ESOCS Devotional 26 September 2024 – Honouring God in the Father-Child Relationship
MEMORY VERSE: “Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, and give attention to know understanding; For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.” (Proverbs 4:1-2 NIV)
TEXT: PROVERBS 4:1-27
Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just is like the shining sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional Here
Blessing is preached heavily in the Christendom without even following certain basic adherence, whereas it should be taught in God’s perspective and according to the guidelines in God’s Word. We need to understand both God’s temporal blessings on this earth, and His eternal blessings, in order to understand the plan of God. His perfect plan demonstrates the glory of God and accomplishes the good of those who love God. One of his blessings is the blessing of a family and the parent-child relationship. One of the basic commandments in the Bible is to “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2 -3).
In today’s passage, Solomon opens the chapter with an invitation: “Hear, my children!” It is as if in the previous three chapters he has proven to us that he walks in the wisdom of God and has a sincere desire to share that wisdom with us. He has the same desire as a father, who loves his son and would like to give him life lessons; hence, let us look to him as a father. The Bible gives great emphasis to the family and the relationship within. God desires us to establish father-to-child relationships. In this context, God wants life lessons to be passed from generation to generation.
Solomon learned many lessons from his father David. King David taught young Solomon everything he knew; all he had learned from walking and talking with God. Solomon lovingly admits that as a son to his father, he submitted to his authority, and that he listened to his teaching. David had fought fearlessly and led heroically but he sinned miserably. David knew both highs and lows in God, but when he was at his lowest, after sinning terribly before God, David entered deeply into a powerful repentance. He cried out to Jehovah, asking God to create in him a clean heart, to renew the right spirit within him (Psalm 51:10). David was not flawless, but he was overall faithful to God. Later on, in the New Testament, God speaks through Luke and says that David was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).
David’s influence on Solomon is vividly clear. As a son, it means that taking heed to your parent’s teachings has great significance in the sight of God. So, nurture our parent-child relationships and allow God to be glorified in it.
- What does today’s words mean to you? Are you serious about your father-to-child relationship with your natural father and spiritual Father, God?
- Lor, I thank you for the wisdom I received from my natural and spiritual parents.
Further Reading: Nahum 3:1-19; Luke 14:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13
ESOCS Devotional 26 September 2024
