Helping YOU bring home the joy of the Gospel in practical, everyday life!

This question, asked by one of my daughters was not the first time it had been asked. Some of my other children have asked similar questions as they’ve studied the Bible on their own.

She asked her question at morning devotions when we were together as a family. It came up almost in passing.

I reminded her that God doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17) and therefore His Word, the Bible, does not contradict itself; that the Bible is in fact true and completely reliable (Psalm 12:6, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and the Westminster Confession of Faith (i. 2, 8).

We looked at the passages in question. We discussed the meaning of the key words in each passage as well as the context and were able to quickly determine to her satisfaction that although the passages seemed contradictory, they actually were not.

After this rather startling episode, a rather horrifying thought entered my mind…what if I was not there at that moment to answer this question for her and she began to doubt God’s Word?

Now, God doesn’t “need” me. He could’ve worked differently. But He has put me in position to be a tool He normally uses in the life of my children. I am humbled and also grateful for such a calling. But I am just a man. I have divided interests and it is easy for me to weasel out of my responsibilities.

In today’s distracted world, we must fight to maintain an intentional focus on the gospel in our lives and relationships.

This is all the more reason then that we should seek to set and maintain a regular time when we are together as a family where we can read the Bible, pray, and have conversations.

It is during these conversations that we learn about what’s really going on in each another’s lives.

Care should be taken not to presume upon God to work around our own agendas. Rather, we should fully embrace our responsibilities to one another by making time to converse, read, pray, and answer questions!

You’ve heard a lot about the importance of family devotions.  You’ve probably even made a few attempts at starting them in your own home.  However, they just seemed to crash and burn because of babies crying, toddlers circling the room in their underwear or sibling rivalry ramping up the minute you open the Bible. In a frustrated huff, the Bible is closed and people scattered their own way.  What is the point? Is it really necessary?

All parents seeking to be faithful have asked these questions at one point or another.  Be encouraged, it is worth it! I would like to offer several reasons why it is not just good—but imperative—to read the Bible to your younger children.

1. Nowhere does God’s command to parents to train up their children have an age limit. Check out the most quoted passages, Deut. 6:4-9, Psalm 78:1-10, Psalm 127:3-5, and Ephesians 6:1-4 and you will not see an age limit. In fact, you find just the opposite! The little ones were included where the Word is being ministered (Neh. 8:1, Acts 2:14-41). In other passages where the church is meeting in homes, it would push the edge of reason to conclude that the littlest among them were not present, hearing the word (Acts 2:42, 46, Col. 4:15, Philemon 1:2).

2. God’s word is powerful. God’s own word is what God promises to bless (Isa. 55:11, 1 Cor. 2:5, Heb. 4:12). If God’s word is strong enough to create out of nothing (Gen. 1), then it is strong  enough to work in the hearts of the youngest among us. God’s ways are higher than our ways  (Isa. 55:8). You do not know how the Holy Spirit is using the passages you read to supernaturally  work in your young child’s heart.

3. What are you trying to get them to understand? Is it to amass Bible facts? Or is it to come to know God? Little kids understand basic concepts such as love; good and evil. Any passage you  read will feature either information about man’s sin, or information about God’s grace, both of  which give the opportunity to talk about those basic truths on the simplest levels. They can come to know God in a way that is on their level if you are reading to them with that intention of making those simple things clear. It is possible to do that and also explain the deeper things to the older kids.

4. There is far more to be gained from reading the Bible to your youngest children than merely amassing facts. Consider these additional benefits:

a. They learn that reading the Bible is valuable and are more likely to continue the practice as they grow older.

b. Reading the Bible teaches them that their father and/or mother are their spiritual leaders.

c. They learn to sit still and listen…so that they can stay in the worship service or small group meeting.

5. Finally, and perhaps most important of all—reading the word is one way of showing that you love the Lord. Is reading the Bible something that YOU enjoy? Reading the Bible—seeing Jesus through the gospel—is a critical part of how we grow in our love for Jesus. Including the youngest children in a regularly scheduled family Bible reading time is one way for them to grow up watching you demonstrate your love for God through a passionate pursuit of His Word.

It is hard to fool kids. We can say what we want. But what they believe will likely be the result of what they see us do. Our example is incredibly powerful—one way or another.

As one final word of encouragement, please consider again, Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

God’s redemptive purposes are not thwarted by our parental inhibitions, imperfections and the craziness that is often family Bible time. God’s word is itself powerful. Through his Spirit, He will do his work. We just need to be his willing instruments.

Could it be that we’re making the mistake that Jesus addressed in Matthew 5:39-40? “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”

Tragically today, we know a lot about Jesus. But we do not know, Jesus.

We feel compelled to study the Bible because we know we should. It is God’s word, after all. But we often leave our time in the Word like we leave the encyclopedia, newspaper, or magazine. Encouraged, perhaps entertained, but not changed.

