It was a 100+ humid August day. I didn't really want to be in the hay field but I had no choice. Byron needed help. I was hot, tired, and thirsty!
Byron had his problems too. He was missing Cole. He was use to Cole knowing exactly what needed to be done. Cole knew his hand signals. Need I say that in the hay field sometimes we have a communication problem?
Byron had given me instructions on how to rake the field. Hay was sparse due to the drought we had been experiencing. He needed me to rake the field a certain way in order for him to have enough hay for the baler to pick it up. The hay also had to be raked a certain way to give him room to turn the tractor.
I followed his instructions. Or so I thought until I got that "look" from him and I knew somehow my efforts were not right. I was fuming inside! Couldn't he see that I was trying! I was having myself a real nice pity party and getting angrier by the minute.
Then I heard the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Who knows more about tractors? Who knows more about putting up hay? Who knows more about raking the hay to get the results he needs?
I could sense that Holy Spirit was saying to me, "You have misunderstood. Why get angry with Byron? Find out what you misunderstood and gain understanding. Isn't it better for you to learn and gain understanding from someone who knows what they are doing, rather than being mad because you didn't do it right."
I repented and did find out what was it that I misunderstood and how to do it the way it needed to be done.
But that incident also got me thinking about how we treat God.
God the Father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the creator of the universe has all wisdom and understanding. Yet how many times do people get angry at God thinking He failed them when all along they misunderstood teaching and failed to follow instructions that would lead to abundant life.. Rather than getting angry they should stop and go back to their creator and ask for understanding.Wouldn't it be better to ask their Heavenly Father, "Where did I miss it? What did I misunderstand? Show me what step did I take wrong."
When we aren't seeing the results in our life that we think we should be seeing let us go the Master who knows the end from the beginning. Let us go to the Master who is the author and finisher of our faith. He has a good plan for us and He wants us to know His plan. But sometimes in our feebleness we misunderstand or make the choice to go our own way. Yet our Heavenly Father is patiently waiting for us to turn to Him, to gain understanding, and to follow His ways.
Wouldn't you think the creator knows the best way? I read a book "The Way of Cain" by Billy Rash. That was Cain's problem. He expected God to bless his efforts rather than make his life line up with the instructions God had given. We serve a God who is love. In His love He has prepared a way for us to experience His goodness but we must be willing and obedient to His instructions and leading.
It would not have done Byron any good to have "blessed" my efforts and just let me keep raking the hay my way just to make me feel accepted and appreciated. If I had continued doing things my way we wouldn't have gotten the most from our hay crop and it would have caused Byron unnecessary difficulty. It was much better for him and me in the long run for me to change my way to his way, After all he knew what he was doing. I am still learning.
Likewise our Holy Father knows the best way. It is much better for us to do things His way than expect Him to bless our efforts when our efforts are going the wrong direction. He sent us His Spirit to lead, teach, guide, council, and strengthen us if we will follow His voice. After all we are still learning! But He knows the way!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Monday, July 11, 2011
Is Your Child too Young?
I have heard of people saying, "My child is too young to know if he/she wants to ask Jesus to come into his heart." Or they feel their child is too young to fully understand what the child is doing. This disturbs me.
Do we stop our children from playing sports because they are too young to understand fully the rules of the sport? Or do we stop our children from beginning piano lessons because they are too young to know how much practice it is going to take to become great pianist? No we don't!
Generally we get very enthused that the child is showing interest in the sport or activity we enjoy. We encourage them to try the sport. Then why would a parent discourage a child from asking Jesus to come and be Lord over their lives? If a child is old enough to recognize that Jesus loves him and that he wants Jesus to be involved in their life I would encourage you as a parent to do everything within your ability to encourage the child to take that first step by asking Jesus to come into his life.
Do I have any experience is making this statement? I would say, "Yes, I do." I remember as a 4 year old child at a vacation Bible school making the decision that I wanted Jesus to come into my heart. From that moment on it has been the desire of my heart to serve Jesus and to have Him be the Lord and Master of my life.
I am a parent who has raised 3 children who are now adults. Each one of them knows when they asked Jesus to come into their life as a small child. Each of them have been faithfully serving Jesus and allowing Him to direct their lives.
Some people say they can't remember asking Jesus into their heart as a young child even though someone in their family tells them they did and they use this as an excuse to hinder their child from making that first step.
A person may not remember when they first picked up a ball but I don't remember that ever being an excuse for not allowing a child to pick up a ball when they see the ball and desire to pick it up. Do you?
