There is limited information in Scripture that describes the home life of Jesus. Every now and then we get a glimpse of something. But there can be little doubt that God and His teachings were at the center of everything.

We read that “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” No doubt His knowledge of and reverence for the Law and Prophets shaped His life and His reverence and relationship with His Heavenly Father and others.

Luke’s Gospel tells us about a family trip to the temple. On the way home, they noticed that He was not with them. When they returned to the temple they found Him listening to and answering questions of the learned teachers. At the tender age of twelve Jesus demonstrated to others the deep understanding of God’s Word that obviously came from His parents.

Mary and Joseph realized that they were obligated to God for the welfare and wellbeing of His one and only Son. While He was waiting to begin His public ministry He listened to their teachings and followed their examples of godly living.

Parents can never overlook or underestimate the influence and impact they have on their children. Parents must follow the example of Joseph and Mary in raising their children.

Prayer: We pray, Father, that parents will realize the important gift of a child and the trust You place in them to raise them to know, love, trust, obey and serve You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. 

Please leave a comment and tell us how you were helped by today's devotional! 

There is limited information in Scripture that describes the home life of Jesus. Every now and then we get a glimpse of something. But there can be little doubt that God and His teachings were at the center of everything.

We read that “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” No doubt His knowledge of and reverence for the Law and Prophets shaped His life and His reverence and relationship with His Heavenly Father and others.

Luke’s Gospel tells us about a family trip to the temple. On the way home, they noticed that He was not with them. When they returned to the temple they found Him listening to and answering questions of the learned teachers. At the tender age of twelve Jesus demonstrated to others the deep understanding of God’s Word that obviously came from His parents.

Mary and Joseph realized that they were obligated to God for the welfare and wellbeing of His one and only Son. While He was waiting to begin His public ministry He listened to their teachings and followed their examples of godly living.

Parents can never overlook or underestimate the influence and impact they have on their children. Parents must follow the example of Joseph and Mary in raising their children.

Prayer: We pray, Father, that parents will realize the important gift of a child and the trust You place in them to raise them to know, love, trust, obey and serve You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today: Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. 

Please leave a comment and tell us how you were helped by today's devotional! 

A mother recently said, “Before I had children I read every book I could on how to raise them. I must have developed at least a hundred theories on how I should bring them up and train them. Now, after raising seven children, I have only two: Love them even when they least deserve love, and hold them accountable for everything they do - even when it hurts.” 

That sounds like advice that would come from God - not only about how we are to raise our children, but how He “raises” His children. 

Everyone needs love - especially the type of love that has its source in God. His love is a love that is undeserved, fair, just, essential, and life-giving. It is a love that may require a self-sacrificial act for the good of anyone who God brings into our lives - whether a family member, friend, or someone who enters our life for a brief moment. It is a way of acting “with grace and mercy” toward another person rather than a feeling that may be fleeting and short-lived. 

But there is also a need for accountability - being responsible, first to God and then to others to share His love. Although God has given each of us the freedom of choice, we are also responsible to Him for each and every choice we make. Whatever we do and wherever we do it, we are accountable to Him to show His love. When we are born again, we are changed from the inside out, and obligated to live His love, show His grace and demonstrate His mercy. 

Prayer:  Your Word, Lord, clearly states that others will know that we are Your disciples if we show them Your love. Help each of us to accept and fulfill this obligation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Scripture For Today: If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers. John 13:35 

Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!

A mother recently said, “Before I had children I read every book I could on how to raise them. I must have developed at least a hundred theories on how I should bring them up and train them. Now, after raising seven children, I have only two: Love them even when they least deserve love, and hold them accountable for everything they do - even when it hurts.” 

That sounds like advice that would come from God - not only about how we are to raise our children, but how He “raises” His children. 

Everyone needs love - especially the type of love that has its source in God. His love is a love that is undeserved, fair, just, essential, and life-giving. It is a love that may require a self-sacrificial act for the good of anyone who God brings into our lives - whether a family member, friend, or someone who enters our life for a brief moment. It is a way of acting “with grace and mercy” toward another person rather than a feeling that may be fleeting and short-lived. 

But there is also a need for accountability - being responsible, first to God and then to others to share His love. Although God has given each of us the freedom of choice, we are also responsible to Him for each and every choice we make. Whatever we do and wherever we do it, we are accountable to Him to show His love. When we are born again, we are changed from the inside out, and obligated to live His love, show His grace and demonstrate His mercy. 

Prayer:  Your Word, Lord, clearly states that others will know that we are Your disciples if we show them Your love. Help each of us to accept and fulfill this obligation. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 

Scripture For Today: If you love each other, all men will know you are My followers. John 13:35 

Were you helped by today's devotional? Leave a comment and let us know!

