|
Day: June 1, 2020
ABIDE CHRISTIAN SLEEP MEDITATION
Get ’em Through It
If you find [wisdom], there is a future hope for you. Proverbs 24:14 A waitress once recognized me (JCD) when I came into the restaurant where she worked. She was a single mother and wanted to talk about her twelve-year-old daughter, who had been a struggle to raise. “We have fought tooth and nail for this entire year,” she said. “We argue nearly every night, and most of our fights are over the same issue. She wants to shave her legs, but I feel she’s too young.” My response? “Lady, buy your daughter a razor!” That twelve-year-old was paddling into a time of life that would rock her canoe. As a single parent, this mother would soon be trying to keep her rebellious adolescent away from drugs, alcohol, sex and pregnancy, early marriage, school failure, and the possibility of running away. In that setting, it seemed unwise to make a big deal over such a small issue as shaving. While I agreed with the mother that adolescence should not be brought on prematurely, there were higher priorities to consider. Scripture says that “By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established” (Proverbs 24:3). Those same qualities should be applied to raising families. It takes both wisdom and understanding to know when to tighten your grip and when to loosen it. In the case of hardheaded kids floating toward the rapids in the teenage years, the wisest approach may be to simply get ’em through it. Before you say good night…Are you focusing on the matters that most affect your kids’ welfare? Do you always seek God for wisdom and understanding in your parental decisions? Father, may we keep our focus on those things that are most important to the well-being of our children. May our discernment be equal to the task. Most of all, help both of us to keep our eyes upon You. Amen.
|
The Second Time Around
“I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34 Many of you reading these discussions about the consequences of divorce have already taken that fateful step— willingly or not—and then remarried. You may also be facing the unique challenge of raising children from two sets of parents. We assure you that it has not been our intention to heap additional guilt on you. We have a loving God who offers forgiveness to those who truly seek His will. Only He knows the condition of your spiritual “heart” and the circumstances that led to the end of your first marriage. If you have not dealt with those matters before God, we urge you to do so tonight. Our hope is that you will reaffirm the sanctity of your present marriage and fight to preserve it with all your heart and soul. With the Lord’s help, you can still forge a marriage that lasts a lifetime. We encourage you to learn from the mistakes of your previous relationships, rely wholeheartedly on God’s principles for marriage, and make the firm decision that nothing will tear you away from your mate. Remember, there are no second‐class members of God’s family. God still wants to give you His best. And as you seek Him together, He will. Just between us…
Father, forgive our sins and selfish mistakes. We cast all our hopes for our marriage on Your truths, and together we wholeheartedly seek to obey Your will for us. Thank You for Your mercies, which are new every morning. Amen.
|