Lessons Learned? | Anchored in Hope Devotions

Have you ever said to your children, “Sit still and be quiet?” Maybe you were at church, or you were trying to get them to listen to you. Children are easily distracted and getting them to pay attention can be frustrating.

We have a heavenly Father, and as believers we are his children. We have the same problem we had as children, listening and paying attention to what our Father is trying to tell us.

Psalm 38:15 “But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.”

Another issue with children is “why”. Sometimes as parents we give the reason, but many times we want them to just trust us. After all, we want what’s best for them.

Our Father always knows what is best for us. His Word is full of instructions for the believer.

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

Our Father also wants us to trust Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Psalm 84:12 “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!”

A Pastor once said, “we do what we want to do, because we want to do it.”

Often the problem is disobedience. A parent looks at their child and says “why did you do that when you knew it was wrong?” A frustrated parent says, “how many times have I told you not to do that?” And then with disobedience comes some form of discipline.

Can you see our Heavenly Father saying the same thing to us, maybe even rolling His spiritual eyes and shaking His head?

Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Ephesians 5:8 “For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the Light.”

Lessons we tried to instill in our children are often the same lessons our Father wants us to learn. We must remember that God is a loving Father, and His desire is that we would mature in our spiritual life and become more like His Son, Jesus Christ.

- Sherry Meyer