Theme: ARROWS IN THE HANDS OF A MIGHTY
Bible Text: PSALMS 127:3-5
INTRODUCTION
Arrows are designed to fly, they aren’t for show. They are never intended to stay in a quiver. The quiver is just a vehicle that carries them until they are ready for release. You might say that arrows were made to be released. They were made to pierce a target. Children were designed by their Creator to make an impact on the world. To live for a reason. To accomplish a purpose. To count for something in God’s great scheme of things.
EXPOSITION
Children are rewards from God. Almost everyone desires children but only God gives as he pleases. Being invaluable gifts from God, they’re to be handled with care.
Verse 4 of our text says children are like arrows in the hands of a warrior. This means they are a great weapon, and instrument when used the right way. Imagine an arrow in the hands of someone who doesn’t value it or know how to use it or if it was just left to decay, its purpose would not be fulfilled.
Children are God’s heritage, that is, children are God’s properties and parents who are the designated caretakers are expected to treat them with care and ensure that the purpose of God for their lives is fulfilled.
WAYS TO BRING THE BEST OUT OF CHILDREN
1. Maintain a guiding principle in child training: Child training is God’s appointed and only method which can be reckoned upon with certainty to develop godly men and women. If you prune, subdue, eradicate the evil, and develop, strengthen and encourage him, inspiring him with the love of the truth, holiness and benevolence, he will grow up a good, godly and benevolent person.
Training a child in the way of the Lord involves teaching, giving instruction and discipline which must be appropriate to the development stages of the child so that it has the desired result. Teaching a child the word of God is of more value than giving them a good education and earthly inheritance.
By teaching them the word of God and guiding them onto the way of the Lord and the right path early, it saves a lot of problems and it makes them turn out as Godly people.
2. Disciplining the Children: “He that spareth his rod hateth the son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes”(Proverbs 13:24).
Discipline must be viewed as having two functions; that of building up cherished habits in the child, and of modifying and changing habits.
Reward and substitution are the two most effective means of securing desirable behavior. Caring for children does not mean condoning bad behaviour from them. By letting them know what is right and wrong and guiding them the right way, they stand a chance of being useful to themselves and the society at large.
CONCLUSION
God’s plan is to make a great and glorious destiny out of every child that he has given to every parent. But, any child who doesn’t take to his/her parent’s corrections cannot become an effective tool in the hands of the Lord.
