Getting excited about opening those brightly colored Christmas packages hiding in the closet or under the tree? Take time to read one more Advent devotional before going about your day.
Did your parents teach you not to run with scissors? Did they warn you not to put your fingers in electrical sockets? Did they train you to brush your teeth? Did they make certain that you got inoculations for polio and measles? Those are all important lessons for safety and health. But teaching those who follow us to have faith in God is by far the most important lesson we can pass on to those we love.
In I Chron. 22:5,6, King David said, “‘My son Solomon is still young and inexperienced. And since the Temple to be built for the LORD must be a magnificent structure, famous and glorious throughout the world, I will begin making preparations for it now.” So David collected vast amounts of building materials before his death. Then David sent for his son Solomon and instructed him to “build a Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel to honor the name of the Lord.”
When we teach the next generation to seek God, we are beginning a project that may not be completed in our lifetime. David died long before Solomon completed the Temple. Those we love may be young and inexperienced, but, just as David taught his son Solomon to honor God, we ought to take time to prepare not only our own hearts but also build a foundation for others who will carry on after us, teaching those who follow us to honor the name of the Lord. How will you honor him today?
