1 Kings 15:1-5
In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah, and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.
my daily walk has taken me to 1 kings were the nation of israel splits into the kingdom of israel and the kingdom of judah, both ruled by reculcitrant sons of Soloman. what struck me most is the fact that God showed mercy to the rebellious line of David on account of David even though David descended the spiral of sin.
this is encouraging to me because firstly, God does not discount the efforts that we put in to be obedient to Him just because we fail every now and then. and secondly the passage shows that the way we conduct our lives now has an influence on future generations. i've always had apprehensions about bringing more children into this fallen world. the world is infested with enough corrupt and sick people as it is, statistically, if the child doesn't become one of them, he might be influenced by them; a lose-lose situation.
but perhaps i've discounted the active working of the Holy Spirit. raising a child in a christian environment isn't just about imposing a positive influence, it also covers the child with spiritual protection, in addition to the unfolding of answered prayers supplicated by his parents. so perhaps i shouldn't worry so much about what i can't control, because what i have no control over, God has.
my mom has always told me that even before i was born, she would pray for me and that one day i will be provided with the right man. her prayers did not go unheeded.
this is encouraging to me because firstly, God does not discount the efforts that we put in to be obedient to Him just because we fail every now and then. and secondly the passage shows that the way we conduct our lives now has an influence on future generations. i've always had apprehensions about bringing more children into this fallen world. the world is infested with enough corrupt and sick people as it is, statistically, if the child doesn't become one of them, he might be influenced by them; a lose-lose situation.
but perhaps i've discounted the active working of the Holy Spirit. raising a child in a christian environment isn't just about imposing a positive influence, it also covers the child with spiritual protection, in addition to the unfolding of answered prayers supplicated by his parents. so perhaps i shouldn't worry so much about what i can't control, because what i have no control over, God has.
my mom has always told me that even before i was born, she would pray for me and that one day i will be provided with the right man. her prayers did not go unheeded.
1 comment:
Amen to that! Incidentally, I have been listening to Scott Hann's tapes which Thai has been preaching and I realised that God blesses the following generations because of the one man. I start to think that perhaps because of my forefathers or maybe even my parents, my life has been so blessed. =)
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