Thursday #3 Devotion

Proverbs 22:6--Train up a child in the way he should go; and when
he is old, he will not depart from it.

I love that word, "train." It literally means, "to dedicate." We are to dedicate the
instruction of our children to the ways and will of God. We are to help our children
stay under the wings of Almighty God. Under those wings they will find shelter, rest,
and refuge from the storm.

I like the analogy this verse promotes. You are laying the track of your child's life when
you raise them with righteousness. You are forging the link to their future. You must lay
this track early and as often as possible. You don't know when your children will be
"launched out" into the world. God is the conductor of this train. And He will rev up the
engine, sound the whistle, and lead our children to off to their next "station" when the time
is right. So, if we want them to have safe passage to the next stop of their life, we must help
lay the track now.

We can't delay it. We can't lay inferior track or false track. It has to the be the high-quality
steel of God's wisdom, way of life, and Word. Anything less than that does not have the
guarantee of safety and positive rewards.

Numbers 23:19 tells us, "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that
He should repent; hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not
make it good?" When God makes a promise, we can trust it. He tells us in Proverbs 22:6 that
if we will train up our children in the way that they should go, when they are old they
will not depart from it.

There's no "probably" to it. There is a certainty of fulfillment. But is it not our responsibility
to "make" that verse come true. God has put His promise out there. Our responsibility is
to seek His wisdom, guidance, and illumination in the journey and then to be faithful to do
all that He tells us to do. Then, we can have every confidence that the "not departing" will
show itself to be true. You see, when you lay the track of your child's life according to the
Biblical principles of righteousness and righteous choices, you are pointing your children
toward the face of the Father. He will have the freedom to walk with them, talk with them,
lead and direct them and show His nature to them. And they will come home to Him.

So, let's lay the track for our children and help them get ready to leave the station. Then,
let's trust God's faithfulness to safely help them reach their destination.

Confession: I train my children in the way that they should go. I depend
upon the wisdom and guidance of God to reveal to me how to truthfully
train my children. I know that I will see the reward that they will not
depart from this training when they are old.