Articles
Training Up Our Children To Pursue Wisdom / Like His Father Had Done
Training Up Our Children To Pursue Wisdom
(by Edwin Crozier)
Considering the statement of David’s children, I doubt any of us would confuse David with a great father or with the best of fathers. However, that doesn’t mean he got everything wrong in parenting. In fact, this week I discovered something I never knew before about David and Solomon. I hope to follow David’s parenting example with Solomon.
If you are like me, you are in complete awe of the choice Solomon made in II Chronicles 1:7-10. God wanted to bless Solomon and gave him the opportunity to choose any blessing he wanted. Of course, after generations of hearing the genii in the bottle story we might think that the best thing to ask for is more wishes. However, Solomon even topped that. He asked for “wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of Yours, which is so great” (ESV). Because of this great choice, God said He would not only give Solomon wisdom, but the wealth, fame, and power.
That’s the part we all know. But did you know Solomon didn’t come up with this choice on his own? Do you know where Solomon got his choice from? Until this week, neither did I.
In I Chronicles 22, David charges Solomon with building the temple. He had wanted to build it, but because of his bloodshed, God was going to grant that blessing to his son. So David called Solomon to him and instructed him to build the temple. But notice what he says in I Chronicles 22:11-12: “Now, my son, the LORD be with you so that you may succeed in building the house of the LORD your God, as He has spoken concerning you. Only, may the LORD grant you discretion and understanding, that when He gives you charge over Israel you may keep the law of the LORD your God” (ESV). In I Chronicles 28:5-8, Solomon heard his father charge all of Israel to seek out God and His commandments so they could possess the land and leave it as an inheritance to their children. In I Chronicles 28:9, David told Solomon: “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever” (ESV). In I Chronicles 29:1, David was realistic with Solomon about his inexperience and the magnitude of the work before him, demonstrating his need for the LORD God. Finally, in I Chronicles 29:19, Solomon heard his father praying for him to have a whole heart from God so he could keep the commandments and actually get the temple built.
Consider this example. David directly taught his son about the need for wisdom from God. He taught him about the magnitude of the work set before him. He let his son hear him tell others about the need to seek God and his wisdom. He let his son hear him seek God’s wisdom for him in prayer.
Knowing that Solomon heard this over and over again from his father, is it really shocking that when given the choice he asked for wisdom from God? He was prepped to make that choice.
That leaves me with a question. Am I prepping my children to make that choice? Am I talking to them about their need for God and His wisdom? Am I praying for them to have God’s wisdom? Am I letting them hear me offer those prayers on their behalf? Do I let them hear me talking to others about everyone’s need for God’s wisdom?
While none of us have had a vision granting us our greatest wish, every day we are choosing to pursue what we wish for the most. Our children will be learning from us what to pursue with that daily choice. Certainly, we may teach them properly and they choose something else. But we still need to ask, what are they learning from us? What choice are we prepping them to make?
Like His Father Had Done
(by David Maxson)
“In the second year of Joash the son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, began to reign… And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done” (2 Kings 14:1, 3).
Did you know it is highly unlikely that your kids will be more righteous than you? Think about that for a minute. Let it sink in. Is that a little disturbing to you? Joash was a good father. He was judged as being a righteous king (2 Kings 12:2). His son, Amaziah, walked in his father’s footsteps and was also judged as righteous. However, Amaziah did not do what was right as David had done. He only did as well as his father did.
If you are a parent, the fact that you’re reading this devotion means you are probably a good parent. You’re concerned about the spiritual well-being of your kids. You want them to grow up to become Christians and follow Jesus. But the fact is, our kids are going to follow Jesus only as much as we follow Jesus. Obviously, there are wonderful exceptions to this rule. Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, was a wicked king, and yet Hezekiah was arguably one of the best kings in Judah (2 Kings 16:1-4; 18:1-3; see also Josiah). But for every Hezekiah and Josiah in the story of the kings, there are a lot more kings like Amaziah. Children tend to follow (and are limited by) their parent’s example.
Father, give us a sense of urgency to use the days and the moments we have with our children to impress upon their minds the importance of serving You with all our hearts. Let us lead by our words and our deeds.
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