had been rebuilding the wall and getting everything prepared to re-establish worship in Jerusalem.  What better way to celebrate than to have a parade?

So, Nehemiah gets two choirs on top of the wall, and they begin to march around the city singing and praising God.  Everyone in the city could see them and hear them.  He wanted to make sure everyone could take part in this celebration of praise.  Walking the wall also was a strong visual of what the Lord had done through them.  Rebuilding that wall was a huge!

TEACHING MOMENT

Teaching our children to celebrate big movements of God in their lives is important.  They should let everyone know it was God!  Giving praise to Him can encourage others to trust Him.  Giving praise to Him encourages their hearts to continue to trust Him.  And giving praise to Him can point the lost towards Him.

What spiritual victory has your children experienced lately?  How can you help them direct all the praise to the Father?  Why not have a parade around your house?  Get some “instruments” and come up with a song you all can sing to praise God.  I guarantee your children won’t soon forget that parade.

Are you marching in praise today?  Or are you sulking about what God “hasn’t done” for you?  Take a moment and reflect on all that He has done.  Then have a parade in your own mind.  Praise the One who is able to do more than you can ever imagine.  Let Him be your object of praise today.

God, You are the one who has brought me through.  You are the one who defeats my enemies.  You are the one who gives me strength.  For that, I will praise You!

Nehemiah 9:32a “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness, do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You,”

HE’S STILL THERE

The ninth chapter of Nehemiah contains a story presented by some of the Levites who were standing before the people.  They recited the history of Jehovah God with His people.  They covered the whole story.  But the purpose of this story isn’t just a history lesson.  It’s a reminder that God is still with them.

The people hearing this story had returned from Babylonian exile to a city and nation that was unknown to them.  They had the bloodline to be called Jews, but did they understand why?  Most of them did not.  They were Jews just because they were Jews.  That is not enough.

TEACHING MOMENT

As believing parents, we have the responsibility to pass down to the next generation our heritage in Christ.  They say the extinction of the church is only one generation away, unless we continue to share the Good News.  Our children need to understand where they come from.  They need to know how and why we came to Christ.

Passing down our earthly heritage is fine.  But passing down a spiritual lineage is so much better.  I am thrilled to know that my grandchildren have all come to Christ.  I am praying even now for their children to come to Christ.  We parents must do that.

Are you passing down your spiritual heritage?  Are you doing all the Lord wants you to do to make sure your children and grandchildren come to Christ and continue the legacy of faith?  Spend some time around the table with your family, perhaps at an upcoming holiday, sharing your family’s lineage in Christ.

The joy, O God, of knowing You as Father is overwhelming at times.  Help me to refresh the memories of my family’s journey of faith with my children and grandchildren.  Show me how to instill in them the truths I have learned along the way.

Nehemiah 6:14 “Remember, O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat according to these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets who were trying to frighten me.”

GOD CAN HANDLE THEM

Wow!  You really need to read all of chapters 5 and 6 of Nehemiah.  Today’s verse is just a snippet (don’t you love that word?) of what Nehemiah was up against.  Tobiah and Sanballat, especially, were out to get him.  They did not want to see the wall rebuilt around Jerusalem.  They were lying about him, threatening him and trying to deceive him.  They even bribed a prophet to give him false messages from God.

You see, it wasn’t about what Nehemiah was doing.  It was about for whom he was doing it.  Nehemiah was focused on pleasing God, and darkness can’t stand that.  As governor of Judah with the backing of Artaxerxes, he could have had them arrested or killed.  But he left them in God’s hands.

TEACHING MOMENT

This a wonderful truth for our children to learn.  Let God handle your enemies.  Your child’s job is to please the Master.  If they are doing that, He will handle their adversaries.  Now, He may not handle them in the way they would, but He will handle them when He is ready.  Remember, they are operating out of darkness.  Our children need to realize that.  What do lost sinners do?  They sin.  We should expect no less.

Perhaps, though, our submission to God may draw them to Him.  You just never know.  When your little Johnny or Susie is facing a bully, remind them to love them.  Why?  Because Jesus does.  Will that bully accept that?  Probably not at first.  Pray with your child about that bully.  Mention them by name in their bedtime prayers.  Let them be the focus of intentional prayer.  But let God handle their consequences.

Father and Righteous Judge, You are more than capable of handling my enemies.  Help me to get out of the way and let You work in their lives like You did in mine.  I was once Your enemy, but you loved me to You.

Nehemiah 1:6a “let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night,…”

PERKED UP EARS

Our family used to have a dog named Reese.  He was a good dog, and we all loved him.  Reese would lay in the floor near where we sat, and if we called his name, his ears would lift up and he would turn his head to look at us.  Sometimes, when he was sleeping near me on the floor, I would whisper his name just to see his ears twitch.  It seemed he was listening even in his sleep.

