Meditation for August 10

There is nothing I could write that could better capture the truth of today's scriptures and how it applies to us today than what Pastor Karen has written on the Ebenezer page today.  Here it is.

         Good morning!

1. Today I am going to a birthday party for a young lady named Adrienne. I am blessed to be her pastor and friend and I look forward to watching her grow into the woman of God the Lord has planned. I know she will do great things for Him because I see her faithfulness to His call on her life already. I wonder if she will become a pastor someday? 

    

   I hope she will consider it!
   
   In an age when children don’t always attend worship every Sunday, Adrienne comes. And not only that, she is actively engaged in what is happening in worship. When I call the children forward for the children’s message, Adrienne, who is about 9 or 10, always comes. Sometimes she is the only one who is brave enough to answer any of my questions! And she usually gives the answer I am hoping for. A pastor’s dream! She has a boldness that reminds me something of Peter and John’s courage in our Acts reading today.
   
   Peter and John were just “ordinary, uneducated” people. And yet the Lord gave them wisdom and empowered them by the Spirit to take the gospel to the world, despite the dangers they were facing. The religious leaders warned them not to speak or teach in Jesus’ name anymore. But they did, anyway, as they were convinced that Jesus Christ was the only name through which “mortals may be saved.”
   
   I pray for Adrienne and all the other young people who are already showing leadership gifts in our churches and communities. I pray that their families will recognize and cultivate their biblical knowledge and desire to serve the Lord. I pray they will be encouraged to continue attending church and pursuing the Lord at home through a family devotional life.
   
   I pray pastors will understand the importance of nurturing the faith of our children so that our churches will continue on in their ministry in rural Minnesota and throughout small towns across the United States. We need the faith and commitment of our children for generations to come.
   
   Adrienne’s parents, grandparents, and extended family play an important role in her spiritual development. She is faithful because she has faithful examples around her--people she loves encouraging her to follow her passion to follow Christ.
   
   Parents and grandparents, don’t forget how important your roles are in the raising of children in the faith! Your children and grandchildren are watching and listening, even when you think they aren’t paying attention. If you don’t attend worship every Sunday and you don’t bring your children or grandchildren to Sunday school every week, the message you are giving them is that church is just another activity in your family’s busy life.
   
   Your faith isn’t an “activity.” It’s a calling to serve Him with all you are and all you have. Don’t shy away from this calling! There are many blessings when you obey the Lord and let go of other activities and distractions that keep you from being an excellent Christian parent or grandparent. You will have peace and the assurance that the ones you love will choose everlasting life with Him in His kingdom, beginning in this world, in this community. Right here and now. Isn’t that more important than shiny trophies to display on a shelf?
   
   Don’t put off going to church and Sunday school with your children. Don’t make sleeping in on Sundays a reward for good behavior. And don’t just drop them off for Sunday school. Stay with them! You need Christian nurture and fellowship as much as your children do! Make the Lord and your faith community a priority in your life and it will be a priority in your children’s lives, too.
   
   The Lord is always there whenever you seek Him. He never abandons you, even when you sometimes forget what He has done for you by giving you new life in Him. He is always ready to forgive and bless you with His peace. He wants to empower you as a Christian parent and grandparent.
   
   Don’t make Him wait any longer for you to come to Him. Come to Him now.
   
   Let us pray.
   
   Prayer: Heavenly Lord, thank you for our young people who are choosing to seek and serve You! Thank you for Adrienne and all the other girls and boys who want the peace of Christ and want to know more about You and Your Word. We pray you will guide their parents, grandparents, Sunday school teachers, and pastors as they seek to build up Adrienne and other children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We pray they will become leaders in our congregations and will draw many people to the faith in their lifetimes. We ask a special blessing on Adrienne for her birthday. Grant her Your peace, wisdom and joy. Fill her with your spiritual gifts and show her and her family how You want her to use those gifts to serve You. In Christ we pray. Amen.
   
   Today’s readings are Judges 9:1-16,19-21; Acts 4:13-31; John 2:2-12; and Psalms 91 and 92.
   
   Blessings in Christ!
   
   Pastor Karen