Eight days after Jesus was born, Joseph circumcised his son, and just over a month later, he and Mary carried their infant son to the Temple in Jerusalem to dedicate him to the Lord. You’ll find this account in Luke 2:22-24, but the tradition of dedicating a child to the Lord stretched back around 2000 years to the time of Moses.
In Exodus 13:2, Moses said our children belong to the Lord. We must release our control and place them in his care. When our daughter was an infant, Gene and I followed the example of Mary and Joseph and dedicated Prisca to the Lord. She cried loudly through the ceremony, and the pastor became flustered. He dedicated God to her care instead of the other way around! The pastor corrected himself immediately but not before we all smiled.
There are many things we cannot control in life. We can’t control diseases or disasters that might strike those we love. But we can always take the first step and dedicate our children to the Lord, placing them in his care. Take time today and pray for all those you love, placing them once again in God’s care.
