Fathers
- Bless Your Children
“Behold, children are a heritage
from the Lord, The fruit of the
womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are
the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver
full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in
the gate.” Psalms 127:3-5
“Speak blessings upon your children. Of all the tools God gave you to raise a
child, the most powerful is your tongue.
Use it for good.” Hayford
1.
Jesus The Example.
“Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth
“This verse contains the history of thirty
years. It describes the growth of our Lord as a natural, human growth (compare
Luke 1:80); for, though Jesus was truly divine, he was also perfectly man. To
try to distinguish between the divine and human in Jesus, is to waste time upon
an impracticable mystery which is too subtle for our dull and finite
minds. His life expanded like other
human lives. He learned as other boys; he obeyed as other children. As he used
means and waited patiently for growth, so must each individual Christian, and
so must the church. Though the latter is a mystical body, and animated by the
Holy Spirit, it must nevertheless make increase of itself before coming to the perfect
man—Eph 4:16.” —McGarvey, Four-Fold
Gospel
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord,
for this is right. "Honor your
father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise:
"that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." And you, fathers, do not provoke your
children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the
Lord.” Eph 6:1-4
“The power of words is not evident just when
God uses them in creating. It is also
evident in His ways that teach us how to live within that creation. All the Father’s laws are essentially God’s
guidelines for making life “work” in the realm He has created for man’s
fruitfulness and fulfillment.” Hayford
2. The Many Ways
The first order of blessing is reflected by
the simplest things we might do, which, though seemingly ordinary, carry an
immense weight in telling children they are loved, cared for, valued and being
“looked over” (rather than overlooked).
Remember those childhood experiences when
you simply sensed the approval or care of a parent or loved one? We can learn
from the ultimate Father by noting how He blesses us with His attentions in
distinct ways that parallel our warmest memories as children when someone
blessed us in simple yet affirming ways:
An arm over the shoulder or an embrace in a
time of disappointment or fear (see Deut. 33:27)
A pat on the back or a firm steadying hand
at a crucial moment (see Ps. 139:5)
A whisper in the ear, giving quiet assurance
or secret instructions (see Is. 30:21)
A snug tucking in bed when surrounded by the
darkness of night (see Ps. 127:2-3)
A kiss on the cheek or being dandled on a
parent’s knee (see Ps. 103:13; “pities” is translated from the Hebrew word
rawcham, which means “to tenderly love or caress”).
Blessings that come in words: (1) words that
affirm and approve; (2) words that commend and compliment; (3) words that
specifically speak love and affection; (4) words that invoke hope and
self-confidence; and (5) words that answer pain and disappointment with support
and faith. It is never wrong to
encourage hope.
The fountainhead blessing in the Bible is
found in Numbers 6:24-26. This is the blessing God ordained that the priests of
Israel use to speak blessing
in His name over His own children, whom He called “the children” of Israel
“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,
'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel Israel
Paul’s
blessing: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.” 2 Cor 13:14 (NKJV)
No comments:
Post a Comment