... Why the Word of God is so important in our lives and the lives of our children...

 

 When I was preparing this talk for a ladies’ Bible Conference, I asked two of  my daughters if they could remember what we did in our home when they were younger concerning the Word of God.  I want to share with you what they had to say...

  

Our daughter, Jenah writes:

"In my hand I hold a book the book is called the Bible, B-I-B-L-E.. THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD!  I have sung this song all of my life and don't remember ever not knowing it.  At a very young age I was taught how to reverence, respect and cherish the Word of God.  I remember getting in the car on Sunday morning and Dad asking, "Do you have your Bible?"    

     All my life my parents made the Word of God so important and because of that I too learned to respect this precious book.  I remember having a missionary come to our church one time and hearing him tell how the people in his country would come in crowds just to get a glimpse at the Word of God.  This made a huge impression on my young heart, that the book that I had by my bed each night was so very special and I should learn to have a relationship with it.  Every New Year we were always encouraged to read our Bible through and I remember the first time I accomplished it.  I felt very in love with God's Word.

     Dad always said, God wrote a book and He wants to communicate with us through that book.  The thought of that made me want to read my Bible every day.  As children we memorized lots of scripture and most of the time memorized it by putting a tune with it.  I am so thankful that I grew up in a home where the Bible was alive and a part of our day to day lives.  It wasn't just a book that sat on the coffee table.  There were Bible's everywhere in our home opened, written in, all evident that they were being read.  What a blessing to have in my heritage and I am so excited to pass that on to my son.  I want him to know how precious the word of God is and how important the day to day relationship with Him is."

 

 

 

Our daughter, Hannah writes:

      "When I was a little girl the Bible was always referred to as the "Word of God", "God's Words"...in our home God's Word was a very special Book, in fact the most important Book we owned. We were taught how to protect the Bible and treat it with respect. Why, because God wrote it! Before I was even able to read, my parents taught us how to have a relationship with God through His Word. I can remember all the times my parents would help me try to read the Bible, they would say a word and I would repeat it after them until I was old enough and able to read on my own. We had family devotions for as long as I can remember and read the Bible together. As a junior age child, teenager and even now a young adult we were always encouraged to keep a walk with Christ. As I have gotten older I have been able to realize just how important and special God's Word really is to me! Through God's Word I have received Jesus as my Saviour and have made Him Lord of my life! Having a relationship with the Lord is something I would never ever want to trade..."

 

 

Family devotions were very much a part of our girl’s growing up years in the Cape home.  We would all gather usually in the living room together and each take a turn reading from the Word of God.  We would then have discussion about what we had just read.  Afterwards, we would pray together and then our day would begin.  We would also encourage them to have their own personal devotions and walk with God…And, we could usually tell by their attitude and spirit of the day whether or not they had been reading their Bible.  A question that got asked often in our home was, “Have you  read your Bible today?”

 

 

 

 

So, why has the Word of God been so important to Our Family?  The Word of God is important because….

 

• All of us want our children to go to Heaven, and we are prayerful they will choose our God.

-II Timothy 3:14 – 15  “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing that from a child thou hast learned them. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation thru faith which is in Christ Jesus.

​

• Notice the Scripture says that a child that has learned the Scriptures will be made wise unto salvation  through faith in Christ Jesus!

-Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

• This is the God we want our children to choose, the one God for there is none other but He!

-Mark 12:32 “And the scribe said unto him, Master thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he."

• We realized that Scripture teaches us that it is our responsibility as a parent to teach the Word of God to our children!

-Deuteronomy 6:6 – 7 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up.

• Not only do we want our children to choose our God and be saved, but we want them to love Him with all their heart, soul and might!  And by loving Him in this fashion, they will want to serve Him and be in His will.

-Deuteronomy 6:5 “And thou shat love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

• We realize that we are sinners and so are our children.

-Matthew 22:29 “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

• Not knowing the Scriptures will cause them to make huge spiritual errors in their lives.

-Hebrews 4:12  “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

 

We can’t convict our children of their sin, and we can’t possibly know the thoughts and intents of their hearts.

 

 

• The Word of God will teach our daughters how to be Spirit-filled wives and mothers and our sons how to be Spirit-filled husbands and fathers who are leaders.

 

For our daughters:

-Titus 2:5 “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”

 

For our sons: 

-I John 2:14 “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning.  I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

 

-Ephesians 5:25 ‘Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

 

 

• We wanted our children to fear the Lord.

-Psalm 86:11 “Teach me thy way O LORD;I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.”

 

 

• We wanted our children to bind the Word of God in their hearts so if they ever strayed from the Lord, they can find their way back to Him.

-Proverbs 3:3  “Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.”

 

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

 

 

• We want our children to teach the Word of God to their children, so our grandchildren can be saved.

-Psalm 132:12 “If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.

 

 

• We want to live a joyful Christian life and wish that for our children as well.

-Galatians 5:25 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”.

 

-Romans 8:1  “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

 

• When burdens come into our lives, or the lives of our children, We must have  a source of strength and comfort more powerful than the love of anyone.....The Word of God will sustain and give strength when no one else can, including us as parents.…

-Romans 15:4   “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

 

-Psalm 18:32   "It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect."

 

-Psalm 37:39 “But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.”

 

-Psalm 62:7 “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”

 

-Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.”

 

 

……I am convinced that the emphasis that has been placed in our home on the importance of the Word of God and a daily walk with Christ has been the source of strength that has given our Heather such an amazing spirit.  Every morning before she begins her day, she gets her Bible reading chart out and opens her Bible and reads His Word! Praise the Lord!