Nehemiah is beseeching Jehovah God to listen to his prayers.  Remember, Nehemiah is in captivity in Babylon.  He was the king’s cupbearer, a servant.  He probably felt most of his life that God had stopped listening to him.  But with the news of the condition of Jerusalem, he was begging God’s ear.

TEACHING MOMENT

Children need to know that they always have our ear.  They need to know they can always talk to us, no matter what they may have done.  They also need to know that as a child of God they always have God’s ear.  This story of Nehemiah is a great story of how God heard and responded.  He stirred King Artaxerxes’ heart to let Nehemiah return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.  God can do ANYTHING.

Listening is an art.  I often do not listen closely when my wife speaks to me.  We may be watching television and I am engrossed in a show.  I simply don’t hear her until she throws a shoe at me.  Just kidding.  She will usually ask, “Are you listening?”  I need to be better about hearing her, right?

Aren’t you glad we don’t have to wave our hands and jump up and down (or throw a shoe) to get God’s attention?  He is ALWAYS listening.  He is always ready to respond to our need, if we come to Him with humility acknowledging His place in our lives.  He wants to hear us.  He wants to listen to us.  But we have to be deliberate about talking to Him.  Have you been deliberate lately?

Father, help me to focus my prayer time and not be distracted by other things.  Thank You that You are always listening.  Your ear is always bent earthward to hear the prayers of Your children.

Ezra 10:1 “Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly.”

OTHERS CAN SEE BROKENNESS

Let me set the scene for you.  Ezra returns to Jerusalem and discovers that many of the Jews had intermarried with the pagans, against God’s command.  He tears his clothes, pulls out some of his hair and beard and lies down before the Lord and begs God’s forgiveness.

People are watching him and obviously fall under conviction.  Seeing Ezra repent in brokenness moved them to repentance.  This was no small feat and one Ezra could not have done except for the movement of the Spirit of God on the people.  God used Ezra to model a repentant spirit.

TEACHING MOMENT

Children are watching us.  They watch to see how we repent.  When we blow it and they see that, they watch to see if and when we will make it right.  When we publicly blow it we need to make sure our children know of our repentance.  They also need to hear us praying for their repentance when they have sinned against the Lord.  Our prayers can move them to repentance.  We can’t confess the sin for them (I know some of you hover parents want to, lol), but we can lead them to the very throne of grace.

As you model and teach repentance, make sure you are not doing it just to show your children.  Make sure your repentance is real.  Make sure your repentance can be seen in changed behavior.  Lead your children in that way and they will have a huge head start on developing a broken and contrite heart.

Are you keeping your heart clean and useable through confession of sin?  When you sin against your child through a harsh word or action, do you ask the Lord to forgive you and do you ask your child to forgive you?  Humbling yourself before your God in the presence of your child may seem like an act of weakness.  It’s not!  It’s a sign of strength!

Lord, my God, You are my only source of strength.  To You I bow my knees in confession and brokenness.  Teach me to be an example of a repentant heart to my children and others.

Ezra 7:6 “This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.”

GOD IS MY CO-PILOT?

You have probably seen that bumper sticker – God is my Co-pilot.  Well, there is just one thing wrong with that statement.  God needs to be the pilot, and we should be the passenger.  If we let God do the driving, we are much more likely to stay on the right course.  The moment we take over navigating or steering we are doomed.

Ezra was sent back to Jerusalem from Babylon by King Artaxerxes.  But he didn’t go alone.  He had lots of traveling companions.  However, the first one mentioned is God.  The verse says, “the hand of the Lord his God was upon him.”  Ezra was safe and secure because his God was with him.  Now that is a great traveling buddy.

TEACHING MOMENT

Your children are going to grow up and leave home.  Okay, grab a tissue and go ahead and cry, Moms.  Our job is to prepare them to leave and to live independently.  Well, not quite independently.  They need to continue to rely on our Lord.  He needs to be living and traveling with them, wherever they go.

If we teach our children to invite the Lord Jesus to live in and through them, then they are much more likely to succeed in life.  Does that mean they won’t have hard times?  Of course not.  But even the bad times will make sense if they know that it is the Lord who has is leading the way.

What are you going through right now?  Are you in a place due to your steering or God’s?  If you got yourself there, stop and give the wheel to Him.  If He led you there, then just watch what He does as you trust Him each day.  God does not play game with us.  He does everything with intentionality, including your life decisions.

God, You are my PILOT!  Take me wherever and whenever You want.  I trust that You know best.  I am just along for the ride.

