WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
OCTOBER 22, 2021
TOPIC: TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE WORD OF GOD
BY T. O. BANSO
“You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 11:19 New King James Version).
Many parents all over the world are investing so much money in the education of their children from the nursery to the university. This is commendable and should continue as the parents have the resources. Nevertheless, this only develops the mind of the children, and sometimes the body, but not necessarily the spirit.
Some children have received the best education, yet they have not turned out well in life. They have not become responsible citizens. They have caused their parents sorrow and societal problems. This is because the spiritual life of the children was neglected. Children should be given the best education possible and their spirit must also be ministered to.
Malachi 2:15 says God wants, from the union of a man and a woman in marriage, godly offspring or children. This won’t happen just because parents have provided the basic things of life or sent them to good schools, including Christian schools. Parents must personally teach their children the Word of God and train them in the way of the Lord.
God expected the Israelites to teach their children the law He had given them so that they would obey it. They were to use every opportunity and time to teach them. “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 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” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9 New King James Version).
Similarly, Deuteronomy 11:19 says, “You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (New King James Version). Verses 20-21 add, “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth”
(New King James Version).
God still expects this of parents today. God expects parents to use different opportunities to teach their children His Word. Proverbs 22:6 says to train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. The New Living Translation puts the scripture this way, “Teach your children to choose the right path, and when they are older, they will remain upon it.”
This divine assignment has become even more urgent today because children leave their parents early to live separately for a short or long time. This could be attributed to the boarding school system or other reasons. Therefore, parents must start very early in life to teach their children the Word of God and trust God to help them make an eternal impact on them before they leave them. The impact of the Word of God on them will prevent them from embracing any strange or evil influence thereafter.
Teach your children the Bible at home. Don’t leave it to the church or the Christian schools you have enrolled them in. Paul said that Timothy knew the Holy Scriptures from childhood (2 Timothy 3:15). His mother, Eunice, must have taught him because Paul wrote to Timothy, “I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois” (2 Timothy 1:5 New Living Translation).
Emphasizing the importance of teaching our children the Word of God, Proverbs 3:1-2 says, “My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart, for they will give you a long and satisfying life” (New Living Translation).
God said about Abraham: “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Genesis 18:19 New King James Version). Every parent should do this.
This will not only ensure that their children are saved but also enjoy great peace. “All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13 New King James Version). Psalm 119:165 says those who love God’s law have great peace and nothing causes them to stumble. Not only will your children have great peace, you, too, but will also have great peace over them because they are obedient to the Lord.
In Jeremiah 35, the Bible tells us the story of the Rechabites whom their father, Jonadab the son of Rechab, commanded not to drink wine (verse 6). He also forbade them to build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any of these but live in tents all their days that they might live long in the land where they were sojourners (verse 7).
The Rechabites obeyed Jonadab’s command. Even when God told Jeremiah to tell them to drink wine just to pass a message to the Israelites who had disobeyed His command, they refused to drink wine. Teach your children the Word of God.
Fathers should not leave the training of their children to their mothers. Both parents should be involved. Fathers and mothers should teach their children the Word of God. The father should provide the leadership. The book of Proverbs contains a father’s exhortation to his son. The writer, no fewer than twenty-three times, used the word “my son” to address his son intimately and teach him. Ephesians 6:4 tells fathers not to provoke their children to wrath but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.
As I said previously, Timothy, Paul’s son in the ministry, must have been taught the Holy Scriptures from his childhood by His Jewish mother, Eunice. There is no mention of the contribution of his Greek father to his life (Acts 16:1). His mother transferred to him the faith that was in her own mother, Lois (2 Timothy 1:5, 3:14-15).
In the absence of a father, either because of death, separation, or divorce, a mother should not abandon parenting, especially teaching her children the Word of God. She should approach this divine assignment with faith in God and receive grace to do the work of both a mother and a father together. God, the Father of the fatherless, will help such a mother and see her through. I salute the women who have been faithful in doing this. I pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen them. They will not miss their reward in Jesus’ name.
Secular education is not enough. Providing your children with the basic necessities of life is insufficient. Teach your children the Word of God. Sunday School and Children’s church are very important but they’re not substitutes. Teach your children the Word of  God yourself. It will save their souls and help them to live a godly life. “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21 New King James Version).
Teach your children the Word of God. Don’t be too busy to do this. Be creative about it. You could source for rich outlines that are already prepared or educative Bible-based videos to teach your children the Word of God. Use any available opportunity. It should not only be when you sit with them in the living room. It could also be while you’re in the shopping mall, playing, or cooking.
Teach your children the Word of God so that they will also teach their children when they start their families. This will ensure continuity of the Christian faith and obedience to God. “For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;  that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children” (Psalm 78:5-6 New King James Version).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to be faithful in teaching my children the Word of God. My children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of my children. The Word of God that I teach my children shall have an eternal impact on them in Jesus’ name. My children will be obedient to the Word of God. They will grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants them to be.
(For over 600 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
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