It was the first time he had been asked to be in a wedding. As he came down the aisle, he would take a step, turn his hands into claw-like instruments, grasp at the air and growl like a bear, lips curled and forehead furrowed.

The people were laughing at such an unusual sight. When he got to the row where the bride’s mother was sitting, she pulled him to the side and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Grrrrr,” he growled. “I’m being a ring bear.” Unfortunately, no one taught him how a “ring bear” behaved.

Parents and teachers have an obligation and responsibility to educate and encourage children to learn and behave appropriately. Often we place expectations on the young when they have no experience or have had no one to explain how they are to behave. When they make mistakes or when things go wrong, we put the blame on them even if they have had no opportunity to learn differently.

That is the reason Solomon gave such wise guidance, “Listen to your father’s experience…” True wisdom comes from God and parents must invest time with Him and in His Word if they are to prepare their children for the demands of life. Often we expect our children to know how to behave and what to do when we have neither taught them nor provided an example for them. That’s why we have “Ring Bears.”

Prayer: Help us, Father, to accept our responsibility to faithfully teach our children in “the way they should go.” In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 4:1-13 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.

Young Antonio was driven by a desire to play the violin and sing. Unfortunately, his fingers were not nimble enough to move swiftly over the strings and his voice sounded screechy. He went from one teacher to another and they all said he would never be a great musician. They would laugh and he would cry.

One day, by chance, he met Amati, a violin maker. He was very attracted to the sincerity and passion that Antonio had for music. “Son,” said Amati, “it is the song in your heart that makes the difference. There are many ways to make music. And you can make music if you want.”

Those words inspired Antonio and he became an apprentice to Amati to learn how to make violins. In time Antonio Stradivarius became the world’s greatest maker of violins. He was helped by a friend, something all of us can do for others.

The Apostle Paul had some great advice for all of us: “Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them.” The true purpose of parental discipline is to help children grow by example and encouragement. All children deserve a father who is Christ-honoring, hard-working, accountable to God and others, love-expressing, kind, patient, and family-oriented. Growing up in a home where the Father comes first will provide what children need to succeed.

Prayer: We pray, Lord, for fathers who look to You for guidance and grace as they raise their children. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Ephesians 6:1-4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

A father said to his son, “When you cause problems and are disobedient, you add another grey hair to my head.”

“Wow,” said the son in return, “you must have been horrible. Grandpa’s hair is completely grey! What did you do to him?”

God’s Word demands that children honor and obey their parents. But there is also a distinction between obeying and honoring parents.

Obeying means that children are to do what they are told to do as long as it is legal, proper and ethical. Honoring, on the other hand means giving respect, love and admiration.

Children cannot be expected to obey their parents if it means disobeying God. Neither are they to be submissive to controlling parents when they are grown. As long as children accept the support of their parents, they must comply with the expectations made of them if they are in keeping with God’s Word.

But honoring and loving parents may sometimes be more difficult than obeying them. It is always important for parents and children to remember that respect, which leads to giving and receiving honor and love, flows in both directions. If there is thoughtfulness and kindness, patience and gentleness, goodness and happiness in the home, honor and love will be normal and natural.

Prayer: Father, family life is difficult. But when You are the center, all can live in love, peace and harmony. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Ephesians 6:1-11 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

As her son was about to leave home for college, his mother asked, “Robert, will you promise me one thing?”

“Yes, ma’am, I will,” he answered.

“Promise me,” she begged, “that you will read one chapter from the Bible each day.”

“I will,” he agreed.

That promise led to his coming to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Later, Robert Moffat went to Africa as a missionary where he labored for his Lord for forty-five years. He became famous as an educator, explorer, evangelist and translator of the Bible.

What better request can any mother ask of a child than to be faithful to read God’s Word. We are confronted from every direction with challenges to our faith, tempted by friends to engage in behaviors that cause self-destruction, and provided with endless opportunities that may destroy the plans God has for us.
In his letter to Timothy, Paul expressed a true sense of urgency and warning for him. He knew that people who believed in God would be misunderstood, challenged, tempted and ridiculed because of their faith. So Paul encouraged him to remain faithful to what he had been taught. Why? God’s Word is our only faithful guide.

Prayer: Father, parents have such a responsibility in raising their children. Grant them Your wisdom, always. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: 2 Timothy 3:12-16  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,

Many parents strive to leave an inheritance for their children. They have a sense of obligation and duty to work and sacrifice to make certain that those they leave behind will have more than they did. They didn’t have much of this “world’s goods” so they want to make life a little easier and more comfortable for others who are left behind.

It is one thing to leave an inheritance and quite another to leave a legacy. An inheritance is made up of “things” - monetary, physical, tangible, negotiable items that have a “cash value” attached to them. However, a legacy is quite different.

