Lead by Example for Your Children
Deuteronomy 28:32: "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand."
I would like to focus today on what I feel is one of the worst curses that can come upon those who choose NOT to trust and believe the Lord. First, allow me to say this: Any "alternative" to serving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength DOES NOT PAY! Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Always remember that the rewards of sinful pleasure and indulgence are only temporary. Even Moses, who was raised in the palace, understood this concept, for it was said of him in Hebrews 11:25, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."
Moses understood that his worst days serving God would be better than his best days serving himself or the devil! Why? Because what God gives LASTS, even through the direst of circumstances! “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:25). It's not that we will not face the storms and perils of life even as others who do not love or serve God (though self-infliction can be minimized), but rather that, after the storm, we'll still be standing!
However, our chosen text today gives us a sober warning; if we choose our own way, not only will it bring a curse upon us, but also upon our children. If you do not want them to wind up in the same place as you, then you need to RELOCATE YOURSELF! If you want them to succeed, then you must succeed! If you want them to excel, then you must excel! You'd be surprised just how far they will go with you, whichever path you take! Why not make it a good path?
If you don't, later you'll watch your children slide down the slippery slope of sin, and you'll be powerless to help! Today's challenge: become first what you want your child to become later! No one in their right mind would want their child to live less than their God-given potential. Pursue God, and bring your children with you!!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
I would like to focus today on what I feel is one of the worst curses that can come upon those who choose NOT to trust and believe the Lord. First, allow me to say this: Any "alternative" to serving God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength DOES NOT PAY! Proverbs 14:12 says, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Always remember that the rewards of sinful pleasure and indulgence are only temporary. Even Moses, who was raised in the palace, understood this concept, for it was said of him in Hebrews 11:25, "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."
Moses understood that his worst days serving God would be better than his best days serving himself or the devil! Why? Because what God gives LASTS, even through the direst of circumstances! “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:25). It's not that we will not face the storms and perils of life even as others who do not love or serve God (though self-infliction can be minimized), but rather that, after the storm, we'll still be standing!
However, our chosen text today gives us a sober warning; if we choose our own way, not only will it bring a curse upon us, but also upon our children. If you do not want them to wind up in the same place as you, then you need to RELOCATE YOURSELF! If you want them to succeed, then you must succeed! If you want them to excel, then you must excel! You'd be surprised just how far they will go with you, whichever path you take! Why not make it a good path?
If you don't, later you'll watch your children slide down the slippery slope of sin, and you'll be powerless to help! Today's challenge: become first what you want your child to become later! No one in their right mind would want their child to live less than their God-given potential. Pursue God, and bring your children with you!!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill