(a post by Tad, also published in this month’s church newsletter)
Deuteronomy 11:19, speaking on the Words and Law of God, says, “Teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.”
This is a command of God to the Israelites that they teach the Law, or God’s Word, to their children. The idea is that they do this in a faithful and continual manner. The phrase that instructs them to teach God’s Word “as you sit in your house” seems to have the idea of purposefully teaching your own children God’s Word in a consistent manner.
The other phrases seem to indicate that we are to informally educate our children in the things of God and His Word as we go about daily life. We are to do this as issues or thoughts arise. An example of this would be talking about the wonders of God and His amazing power in creation as you walk through a zoo and look at the animals. These opportunities to teach children the things of God need to be taken full advantage of so that our children understand the importance of God.
The idea of formally instructing our children in the Word of God is even more strategic. Having family devotions means to purposefully set aside time on a daily basis as a family to teach the Word of God. Just as personally we cannot live the Christian life without being in the Word every day, our families also need to spend time daily worshiping and learning about God. The truth is our Christian life cannot only be lived on Wednesdays and Sundays, but it must be a part of every single day. Our children need to see that God is the most important thing in our lives.
This may seem like a large task: finding a time where your family can be together, without other distractions, to focus on the things of God. And do not get me wrong, it is work, but you can start small. Reading from a children’s Bible story book (my favorite being the Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones) and getting your children to act out the story is a great idea for a family with small children. Reading and then discussing portions of the Word of God (a chapter or even less) will really help your family to see how important the Word of God is. Make prayer a part of this time as well. Share prayer requests with each other and take time to pray out loud as a family. Families often eat together, and play together, and watch TV together, but how often do they read the Bible and pray together?
God’s Word is the most important treasure that we have, and passing on a love for God’s Word to our children is something that we should strive to do. This cannot be done by the Sunday School teacher or Children’s Minister, though they may help. It must be modeled and shown by the parents.
So I challenge you to spend time in the Bible as a family. Seek to know God better as a family. Fathers, I call on you as spiritual leaders of your family to lead in this area. Be intentional and purposeful, and even if it is short, try to do it on a regular basis and see how God blesses your family by being in His Word.