While not all parents leave an inheritance for their children, all parents leave their children a legacy. Legacies are the core values of life that are passed on to children that guide and guard them. It is a process of instilling attitudes in children that makes life work to the glory of God. Godly legacies will provide wisdom, insight and knowledge that shape behavior and give purpose and meaning to life.

An inheritance is something parents can leave to their children but a legacy is much more than that. A legacy is a way of life that is planted deep inside the heart of a child that produces Godly behavior.

“Be wise my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.” It is obvious that Solomon wanted to leave a legacy for his children that exceeded his wealth: A God-like character.

Prayer: We pray, Father, that each of us will leave legacies that honor You and inspire others to follow You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 27:11 Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.

Sad to say, some Christians take great pleasure in doing the work of God. They establish themselves as judge, jury and executioner. Finding a verse of Scripture that supports their need to condemn others, they often take it out of context, violate the meaning God instilled in its correct interpretation, and use their interpretation of it to embarrass and harass others.

Perhaps no other verse has been more misaligned than Solomon’s admonishment to parents: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Is this verse a guarantee or a guide?

Some scholars believe that to “train a child” begins with the parents dedicating the child to God. This may have its roots in a formal or informal ceremony in the life of the family when a child and the parenting of the child were absolutely consecrated to the Lord. The “training” of the child was to be God-centered and God-honoring that would develop the skills and talents that God gave the child to love, worship, honor and serve the Lord. The child was to be trained not only intellectually but by the words and behavior of the parents. They were to be examples of who the child was to become and what the child could do with their lives by encouraging the child to find God’s will and way for their life! Children are taught that “humility and fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” and will lead to a life that pleases God.

But what if parents follow this plan and the child turns from God? We come back to the fact that parents are responsible to do as God commands. Parents must be obedient and faithful to God and live consistent Christ-filled lives. If children see that “it” works for their parents, they know it will work for them.

Prayer:  Enable us who are parents, Lord, to be loving, understanding, worshiping, consistent, obedient and humble examples. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 22:6 Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Solomon was widely recognized for his insightful proverbs. There were many who did not worship his God but respected and followed the advice that was embedded in his wisdom. Many of his proverbs were written for his sons. But they were not intended to be limited to “sons.” They were written to provide guidance for all fathers and mothers of all times and in all cultures.

A recurring theme throughout Proverbs is the importance of discipline. Sometimes we are reminded that self-discipline is a life-long, never-ending necessity. But on one occasion he reminds fathers, which is also intended to include mothers, that there are some children who require life-long discipline which hopefully and eventually may accomplish its purpose. But parents are to persevere!

“Discipline your son, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to his death,” is a rather stark warning. There may be times when parents think that education or guidance or advice or opportunity or wealth may bring hope for their children’s future. But what value are all those things without discipline? The underlying rule to what he is saying is this: “The undisciplined life is not worth living because it will certainly end in death!”

What a vivid warning: If we who are parents do not make discipline the most important priority in the life of our children, we willingly - and now knowingly - contribute to their death! This is breathtaking and frightening. And notice that there is no age limit to discipling a child. Whenever a child needs discipline, parents are to step in and intervene! A child is never beyond the need for discipline if it is necessary or required and will honor God.

Discipline may not be accepted and parents must never give up hope. And there is one simple, Biblical rule we are to apply: the “if/then” rule - If you want our help, then you must honor Him.

Prayer:  It’s not easy, Father, to be a parent. But You are our example. If we want You to bless us, we must apply Your rules. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 19:18 Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

Few events in life are as precious as the arrival of a grandchild. They bring new life to aging parents and hope for the future. They all develop their own individual ways and unusual habits that are endearing and worth tucking away in “memory banks” for future moments. Memories like the names they use to get our attention and favorite blankets they cannot live without or the huge number of stuffed animals they can carry from one place to another without dropping a single one of them.

Solomon said it well: “Children’s children are a splendor to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.” The inestimable joy that comes with a grandchild is difficult to explain. It is indeed like a burst of splendor that produces pride that is difficult to diminish no matter what happens.

But there seems to be a circle in this verse that we must not overlook. With all of the pleasurable moments we enjoy with our grandchildren there comes a tremendous responsibility. It is in the second section of this verse: “parents are the pride of their children.” Here, Solomon sets a stake in the ground that indicts parents. He insists that we must recognize and accept the responsibility that we who are parents have to God.

To have an honorable grandchild the grandparent is responsible for having been a model father. This does not imply that fathers are to be perfect. That’s not possible. But it does mean that the grandchild’s father was well mentored by a father who honored God in all things.

Prayer:  Father, every Dad wants to be a Dad that pleases you. Forgive our failures and help us to succeed. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture for Today: Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

If these Seeds have ministered to you, email us and let us know, please. Remember, we can only do what we do because of your support.