Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:34-40

I’ve been thinking how many times I sigh inwardly when I have a nose to wipe at an inconvenient time. Or have to intervene in another squabble. Or comfort a child in the middle of the night when I’d much, much rather be sound asleep.

I can remember today that in serving (appropriately, of course) my children, I am directly serving Christ. In our society, children are indeed among “the least of these.” This is an important thought for me today.Similar Posts:

• Pouring Water on a Thirsty Soul
• Deployments and Trusting God
• The Positive Side of Forgiveness
• What Should I Do First?
• How Will I Serve?

This morning, Bethel and Laurel were playing with a new playdoh set that Laurel bought with her own money. I heard Laurel start to get irritated with Bethel, so I looked over and saw that both children had a small bit of playdoh. Then I saw that Bethel had all of the rest of the playdoh hidden. She was practically sitting on it.

Now, Bethel knew she wasn’t doing right. I think she knew she was being mean. But I still felt the necessity of defining it for her, since I’ve noticed a pattern of meanness the last few weeks. That’s why I took the time to talk about how we (mommy and Bethel) can tell that there might be meanness in her heart.

So, without further ado… How do you know what you’re being mean? All of these happened in our household by all of our children, just this morning!

• When you’re more interested in hiding a toy than playing with a toy.
• When you’re glad that someone is getting in trouble for grabbing.
• When you’re trying to play with three toys at once, just so someone can’t play with one of the toys you have.
• When you have more than you can use, and won’t let anyone have any (One child this morning had five cups of orange playdoh that he made, and wouldn’t give any away!)

Since all the selfishness happened before  eight o clock, what verses will we talk about at breakfast?

Working to give. This was an important verse for our situation, because Laurel used money she earned doing work to purchase the playdoh. It was good and right for her to see her dollars being used not only for something that she wanted, but also for an opportunity to share. I want to reinforce this idea for her. I need to think of ways that I can provide for Bethel to work and share what she has worked for. David worked hard to make the playdoh. I want them to understand that work is a primary means of having so that we can give!

There’s probably far more passages we can think though, but more might be overkill. So we’ll stop there.

Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Ephesians 4:28

Similar Posts:

• Cleaning Up
• Dealing with Last Week
• “Tell David to share”
• Copout or Thoughtful Parenting?
• Motivation

So, I had a number of opportunities to bring these thoughts up throughout the day. We’ll probably be talking about it further. If we truly fear God, then we will stop sinning. We will avoid sinning. I told them That’s how I know that when you disobeyed mommy you were not fearing God. Even Laurel understood by the end of the day that disobedience means not fearing God. I wouldn’t have thought to make this connection had God not used it in my own life, and prompted me to talk about the fear of God yesterday.

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
⁹ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Psalm 34:8-10

Similar Posts:

• Teaching the Fear of God
• Teach the Fear of God
• Worry, Fear, and Knowing God
• Sophisticated Disobedience
• The Fear of the Lord

Come, you children, and listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. (Psalm 34:11)

I’ve read this verse before, but I forget not only that the fear of God is something that can be taught, but also that I should be deliberately teaching it.

Truthfully, I’ve rather avoided those thoughts because I’m avoiding the work of compiling Fear of God verses. How is that for lazy? Yikes! But the thought occurred to me that King David doesn’t just write the verse above in isolation; he actually develops his invitation in the whole chapter. So, although I know I probably need to develop the fear of the Lord discussion beyond this chapter, I figure it’s a good place to start. I’m not sure I’ve taught the fear of God from this chapter.

At breakfast, of course! Not long ago, breakfast talks were ultra short, complete monologues, my children would ask when I would be finished talking, and I was pretty certain that I was talking for my own benefit only. Now they actually interact, and they stick around longer, even after their cereal bowls are empty. (Nevertheless I do admit that it’s jarring when they decide to leave!) This is a short conversation– my brain is like a sieve for numbers, so I can’t tell you how long, but few of my breakfast conversations are long.

• I first asked them what the fear of God was. Bethel said it was knowing that God sees everything. That was not a bad start.
• Then I asked them if the fear of God was good or bad. Laurel thought it was bad. David and Bethel have heard this talk before, I’m realizing, and it’s encouraging that they remember.
• King David seems to start his fear the Lord discussion by reminding us that God is good. It makes sense that knowing God’s goodness tempers the scary fear that results from knowing God sees everything. So we spent some time talking about God’s goodness.
• King David tells us that when we fear God, our actions will change. It’s part of realizing that God sees us doing right– Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Seek peace and pursue it, and so on.
• We talked about how God’s promises are for those who are believers (“the righteous”– not a state of perfection here, but our status as children of God). That gave us a mini talk on salvation.
• We see repentance, too in verse 17 and 18. We talked about repentance and the fear of God. Briefly.

Bowls empty, fruit gone, and children ready to get the day moving. Guess that means mom, too.

I didn’t read it to them, but the discussion was related to what I read this morning. Micah 6:3— O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.”

