Today is sort of a precursor to summer. Father, the path You have led me down will provide me more time in the summer to do different things. As we have observed Memorial Day today, my schedule has been up to me and in a little over a week summer break will be on and my schedule will be quite a bit more open than it has been for some time. Father, may I use this time wisely. Already, You have pulled my heart in directions of service. Use me as You will. Amen.
Mark 9:42 (<<click to read the passage)
Children and new believers in Christ are both very malleable. Those that influence them very early on have a great, long-lasting impact on their lives. As I interact with lots of kids, I can see many “adult” characteristics and mannerisms – the way something is said, the way they respond to situations. Now I realize that sometimes no matter how much love and care a parent invests in their child, the child is going to be who the child is going to be. But that most certainly doesn’t mean we should stop investing.
Proverbs 22:6 (AMP) states,
Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], even when he is old he will not depart from it.
We definitely have a responsibility but…there is a flipside, too. There are people out there whose sole purpose is to maim and disfigure our children – and new believers in Christ, as well. In John 10:10 (AMP), Jesus is talking about being the Good Shepherd and how others do everything within their power to mess up His good work. He says,
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].
Not too awful long ago some perverse individuals took innocent media on a publicly accessible website and, though they didn’t change the audio, changed the video. They were encouraging kids to hurt themselves. They were teaching them about suicide. They were threatening to hurt their parents. The goal of these “thieves” was to steal the joy and innocence of young lives.
And as Jesus stated in today’s passage,
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe and trust in Me to stumble [that is, to sin or lose faith], it would be better for him if a heavy millstone [one requiring a donkey’s strength to turn it] were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”
They may never be called to account for their wrongdoings this side of eternity…but someday they will stand before God Almighty and, believe you me, there will literally be Hell to pay.
Lord Jesus, protect our children. Protect new believers. There are many out there who wish to destroy them – at all costs. May we fervently stand in the gap when we can. And may we aggressively lift them in prayer. Amen.
May 27th, 2019, Mon, 4:31 pm
