A Spiritual Foundation

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY MAY 28, 2002
(Proverbs 22:6)

Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older he will remain upon it.

A spiritual foundation. I want to give parents out there some encouragement today. Often we get to a point where we wonder if anything we are doing is really making a difference. Let me assure you, the most important job God has give you to do is laying a spiritual foundation in the lives of your children. I know many of you have been diligent in getting your kids to church, involving them in activities at church, teaching them at home how to pray, the importance of the Bible, and talking to them about Jesus. That great promise in Galatians 6:9 tells us that if we aren't weary in well doing, we will one day reap. We are so used to this day of instant gratification, that we may forget that the things of God happen in His timing and not ours. We may not be able to see the immediate affect in our kids lives, and even more disappointing, may watch them actually turn away from the Lord as they get older.

Can you imagine how disappointed the father in the story of the Prodigal Son must have been when his own son wanted to get his inheritance and leave home? This father had the wisdom to know that God gives each of us free will to make our own decisions, and there will come a time when our children must make choices for themselves. He also had the faith in God to trust Him to watch over his son. Lastly though, He put his faith in God's word that promised him that the spiritual foundation he laid in his son's life would sustain him in the dark moments of that young man's life.

Let me just interject a personal note here. In my darkest hour, having watched my world destroyed before my very eyes, ending up in Federal Prison, it was the spiritual foundation my parents laid in my life that sustained me, and upon which I was able to rebuild my life (link to founders testimony). Mom's and Dad's....it works, I am a living testimony. The key point today is don't get frustrated, don't get angry at God when your kids aren't doing what they should, just keep being faithful to lay that spiritual foundation in their life each day. There is no greater gift you can give your children, there is nothing you will do for them that will have a greater impact upon their life. Don't forget, the most important decision any of us make in this life is about our eternal destination. The spiritual foundation you lay in the lives of your children gives them the opportunity to one day make that personal decision to accept Jesus Christ into their hearts by faith.

No one has a greater impact on them than you, since each day they will make hundreds of decisions. Those decisions are influenced by their environment, what they are taught, and how they see you act in your daily life. I will be in prayer for you today to re-commit yourselves today to taking the job God has given you very seriously. THERE IS NO GREATER JOB HE HAS GIVEN YOU THAN LAYING A SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION IN THE LIVES OF YOUR CHILDREN.

I love you and care about you so much. I realize that your children are your life, as they should be. Trust God's Word today, and know that the efforts you make in raising up your children in the fear and admonition of the Lord are not in vain. One day, maybe after you have gone on to be with the Lord, those efforts will bear fruit. As I say often, you can not control the actions of another human being. But as parents, you have the best chance of influencing the lives of your children, planting seeds that will be there for the rest of their days on this earth. Be diligent about the work God has given you to do, then pray, trusting God that He will do the rest. The only one who loves your children more than you do is God Himself.

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

If I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com.

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