1 Kings 7:1-26; Acts 7:44-50; Psalms 127:3-5; Proverbs 27:23-27
Psalms: “Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, offspring, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth. Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.” (Psalms 127:3-5 CSB)
Children (not just sons) are an inheritance from God to us that should be valued and desired. Not only are they valuable now, but they stake our claim in the future. To own land was to have surety of a future that lasts beyond a natural life. A bow with arrows allowed a warrior to engage in battle from afar. Children allow us to influence and impact a future that is beyond our physical reach. Depending on how well we raise our children, that influence and impact may be good or it may be detrimental. So often, children are seen as a nuisance… a bother… something that prevents me from doing what I want to do now. Rarely do we see children for their impact and influence in the future. This becomes even more real when we consider our faith. Faith in God continues through the ages because we impart our faith to our children. Investing in our children is not frivolous nor a waste of time, and I am so glad that my wife and I set aside immediate gratification to invest fully into our children. Few things bring me more joy than seeing my kids impacting the world around them through the faith that they received from me and then made their own.
Proverbs: “Know well the condition of your flock, and pay attention to your herds, for wealth is not forever; not even a crown lasts for all time.” (Proverbs 27:23-24 CSB)
As parents, your flock are your kids. Even if you aren’t a biological parent, there is a good chance that there are people younger than you that God has given you influence over. We can’t be passive with the responsibility that God has entrusted us with. We need to pay attention and know what is going on. We need to take an active and intentional role in our children’s lives. We can’t take things for granted and just expect that our kids will take the right paths in life and end up ok – or else we may wake up one day and realize that our “wealth” is gone.
Jamie Hicks 