Tag: Training

Happy Father’s Day!

Ephesians 6:4 (NIV)

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Our Verse of the Day shares some great advice for fathers regarding their relationships with their children. It is offered in the context of other types of relationships (i.e., with spouses, parents, neighbors, employers, etc.).  And I would like to review it with the New Living Translation (NLT) for added perspective: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.” Notice the slight variations on how the original words are translated. The term “exasperate” means to irritate and frustrate intensely … to the point of anger. So, fathers are admonished not to create such a provocation by their actions or their words. Then we are afforded a contrast … an alternative … to avoid creating such a situation. The adverbs “instead” or “rather” indicate a preferred alternative or substitute in place of the previous action. Paul indicates that the way to avoid provocation to anger is to raise children under the training (discipline) and instruction of (that comes from) the Lord.

As fathers, our focus in leading and parenting … how we treat our children and raise them to be loving people … must originate in the Word of God. If we do not train, discipline, teach, and instruct according to the percepts revealed to us by God the Father, our children are going to become frustrated in life to the point of resentment, bitterness, and anger. Indeed, the failure of parents to utilize the Word of God as our resource, counsel, and guide for instruction will essentially lead to profound frustration and exasperation in our children as they begin to learn the meaning and purpose of life.  This is why fathers (parents) are instructed to “direct our children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it. (Cf. Proverbs 22:6)

Deuteronomy 4:5-9 (NIV)

See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Deuteronomy 11:16-21 (NIV)

Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

 

Psalm 78:1-8 (NIV)

My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done. He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which He commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. They would not be like their ancestors— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to Him.

Fellow fathers and men, we have a responsibility to raise our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. It is a distinct assignment given to us by Father God: to be spiritual priests over our homes! Yes, we are to be providers. Yes, we are to be protectors. And, yes, we are to be priests over our children. And it follows that if we desire to obey and fulfill our roles, we must know and follow the teaching of the Lord for ourselves. For how can we teach the Bible to our children if we ourselves do not read it and understand what it instructs? And further, how can we train our children to live in faith if we ourselves to do not walk by the Spirit in truth before them? It is said that actions speak louder than our words, so we must realize that how we conduct ourselves must be consistent with what we profess to believe. Indeed, our children will know us by the fruit we produce … Kingdom fruit that will last and glorify our Father in heaven. Amen.

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!

Proverbs 22:6 (Self-Amplified)

Train up a child … yes train up all of your children … in the way they should go … the right way … in the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Cf. John 14:6); because even when they become old, they will not depart from their training … they will not stray beyond reach from the instruction you instill in them while children. It will continue to resonate within their hearts. It will continue bring conviction to their inner beings. They will be restless when they do not live according to the Truth. They will come to see the Light of God and His wisdom in Jesus Christ. Yes, do not neglect to teach your children … be diligent to disciple them and to instruct them in the Word of God. For God has declared that His Word that goes forth shall not return to Him void; rather, it shall accomplish what He desires … what pleases Him. It shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it. (Cf. Isaiah 55:11)

All Scripture is God-Breathed…

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Our Verse of the Day is one we have studied it before, but perhaps we need a reminder of how important the Holy Scriptures are to our daily walk with God. Let’s put the verse into context. Paul has just warned Timothy how there will be terrible times in the last days, and he describes how people without the indwelling Holy Spirit will behave toward God and other people. So, Paul encourages Timothy to consecrate himself through knowledge of the truth in order to withstand the “perilous times and persecution” that will surely come. Paul writes:

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

There are a few points that Paul makes here that I would like us to note:

1. From infancy (from childhood), Timothy has known the Scriptures. So, one question would be – how did this happen? How would a little child be exposed to the Word of God? We might find the answer in 2 Timothy 1:5 where Paul shares, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” The implication is that the Scriptures were read and taught to Timothy as a child by his mother and grandmother – which resulted in his coming to faith in Jesus Christ. If there is no other takeaway – I hope you can see the importance of teaching your children the Bible and its influence upon their lives….

2. All Scripture is God-breathed. What does this mean – God breathed? We might find the answer in 2 Peter 1:21 where he declares: “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets (holy men of God), though human, spoke from God as they were carried along (moved) by the Holy Spirit. And the writer of the Book of Hebrews asserts the following: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son….” (Cf. Hebrews 1:1-2) Jesus knew and quoted Scripture – saying “It is written ….” If there is no other takeaway – I hope you can see the reliability of the Bible to be your guide into the heart and mind of God….

3. Paul shares the purpose of Scripture – why it was given by God and why it has been recorded for us: “It is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Scripture has a great purpose in guiding us to faith in Jesus Christ and teaching us what is right … what God expects of His people. It sets us apart to serve God in the manner that He reveals in His Word. As Paul explained, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Cf. Ephesians 2:10) If there is no other takeaway, I hope that you can see the benefit of reading the Bible to understand what God desires from our lives.

I’m not sure what else I could add to our verse for today; but I think that I could characterize it as the Readers’ Digest Abridged Version of Psalm 119. Although it is quite long, Psalm 119 contains meditations on the excellence of the Word of God that I believe will stir your heart and reinforce what Paul shared with Timothy regarding the Scriptures. Likewise, we could even reduce this admonition to a single verse of Scripture quoted by the Lord Jesus: “It is written: “Man shall not live on bread (food) alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Cf. Matthew 4:4) Here Jesus is actually quoting Deuteronomy 8:3. The implication is that the Word of God (spiritual food) is just as life-sustaining to our spirits as natural food is for our physical bodies. Yes, both are essential to a full and healthy life as God our Creator has purposed for His treasured possession. (Cf. Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 26:18, 33:19; Psalm 135:4)

These are the reasons that I try to share Scripture with you each day. This is why we stay focused on the Word of Life. The Word of God is able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. This is why we study to grow and be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all wisdom and understanding as the Spirit gives. (Cf. Colossians 1:9) “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it discerns the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Cf. Hebrews 4:12)

And so, I hope our Verse of the Day will encourage you and I to keep at it … to persevere in our pursuit of truth so that might be transformed by the renewing of our minds and conformed to the image of Christ Jesus. Yes, I pray we will all continue to diligently seek God through His Word so that these we might live worthy of the Lord Jesus and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work. (Cf. Colossians 1:10) God wants us to know what He expects and to discern His will for our relationships with Him and with one another. So, let us to be diligent and devoted in our study time … in our training time … and in our spiritual correction time. Indeed, let us delight ourselves in the Lord through His presence found in His Word….

So Now You Know…

Have a Blessed Day!