"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:  but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”"  ( Ephesians 6:4)

Dr. James L. Schaller, in his book, The Search For Lost Fathering, tells of a man who spent an entire day fishing with his son.  That night the father, an influential man, recorded in his diary,  “Today, I went fishing with my son.  A day wasted.”  His son also kept a diary and he recorded, “Went fishing today with my father- the greatest day of my life.”  The father apparently had no idea of the true power he held in his hands, because he could not see things from the son’'s perspective.  

I’'ve learned that, when I begin to see things through the eyes of my children, I begin to appreciate the value of simple things.  It looks like, “Dad’'s got more important things to worry about.”  It looks like,  “I'’m not very important or very good.  He’'s not interested in what I'’m doing.”  What tragic impressions we leave with our children.

Fathers, learn to see things through the eyes of your children.  You’ll be much more effective and respected.
  
By George Slover    

 

"A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.”" (Isaiah 32:2)
 
Just who is this man of whom Isaiah speaks?  It must be messianic for there is only one man who can fully provide all that is mentioned in this verse.  There was never but one man, Jesus Christ, who could be to all others what is predicated here.  Consider the wonderful qualities of Jesus here mentioned.
 
Jesus wants to be our hiding place from the wind and a cover from the tempest.  When the winds of affliction blow, we can hide in Jesus.  In times of natural grief, or when the enemy threatens, he offers to be our shelter.  He enlightens our mind, can change our spirit, and can be our confidant.  We can lean upon Him and trust in Him.  
 
Jesus wants to be our river of water in a dry place. A river gives refreshment.  It is a source of life in a desert land.  In the wilderness of life, any refreshment that we enjoy comes from Christ.  He is a "fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)  
 
Jesus wants to be our “shadow of a great rock in a weary land”.  This is an Eastern picture of shade.  The “weary land” is a picture of pilgrims passing through the scorching heat and blinding sun of life.  God’'s people have a rock that follows them and provides shade at any time.  Its shadow of the cross offers forgiveness.  Its shadow of brethren provides sympathy.  Its shadow of hope provides comfort.  
 
"“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee!"”
 
By George Slover

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." (Psalms 19:14)
 
Being acceptable to God is often thought of in terms of approved behavior.  So, if we assemble with the saints, practice the prescribed forms of worship, and live a fairly decent life, we are surely accepted by God!  However, the above passage suggests a deeper level of acceptability in which God approves of the thoughts of our heart!
 
This later requirement is far more challenging.  It means that God not only wants the outside, but also the inside!  He not only desires for us to behave as he behaves, but to think as he thinks.  He wants us to have the humble mindset like His son (Phil. 2:5) and to approve of only of His standard of moral excellence (Phil. 1:9,10).  We are to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”.(II Cor. 10:5) Therefore, we must learn to love only the things that God loves and to hate the things that God hates.  We must be merciful as God is merciful, patient as he is patient, and just as he is just.  We must learn to have the ambitions of God namely that His will be done!
 
Just how can we learn to have such a mindset?  The word “meditation” points to the proper route to our success. “Let …the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.”  Thus, the meditation of God’s law must be our delight (Ps. 1:2) and we must contemplate on His ways. (Ps. 119:15)  This will surely help us to achieve our desired goal!
 
by George Slover, Jr.
 

And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.' But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? "Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.'" (Judges 2:2-3)
 
The text above reveals the failures of Israel to dispossess the inhabitants of Canaan.  There are other passages that reveal the same. (Judges 1:21-34)  It was God'’s will to completely destroy the Canaanites because of their false religions and gross immorality. (Dt. 7:1-5)  However, Israel failed and was soon found compromising with the inhabitants of the land. Judges 2:13,14 says, "“They forsook the LORD and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who despoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies." (Judges 2:13-14) These immoral nations truly became a snare to Israel!
 
Just as Israel was to be a holy people (Dt.7:6), so are God’'s people today to be sanctified.  Like Israel we live in a land in which our neighbors bow before false Gods.  Thus, it is tempting for us to compromise and make a covenant with the ungodly.
 
Such areas of compromise can have an ill affect upon our spiritual lives – “I’'ve quit drinking, but I still go to the bar.”  or “I don’'t dance, but I still go to the dance hall”. “I don’'t smoke, but I still visit the tobacco shop every day.”  I don'’t sleep with my girlfriend, but I spend the night in her apartment.”  “You see, I’'ve changed my life and I'’m living clean morally, but I still hang around the crowd who is worldly”.  Such compromises will surely lead me back into the sins I’'ve supposedly renounced!   See Judges 2:17 - "Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do so."”
 
It is time for some of us to clean out the closet and crush those images of pleasure we still have hidden away and come clean of the crowd that tempts us to compromise our faith!  God wants all of our heart!
 
By George Slover

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." 
(Acts 2:42)
 
The first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ was a great day as 3000 souls yielded to God’'s will and were converted to Christ.  These new Christians were soon drawn to each other sharing their new faith in Christ.  The text above states they were wholly given to fellowship.  Just what benefits did they receive from such devotion to each other?  Of what value is such fellowship today?
 
Accountability is one of the great benefits of association with God'’s people.  Fellowship in a local church should involve the spiritual leadership of the spiritually mature – both men and women who set forth an example of excellence in conduct and character.  (Titus 2:1-10)  Its members should expect mutual encouragement from each other.  (Hebrews 10:24,25)  Of all our acquaintances, our brethren should have the highest expectations of us morally and spiritually.  We need that kind of friend.
 
The joy of serving is also another advantage of such fellowship.  God commands mutual service and sacrifice (Galatians 5:13) of his people.  He wants us to use our talents to care (I Corinthians 12:25,26) for each other.  By fulfilling the needs of my brother we learn the true meaning of the Lord’s statement, –"“it is more blessed to give than to receive”." (Acts 20:35).
 
So devote yourself to your brother and you will surely reap the rewards!
 
By George Slover, Jr.