I remember being told that communist knew that if they could get a child and train them in the first 5 years of their life they would have that child the rest of their life. God's word tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22:6 How is it that Christians sometimes do not understand this very principle. The communist didn't come up with the idea. It is God's Word telling us to train our children up in the things of Him. If we do we can be assured they will not depart from the training they have received from God.
If a child is old enough and he is asking questions and wanting Jesus to come into his life I plead with you do not hinder him. The Bible says it would be better for a millstone to placed around your neck and you to be thrown over into the sea than to offend one of these little ones. (Matthew 18:6) One of the definitions for offend is
to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
By not allowing the child to ask Jesus into his life you are essentially offending the child, causing him to turn away from the one person who will be a friend that will stick closer than a brother throughout his life!
Yesterday I learned of a young boy who came to our church's vacation Bible school a couple of weeks ago. In one of the services he was drawn by the Holy Spirit to ask Jesus into his life. He recognized LOVE and wanted the God who is Love to be in his life. Thankfully no one stopped him and said you are too young to make this decision! This past weekend the child drowned. His parents do not attend church. I pray that they will come to know Jesus and receive His comfort and council rather than blame God. It is the devil who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
If your child is being drawn to Jesus by the Holy Spirit I pray that you will not hinder him from making the most important decision in his life! Understanding will continue to come! I am 48 years old and I am still gaining understanding every day! But that day as a 4 year old was the best day of my life and I made the best decision of my life by asking Jesus to be the Savior of my soul, the Lord and Master of my life. I have not regretted one day having made that decision. You can ask my children, also. They will tell you they do not regret their decision as young children.
Do we stop our children from playing sports because they are too young to understand fully the rules of the sport? Or do we stop our children from beginning piano lessons because they are too young to know how much practice it is going to take to become great pianist? No we don't!
Generally we get very enthused that the child is showing interest in the sport or activity we enjoy. We encourage them to try the sport. Then why would a parent discourage a child from asking Jesus to come and be Lord over their lives? If a child is old enough to recognize that Jesus loves him and that he wants Jesus to be involved in their life I would encourage you as a parent to do everything within your ability to encourage the child to take that first step by asking Jesus to come into his life.
Do I have any experience is making this statement? I would say, "Yes, I do." I remember as a 4 year old child at a vacation Bible school making the decision that I wanted Jesus to come into my heart. From that moment on it has been the desire of my heart to serve Jesus and to have Him be the Lord and Master of my life.
I am a parent who has raised 3 children who are now adults. Each one of them knows when they asked Jesus to come into their life as a small child. Each of them have been faithfully serving Jesus and allowing Him to direct their lives.
Some people say they can't remember asking Jesus into their heart as a young child even though someone in their family tells them they did and they use this as an excuse to hinder their child from making that first step.
A person may not remember when they first picked up a ball but I don't remember that ever being an excuse for not allowing a child to pick up a ball when they see the ball and desire to pick it up. Do you?
I remember being told that communist knew that if they could get a child and train them in the first 5 years of their life they would have that child the rest of their life. God's word tells us, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22:6 How is it that Christians sometimes do not understand this very principle. The communist didn't come up with the idea. It is God's Word telling us to train our children up in the things of Him. If we do we can be assured they will not depart from the training they have received from God.
If a child is old enough and he is asking questions and wanting Jesus to come into his life I plead with you do not hinder him. The Bible says it would be better for a millstone to placed around your neck and you to be thrown over into the sea than to offend one of these little ones. (Matthew 18:6) One of the definitions for offend is
to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey
By not allowing the child to ask Jesus into his life you are essentially offending the child, causing him to turn away from the one person who will be a friend that will stick closer than a brother throughout his life!
Yesterday I learned of a young boy who came to our church's vacation Bible school a couple of weeks ago. In one of the services he was drawn by the Holy Spirit to ask Jesus into his life. He recognized LOVE and wanted the God who is Love to be in his life. Thankfully no one stopped him and said you are too young to make this decision! This past weekend the child drowned. His parents do not attend church. I pray that they will come to know Jesus and receive His comfort and council rather than blame God. It is the devil who comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
If your child is being drawn to Jesus by the Holy Spirit I pray that you will not hinder him from making the most important decision in his life! Understanding will continue to come! I am 48 years old and I am still gaining understanding every day! But that day as a 4 year old was the best day of my life and I made the best decision of my life by asking Jesus to be the Savior of my soul, the Lord and Master of my life. I have not regretted one day having made that decision. You can ask my children, also. They will tell you they do not regret their decision as young children.
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