CHILD TRAINING:
BUILDING FOR TOMORROW
Child Training is an important milestone in the landscape of marriage and family life. This column and the next will examine the various facets of Child Training in the family. The central thought of this chapter is simply this – A child who is well trained today will be an asset for the Family, the Church, the State and the Nation tomorrow. The seeds for tomorrow’s joy are sown today. The sweat of yesterday is the source of provision for today. What parents do for the children will be the platform of living tomorrow and in the next generation. Primarily because of the importance of Child-Training in the family, I propose to expound six important areas you must carefully consider in child upbringing:
GIFT OF CHILDREN
GOAL FOR CHILDREN
GRIEF OF CHILD NEGLECT
GROWTH OF CHILDREN
GUIDE FOR CHILD TRAINING.
In this column I will dwell on the The Gift of Children: The Bible makes it clear that children are gifts from the LORD. The first child earth knew, Cain, was a gift from the LORD. At his birth, his mother said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD” (Genesis 4:1). On another occasion, she begat a child and said, “For God…. hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew” (Genesis 4:25).
Rachael also saw her child as a gift from God. “And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.”
Genesis 30:6 KJV.
Again, Jacob, when he met with Esau, acknowledged the fact that children are gifts from the LORD. “And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.”
Genesis 33:5 KJV
Joseph too, when his father met him in Egypt, acknowledged that his children were gifts from God.
“And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.”
Genesis 48:9 KJV
David, in his song of praise, equally echoed that God provides children for all.
“He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.”
Psalms 113:9 KJV.
It is glaring from the Scriptures that children are gifts from God Almighty. In this Psalm 113:9, God’s Word makes it clear that He attends to the barren and takes away the reproach of her life.
I have a Faith-stirring Word for the barren here. From my study of the Bible, I discovered that there were seven barren women in the Bible, but God gave all of them children miraculously. Note that the figure, “7” symbolises completeness, totality and wholeness. The seven barren women cured of their barrenness in the Bible is symbolic of the fact that all the barren women in the world today can have their cure in the LORD. Let us take a look at these seven women.
1. SARAH: Sarah was the first woman with the problem of barrenness. God took away the reproach, gave her a child and made her “ mother of nations”
“And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.”
Genesis 17:16 KJV
2. REBECCA: Rebecca was the second barren women we read about in the Old Testament. Her reproach was also taken away by the LORD God who blessed her with a child that grew to become the nation, Israel.
3. RACHAEL: Rachael was dejected and her soul was cast down because of the problem of barrenness. At a time in her life, she turned to her husband Jacob, and said, “Give me children or else I die”
(Genesis 30:1)
“And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.”
Genesis 30:1 KJV. But God visited her and she was blessed with the fruit of the womb. She gave birth to Joseph, a man of great price.
4. MANOAH’S: His wife was also barren for some years. But the LORD sent His angel to comfort her. A child was promised and later she bore a son. That son was Samson. He became the scourge of the Philistines and deliverer of the Israelites.
5. HANNAH: Hannah, the mother of the great prophet, was also barren for some years of her life. She called unto the LORD and He heard. She bore Samuel, one of the greatest prophets the world at that time ever knew.
6. The SHUNAMMITE WOMAN: was another barren woman God gave a child through the ministry of the great prophet, Elisha.
7. ELIZABETH in the New Testament, was also without a child for many years. The Bible says, she was “well stricken in years”
“And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.”
Luke 1:18 KJV. But God visited her, promised her a child and fulfilled the promise. She brought forth John the Baptist, the forerunner of our LORD and Saviour JESUS CHRIST. God attended to all these barren women. He proved His Might, His Love as Mercy on behalf of them all. If He heard the cries of these women in Bible Days, why wouldn’t He hear yours today?
My sister/brother, I want you to understand that children are gifts from God. If you look up to God, He will give you that gift in JESUS Mighty Name Amen 🙏🏾.
You need to know that when God offers a gift, it is free. You do not need to pay for it. You do not invest time or energy in trying to get God’s gift 🎁. Reach out in simple Faith by believing what He has said concerning you in the Scriptures. Remember that there is nothing impossible with our God.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH, If our LORD JESUS Tarries.
HAVE FAITH IN GOD
Make up your mind to serve HIM regardless of your present situation, be FULLY persuaded that what HE has promised, will surely come to pass to all that put their Trust in HIM.
“And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, He was able also to perform.”
Romans 4:21 KJV.
To partake in this Heavenly blessings, you must be born again.
STEPS TO SALVATION
1. I must acknowledge that I am a sinner
2. I must confess and repent of all my sins
3. I must ask The LORD JESUS CHRIST to deliver me and forgive me of all my sins.
4. I must ask The LORD JESUS CHRIST to be my LORD and Saviour from today.
5. I must believe and accept His atoning Blood He shed on the cross of Calvary to permeate my spirit, body and soul and wash me clean from all unrighteousness.
6. I must make a decision to follow Him to the end.
“And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.”
Job 11:17 KJV
“Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies’ sake.”
Psalms 31:16 KJV
“Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.”
Psalms 80:3 KJV
AMEN 🙏🏾
BE RAPTURE READY
May God give us the grace to be read in JESUS Mighty Name Amen 🙏🏾
Mrs Angelinah Olubunmi Peters
My LORD JESUS Is Alive In me
