[S] Hosea 9:12 --
12Though they bring up their children,
Yet I will bereave them until not a man is left.
Yes, woe to them indeed when I depart from them!
[O] When God's hand is removed there is nothing I do that will bear fruitfulness. I can easily dive into the mode of trying to become the best dad for my children because I want them to grow up being the best they can be. All very good intentions but this verse teaches me that even the "bestest" intentions of raising my children unless God is at the core of their lives (and mine), it will all be in vain. In fact, they will be "bereaved." A very scary thought and a good reminder for me to put this at the forefront of my fatherhood -- do not let God's hand be removed from you by seeking Him daily at the feet of Jesus through the Holy Spirit and His Word.
[A] My wife and I had good discussion about the strategy of raising our children especially when they're in their teenage years of going through so much changes and growth in all aspects of their lives; we can all get lost in the mix of it all! And the devotional reading in last couple of weeks have honed in on this topic so well that we're convicted to let our kids know what the "core" they must hold on to and what are the superfluous surroundings they do not have to cling on to. This is actually a scary step for us to take because at the center of this means we are entrusting our kids' lives/future into God's hands.
[P] Dear God, please send us Your confirmations of our decision to take this route with our parenthood because it's very difficult to steer down this path as I feel I'm losing control even though in my mind I know You ARE in full control. We want to entrust our children's future into Your hands. Please mold them and use them for Your glory. And continue to encourage us a little here and there because we need it. In Jesus' name. Amen.
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