Teach Your Children well!

Luke 1:14-16 (New International Version, ©2010)

¹⁴ He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. ¹⁶ He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.

Do you remember this song?

Kids are a joy and delight in our lives. Maybe everyone doesn't feel that way every single minute of every day. But, now that I look back at those times when I had kids in my home, they were a joy and a delight. I think that's why being a Grandparent is so great. You get the chance to go through it all again and realize the joy and delight of every moment. I wonder if Zechariah really understood what he was being told. I wonder if he could grasp what it meant that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit.

As parents and grandparents we don't know what life will hold for our kids or grandkids. But, God knows. We need to be completely open to what God can do with these young lives. God has a plan for them. Our job is to make sure they are taught about God. God will do the rest. It amazes me how many kids grow up not knowing God, not knowing stories about Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Samson, Paul, and the miracles of Jesus. We don't have any guarantee that our children or grandchildren will follow the Lord. But, We give them a chance if they grow up knowing God.

Everyday of my life, I am so excited to realize that my kids and my grandkids have been taught about Jesus. I have seen God's wonderful hand in their lives and I have seen them grow closer and closer to God. That is so exciting. I see decisions they make and troubles they endure with the hope of God at their side. I am so excited that God is already more than a bunch of great stories. They see him as real and a part of their lives. I don't think my kids will bring Israel back to God, but who knows for sure. I do have hope they will bring others to know him and more importantly, they will pass this love to their kids. They are filled with the Holy Spirit and I delight in them just like Elizabeth and Zechariah delighted in their son.

Dear Lord, thank you for the great gift you have given in our children and grandchildren. Help us to teach them about you. Help us to live our lives so they see you in us. Help them to see your hand in our lives and desire for you to be in their lives. You are great and powerful. We love you and adore you. Amen!