Ezra 5:1-2 “1 When the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them, 2 then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and the prophets of God were with them supporting them.”

IF GOD SAID IT…

This whole temple rebuilding thing was getting to be crazy.  Cyrus had sent back the people to rebuild the temple, but over the years the locals got upset and got them stopped.  Now, after hearing from Haggai and Zechariah (remember those names?) two men, Zerubbabel and Jeshua, said, “Enough’s enough!  Let’s get back to work!”

Sometimes we have to get up off our blessed assurance and get to work.  Even if others are afraid to move, we must begin to do what God has called us to do.  You may face opposition.  You may face apathy.  You may face downright hostilities.  But if God has said it, you need to do it.

TEACHING MOMENT

What a great lesson for our kids!  If they can learn this at an early age, it will benefit them greatly in their walk with Christ.  Sometimes, the directions of the Lord may seem, well, crazy.  But when He has spoken clearly, our only option is to obey.  How can you teach your children to hear God’s voice?

Perhaps other believers will remind them of God’s Word.  Haggai and Zechariah were used to stir these two men back to the work of rebuilding the temple.  Perhaps God will speak to them directly from His Word, which requires them to be in the Word, right?  And perhaps He will speak through their prayers.  The key is they must listen.

Are you listening?  What has God clearly told you to do that you are NOT doing?  Get up and go!  Do it!  Stop procrastinating.  Get to work for Him.  Don’t just do something! Do what He has told you.

Father, You are my commander in chief!  I will obey You no matter the cost.  Give me the strength and boldness I need to follow You.

Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,  The fruit of the womb is a reward.”

YOUR INHERITANCE

We have probably all read or heard this verse, right?  Children are a gift of the Lord.  Did you know, however, that the word “gift” can also be translated “inheritance”?  That changes the whole meaning of the verse.  Think about it.  If children are just a gift from the Lord, that could imply that He just gave you something.  It could or couldn’t belong to Him.  He could have found it by the road.  You may think little Johnny is such a gift sometimes.  Just kidding.

But if children are an inheritance of the Lord, then that means they belonged to Him before He gave them to you.  He has just passed them down to you.  They meant something to Him before you got them.  It’s your job now to take care of the Lord’s inheritance.

TEACHING MOMENT

You may have a family heirloom you plan on passing down to your children.  Why not use that item to explain this verse to your children?  They need to know how precious they are, and this verse explains that.  They need to know they are the Lord’s.  They belonged to Him long before they came to you.

I’ve said it before, but this verse begs for it to be said again.  We are not raising children.  We are raising child raisers.  One day, Lord willing, they will have children too.  They are to receive them as the Lord’s inheritance, to be held and protected.

Do you see your children that way or do you grow tired of your parenting duties?  I know it is tiresome.  Kids can push your last button.  But if you view them as the Lord’s which you are simply protecting, that will change your attitude (at least most of the time).  Parenting is hard work, but remember that if the Lord entrusted His inheritance to you, He knew you could handle it.

O Father, my children came to me from You.  You trusted me enough to give me what belonged to You first.  Give me the wisdom and strength to guard them well.

Ezra 2:68 “Some of the heads of fathers’ households, when they arrived at the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to restore it on its foundation.”

ONLY SOME

You really need to read chapters 1 and 2 of Ezra in their totality to understand my title today.  Cyrus has just released the exiles to return HOME to JERUSALEM after 70 YEARS in captivity to rebuild the temple.  He even gave towards that.  Chapter 2 gives the list of all those who returned.  Even their mules were numbered.

Then verse 68 said “Some of the heads of fathers’ households…offered willingly.”  Really?  Are you serious?  Why in the world would only “some” of them give?  Wouldn’t they ALL want to give?  After all, it was THEIR temple!  Why would they NOT give towards this after being released from exile?

TEACHING MOMENT

Our children need to learn that giving is an expression of thanksgiving.  We give to the Lord’s work because of all He has blessed us with in this world.  We give back WILLINGLY because we don’t deserve a single thing He has given us.

I have to admit I haven’t always given willingly.  There have even been times when I gave begrudgingly.  Sometimes, the Lord has directed me to give towards another area than the one I wanted to give.  But giving is an act of obedience and an opportunity to experience joy.  Why would we not want our children to experience that?  Find ways to allow them to earn and give.

I guess the returning exiles are not much different than the typical church today.  “Some” give and others don’t.  That hasn’t changed much in the past centuries.  Which side are you on?  Are you a faithful giver?  Do you give willingly?  Do you think first of God when you get paid or do you think about vacation or something you want to buy?

Father, help me to think first of You as I receive Your blessings.  Teach me to give willingly and joyfully.  Receive my humble gift and use it to further Your work on this earth.