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It is no coincidence that God often uses family relationships to explain or illustrate the relationship that ought to exist between Him and us. The family structure that was meant to exist in our earthly homes is modeled after God’s relationship to us. The parallels are not coincidental.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the home is an excellent place to learn about God and our relationship to Him. As we live together in the closeness of our families things happen every day that can teach us much (if we’re looking and listening) about God’s love for us and the way He wants us to relate ourselves to Him. The family is the best laboratory that ever existed for discovering the practical truth of the principles about God that we have read about in the Bible. We need to be using our homes for this good purpose. Our homes should be places where we learn about God together.
There is no less need today than in ancient Israel for us to make God’s word the central part of our family life. As Moses said, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:6-9). When families think about God and talk about Him during their daily lives, many good things result.
Daily Bible study and prayer should be normal, routine characteristics of our homes. Talk and discussion of spiritual things should be frequent. Our children need to grow up in an environment where God is real and His word is held to be precious. Our little ones desperately need to be seeing in their parents more than a “Sunday and Wednesday night” religion. Each day they need to observe Dad and Mom showing an example of the love and purity that exists between Christ and His church (Eph. 5:22-33). This week, let’s strive for seven days of progress in the spiritual priorities of our homes. Let’s think and talk together of our need to grow — and help one another to grow — in the things that concern heaven.
Monday: 2 Timothy 1:3-7; 3:14,15
Key Idea: Children should have faith in God imparted to them, especially by their parents.
Questions for Family Growth: According to 1:5, what kind of faith did young Timothy have? Who influenced him to have that kind of faith in God? What had Timothy known since he was a child, according to 3:15?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 11:7,8.
Tuesday: Ephesians 6:1-4
Key Idea: Parents, and especially fathers, have a responsibility to teach their children about God.
Questions for Family Growth: What is the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (v. 4 KJV) that Paul spoke of? What help is given by other translations of this verse? What does it mean to “bring up” children in this? What role does the father play? What about the mother?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 11:9.
Wednesday: Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Key Idea: It is good to talk about God during the ordinary activities of daily living.
Questions for Family Growth: What were the people of Israel to talk about in their families? When were they to do this? When we are together as families, what factors determine the things we talk about in one another’s presence? What can we do to improve our family conversations?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 11:10,11.
Thursday: Deuteronomy 6:20-25; Joshua 4:1-7
Key Idea: Parents should explain the meaning of God’s commandments and His memorials.
Questions for Family Growth: What are some things that children in ancient Israel might have asked their parents to explain? How were the parents to use these opportunities when their children asked such questions?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 11:12.
Friday: Psalm 78:1-8
Key Idea: Parents should tell their children about God’s wonderful works.
Questions for Family Growth: According to v.4, what did the writer say “we will not hide”? Who are the “children” spoken of in this verse? If the children were taught these things, what would be the normal result, according to vv.7,8?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 11:13.
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com