The imagery is powerful– it reminds me that God desires fellowship with me, and that when I refuse to take the time with him, I’m acting like a child bored with a new toy, or a lover bored with her spouse. I don’t always think about God’s emotional cry to bring me back to reality. Remembering who God is and what he has done for me is a part of the fear of God, too. He has done much for me, and blessed me beyond measure. That’s what I’ll be thinking about today.Similar Posts:

• Teaching the Fear of God
• Disobedience and the Fear of God
• Worry, Fear, and Knowing God
• The Fear of the Lord
• Fear of Being Rejected

Would you like to hear a poem mommy likes a lot? [I didn't say, but I thought: it doesn't matter; I'm going to read it anyway!]

It’s by King David when he was in a dry desert. The land needed water. [Since we live in the desert, our children understand when everything is parched and without rain. They know what it's like to be powerfully thirsty.]

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.

King David is saying that being in the desert and seeing the land all dry, and wanting water really really bad, is just like the desire that he has to know God.

² So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

King David wants to see the power of God in his life. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that makes a Christian to be like Christ.

³ Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
⁴ Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵ My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.
⁶ When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.

What did David do when he was awake at night? He thought about God. What do you think he thought about? He tells us.

⁷ Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
⁸ My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

He remembered all of the times that God has helped him in the past. That helps him to be sure that God will be faithful to help him in the future.

I like what he says about rejoicing in the shadow of God’s wings. King David is saying that when he remembers how God is faithful to him, he feels just like a baby bird in his nest, safe and warm and happy under his mommy’s wings.

[That's where the attention waned, breakfast was done, and the day started rolling faster than I can keep up. I didn't even have time to read it again to them, without stopping. But I'm still safe and warm and happy, knowing that God loves me and takes care of me.]Similar Posts:

• Missing My Mom
• Keeping My Word
• Changing My Mind
• Casting My Cares
• When Reading My Bible Isn’t Enough

One of the blessings of being in the military is we can deliberately teach our children about finding a new church, so we’ve been talking about that, too. Here’s what we’ve been talking about.

• First, we’ve been praying about it. In fact, it’s the first thing we’ve been praying about when we found out where we were being sent. Now, normally, it makes good sense to find a church before deciding to move, but being in the military we don’t have that option. So, we’ve been praying that God would help us to find a good church. This conversation teaches them that finding a church is extremely important, and it reminds them that God is where we turn for help in this matter.
• Second, we’ve reminded our children how God has led us in the past. This conversation reminds them of God’s faithfulness in the past, something that gives us (and them) confidence to trust God for the future.
• We talk about the things that we appreciate about our church: a godly and humble pastor who loves the Bible and teaches it correctly, adults who challenge mommy and daddy to do right, and their own friends that God has given them. Telling them what we appreciate about our current church helps them understand what is important in a church. Music, programs, a nice building: all these things are good, but they’re not what’s most important. All churches have strengths and weaknesses. We surely have preferences, but mommy and daddy are learning that doctrine is more important than some of the things that make us “comfortable.”
• This weekend we went to our new town, and we visited a church. It’s really hard when you pick up a child not to ask “Did you have fun?” I’ve asked this question more than once, and wondered why I ask it, since in doing so I’m emphasizing the entertainment value of the Sunday school. Now I am happy when my children enjoy their Sunday school class, but I’m most concerned in what they are learning. My children don’t always know what the lesson was about (and I don’t always ask), but I believe asking the question is more important than the answer I receive. Remember I’m simply trying to teach them what’s important in a church.

(P.S. We did like the church we visited. We’ll see how God leads.)Similar Posts:

• Find the Answers You Need Here
• How to Find an Answer
• New Verse
• Another New Start
• A New Creature

• Is telling a person he is saved unbiblical?
• Is there more to assurance than saying “Yes, you’re saved because…”
• When a child states that he is saved already, at what point should a parent “let” him be saved?
• Should a parent ever bring up salvation with a child? At what point developmentally?

A quick survey of the New Testament epistles demonstrate that Paul speaks to the recipients of his letters as believers. In essence, he’s saying that they are in fact, saved. Of course, he is speaking to a group, but even in the case of his personal letter to Philemon, he calls him a brother.

On what basis does Paul make assumptions of Philemon’s salvation? Evidently on his profession and testimony: I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints…. Philemon 4

In fact, we make assumptions about people’s salvation all the time. Otherwise, every time we talk about the Lord, we’d be prefacing our comments with absurd qualifications  “assuming you’re saved, don’t be weary in well doing…”  or “if you’ve trusted in Christ as your Savior through faith alone, then you can be asssured he will not test you beyond your ability to bear it.”

When we have reason to doubt someone’s salvation (either because of a lack of testimony or lack of evidence of a regenerate life), we sometimes include these conditions. At some point, though, these are insulting and cynical. At some point, we simply trust God with the details. God’s Word never returns void, whether a person is saved or unsaved.

So, a friend of mine was recently saved. At one point, when Lee and I asked her if she was saved, she wasn’t sure. As we talked with her, it became clear that she was indeed trusting Christ for her salvation, that she was not depending on her own efforts to reform herself. Hurray! When we were discussing salvation later, we talked through a number of passages focusing on salvation.