Knowing and Loving

To know Jesus is to love Jesus. If we love him, we will keep his commandments. God-glorifying, joy-inducing obedience (including the obedience of confession and repentance) comes not out of mere textbook knowledge of what we’re supposed to do; it comes out of love for the One Who gave His life for us through excruciating pain on a Roman cross.

Jesus is not just our savior, He is our brother (Heb. 2:11). He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). He is our only dependable source of joy (Ps. 16:11). He is our peace (Eph. 2:14). He is our love (Jn. 13:35). Our lives are so intertwined with his that scripture actually says that we are hidden in him (Col. 3:3). He is our new identity. THAT is an interesting and exhilarating plot line for our devotions each day, don’t you think?

Anyone with the Spirit of God in them and who sees the grandeur of Jesus proliferated from Genesis to Revelation cannot help but love him. Knowing leads to loving. Even in our human relationships we know that usually the better we know someone, the more we love them.

Pursue your time in the word as a time of getting to know Jesus. How do we do this?

First, we remind our families [often] that our purpose in coming together around the Bible is to know Jesus. Have you done this? God is speaking to us through the Bible because it is his word to us. It is like he is sitting there talking with us. The book is alive and through the Spirit, it gives life.

Second, we look for how the passage reveals the person and work of Christ. This is not always readily apparent, especially if we only read a few verses at a time, or if we stay away from the books of the Old Testament that provide vital backdrop and depth about who Jesus was and what he accomplished for us.

Just this week I was greatly encouraged by one of those ah-ah! moments for my wife as my family was reading in Isaiah of all places. What struck her was not new, but I think it was just that she saw it in a different way. As we were reading the message God gave Isaiah to pass on to the people, there was a theme of him reminding the people that He was in control, that He should be feared, not the Assyrians.
They needed to focus their attention on God and look to Him for help. It paralleled with 2 Cor. 4:18 (where she had been reading on her own) Paul reminds us to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Many people read passages and miss how Jesus is present. David and Goliath is a classic example. Many think the message is something like God makes us strong so we can fight Satan. Wrong. The message is that none of us can fight Satan and win. Only one person fought and defeated Satan, Jesus! We need to recognize our utterly powerless state against sin and by faith apply Jesus’ victory on the cross as our own in each specific temptation.

As a husband and father, it is very exciting to see my wife and children enjoy reading the Bible. Certainly, there are days where I blow it or that joy is not as prevalent at Bible time. We struggle like all families. But I think the sowing and reaping principle of 2 Cor. 9:6 applies and I have seen it work!

If your family is not having regular family worship, my encouragement is to begin, NOW! God’s Word is powerful because the one about whom it is written, Jesus, is all-powerful. And he sits at God’s right hand, praying for you, dear father, to lead your family not to the Bible per se, but to a relationship with Him!

Do not underestimate the power of regular time in God’s word as a family. I write because I am particularly burdened that God’s Word is easily set aside in our homes.

Yes. Life is busy—almost—to the point of being out of control.  Yes. “Thanks” to I-phones and social media, attention spans are like that of gnats on espresso. It is getting harder to hold the attention of our children long enough to make it through even a light discussion on a few Bible verses. You might rationalize that you are doing a poor job. Perhaps for these and other reasons it is easy to let go of this powerful means of grace: the proclamation of God’s Word in our homes.

Here are five reasons to strive to continue gathering the family around God’s Word.

• God’s Word is our only source of Truth. Social order continues to disintegrate as man hedonistically and foolishly seeks truth everywhere but the one place it can be found: God. Let us agree with John in his gospel in 17:17: “Your word is truth” and seek truth there.
• Because God’s Word is truth, it speaks authoritatively in our lives. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” This is a timeless promise that should joyfully compel us to seek what God has said about how we should think, speak and make decisions each day for his glory.
• God’s word makes our way clear in this world of darkness. The spiritually blind stumble over themselves in their darkness. Psalm 119:105 reminds us that “Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
• God’s Word is powerful. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Scripture really is, God’s Word. Because it is powerful, we can be assured that it will accomplish God’s purpose (also see Isa. 55:11).
• Because God’s Word is all of these things (and much, much more) we can have peace; assurance; and confidence when everyone else is crippled with anxiety, fear, and depression. As a husband and father, I know that my performance is not nearly enough to ensure that my wife and children walk with Jesus. It brings me real peace and joy to know that although I am deeply flawed as a messenger of God’s truth, God’s truth is inherently powerful. This is highly motivating to me as I seek to read, discuss, and apply God’s Word with my family.Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:3, “In the end times people will not be able to endure sound doctrine.” Let us hold fast the word of God in our families so that we will stand strong… not only for our families, but just as importantly, so that we can offer the Truth to those still walking in darkness that they might know the know the hope that is within us.