Springtime in Texas can be wonderful and can be difficult. Trees are budding out. Leaves are appearing again on trees. Flowers are blooming. Families start grilling outdoors again. Sunrises and sunsets are amazing! Small pieces of fruit begin to grow on trees. Grass turns green again. Lawnmowers can be heard in neighborhoods. Animals give birth to sweet babies. Vegetable gardens are planted. All of this is a result of a very crafty Creator who happens to be the One True Living God of the Universe.
Springtime in Texas also brings strong winds. Pollen is so heavy at times that you can wake to a car covered in it. Allergy sufferers struggle and sneeze. Spring thunderstorms bring rain, but they can also bring hailstorms. Spring weather may send us to our safe places while we wait out the threat of a tornado. Yard work and weeds can seem unending. Those nasty little fire ants resurface. It can be cold in the morning and hot in the afternoon, so you do not know what to wear.
In both the beautiful and the hard, God is at work. As parents, it is our job to help train our children to see God at work in each and every season. We are to give glory to the One whom it is due. We must use our words to help our children see God and His activity in this world we live in. It does not come automatically. I am reminded of Psalm 19:1 which says, “The heavens tell of the glory of God; And their expanse declares the work of His hands.”
So, I want to encourage you, as parents, to teach your children to see God at work in all things. Call a beautiful sky a Psalm 19:1 sky. Tell your children that the beauty of the sky is showing God’s glory. Comment on how amazing and strong God made a tiny ant. Pray for safety and protection when you wait in your safe place. Say that you see God’s mighty power demonstrated in lightning and thunder. Give thanks for rain rather than complaining about it, since rain is seen as a blessing from God in scripture. Stop to look at, smell and admire God’s beautiful creation of flowers. Give thanks to Him. Deuteronomy 6 says that we are to talk about the things of the Lord with our children as we sit in our houses, as we travel down the road, as we tuck them in at night and as we start our days. Spiritual formation in our children happens one conversation at a time. God’s creation is ever changing and showing Him at work. He is in control of this planet and all that happens on it. We can always use it to point our children to a God we can ascribe glory to. Let us, as God’s people, be found giving credit where credit is due, especially with our children. Enjoy this Psalm which is an example of King David doing this very thing.
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm. A Psalm of David. Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Worship the Lord in holy attire.
3 The voice of the Lord is on the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over many waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon in pieces.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord divides flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth
And strips the forests bare;
And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
11 The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.
Parents, as the Faith Builders in the Home, you can start here:
Resources
For a complete Bible story worship experience with your child, please go to ministrygrid.lifeway.com and create or log in to your free account. Then follow this link for this week’s lesson: Jesus Taught Two Disciples.
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