• Is this what you’ve done? I asked.
• Yes, exactly.
• So…. what does God’s Word say about a person who does these things?
• She’s saved.

Fun conversation. What’s interesting to me is the process of finding assurance. Just like in my situation, my mom didn’t tell me I was saved because I trusted in Christ. She gave me Scripture and said, “Here’s why you might not be sure you’re saved. Now you determine whether you’re saved or not.” In other words, she put her trust in the Holy Spirit’s ability to convince me of my salvation (or lack thereof) through God’s Word. Likewise, for my friend, I didn’t know for sure whether she had trusted God. So it made sense to let God’s Word make that call.

But now, I’m thinking about my children. For some inexplicable reason, my children are rather private about spiritual things, and I’m wondering whether letting Scripture manage their salvation is a good idea. That takes a good deal of pressure off me, because I don’t feel the pressure to correctly identify the point of salvation for my children. (I’m talking about my two older children who are 6 and 5; since I’m not convinced my 3 year old understands the basic components of salvation, I’m not including her in this conversation yet.)

I’m still thinking on this. Perhaps next I’ll consider some objections to this approach.Similar Posts:

• Do You Forget Your Child Is Not Saved?
• Truth Telling
• Truth Telling and Lying
• Middle Child
• The Unsaved Child

When I was a teenager, I started having doubts of my salvation. The trouble was, I couldn’t really remember exactly what happened when I was saved. I remember sitting with a Sunday school teacher, and her opening the Bible on a step. That’s it. I was four years old. When I was six, I wanted to be baptized, and I remember much more clearly the questions of the pastor. Does baptism save you? I remember being horrified by the question! Absolutely not. I knew then that I was trusting in Jesus Christ for my salvation.

But as I got older, I started to worry. What if I hadn’t prayed right? What if my memory was a fabrication of my imagination? What if… I tried a number of means to reassure myself, but finally one night I woke up my mom and told her my problem.

She didn’t tell me I was saved. She didn’t tell me I wasn’t saved. She did open her Bible and explain that people doubt their salvation for a number of reasons.

• First, some people doubt their salvation because they are not saved. That one is pretty obvious, and the solution is to get saved.
• Second some people doubt their salvation because they do not understand who God is and the nature of their salvation. First John, and First Peter, directly address some of those fears. The solution is to learn. The more we learn about God and salvation, the more confidence I have in what He has done.
• Third, some people doubt their salvation because they have sin in their lives or are not growing spiritually. The guilty feeling is a gift from God to tell us that something is wrong. We’re told to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We’re told to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith. Peter tells us that people who are not growing forget about their salvation! The solution, for this problem, of course, is to repent and/or grow! Peter commands us to give diligence to adding spiritual disciplines to our lives.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; ¹¹ for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  II Peter 1:5-10

This discussion with my mom was extremely helpful for me, although it didn’t completely answer whether I was saved or not. I still wasn’t entirely sure what category I was in! That came several years later, in college. A pastor in my church mentioned that what we think about to reassure ourselves that we are saved can indicate what we’re trusting in for our salvation: baptism, church membership, the word of a parent, the words of a prayer we said. For a saved person, assurance comes from what Christ has done and said. At that point, I understood completely that as long as I looked to my memory and what I did, I’d continue to have doubts. But if I looked at God’s Word, I would find assurance (assuming I had obeyed His Word in the matter of salvation).

I Timothy 1:12 says For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

God used this passage to give me assurance. I knew I believed, and was trusting in Jesus Christ for my salvation. Thus, I could rest assured that God is able to keep me saved. Several times after this sermon I had doubts, but I found immediate relief when I turned to Scripture. Then the doubts stopped completely.Similar Posts:

• Should children always know consequences beforehand?
• Motivating Children
• What Children Eat
• Making Children Sing
• Teaching Children Repentance

• ADHD from a Christian Perspective
• Mom’s a Sucker, Too
• Mom the Pharisee
• The Center of My Life, Reprint
• Impatience, or Anger?

I Peter 1:17-21

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰ He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Significant in this passage is that we are told to act differently on the basis of our salvation. In other words, remembering the gospel should be a part of my behavior and thoughts. It’s also significant that Peter is writing to an audience who is suffering. Helpful context to remember.

Thinking on the gospel should affect how I interact with my children. When I remember that I was redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, I remember that I’m not here to please myself. I am reminded that good nutrition and a stimulating environment and polite, well behaved children are means to an end, but certainly not the highest priority for me. This week I’ve been challenged when my children ask for help and I’m not really keen to help them. I’ve had to stop being weary of repeating myself, because of these truths.

Thinking on the gospel gives me hope, because the same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power that works in my life to make me more like Christ. Just because I don’t always see God working doesn’t mean that he’s not.

That’s all for now. I’m still thinking of this.

How is Scripture changing you this week?Similar Posts:

• How to Find an Answer
• Cornelius
• Irritibility and Secular Thinking
• Hope and Challenge
• Sharing Dishes, Sharing Toys