Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

25 March 2025

Reading From Luke 2:25-52

“Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

—Luke 2:49-52

     This is the hope of every Christian parent.  We want our children to grow spiritually and physically and enjoy the favor of God and others.  A lot can be gleaned from the way Jesus was raised.  Joseph and Mary traveled with family and friends.  It’s healthy for children to be around other people their parents trust.  In this particular case a little more supervision would have been a good thing, but it is good for kids to spend time with people their folks deem to be good influences.

     We learned for the Gospel According to Mark that He became a carpenter by learning alongside His father Joseph.  Dads and moms should be intentional with passing on life skills to their kids.  It could be anything from mechanic work to cooking to cleaning to construction to landscaping or whatever skills a parent might possess.  If the knowledge is not passed down to the next generation, it is lost in that family and the children have to seek it out for themselves which is far more difficult than if they learned it at home.

     Joseph and Mary made following Yahweh priority in their lives.  They took the time, energy and resources to travel to Jerusalem for religious festivals and to spend time at the temple.  As followers of Jesus in the New Covenant, it is vital for parents to set a faithful example as integral parts of a local Christ-centered, Bible-believing congregation.  While church attendance and participation is important, the pandemic made me realize that raising kids in the nurture and admonition of the Lord begins at home.  I began making it a priority to sing, pray and read the Scriptures with my children every night.  This makes feeding ourselves spiritually a daily part of our lives which gives us the Holy Spirit energy we need to face challenges and lead healthy, balanced lives.

     Physical health and wellbeing is also needed for a child’s healthy development.  This passage in Luke speaks of Jesus growing in stature.  Good nutrition and exercise is important for kids to grow healthy and strong.  This is something that needs to be modeled by parents.  I Timothy 4:8 tells us, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”  Balance is key.  Too much emphasis on physical condition and performance can be idolatrous and therefore unhealthy.  Spiritual and physical wellness fall into place when Christ and His Word are at the center of who we are.  If godly parents do their best, the likelihood of their children following Jesus’ example of obedience is much higher than if parents are not intentional.

“Heavenly Father, You know how difficult parenting is because You parent me.  I pray that You would bless every mother and father in Your eternal family with the knowledge, wisdom, strength and love that we need to guide our children into discovering who they are, where they fit and who they can become in You.  In the Name of Jesus Christ I pray these things, Amen.”

Start children off on the way they should go,
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

—Proverbs 22:6