Faith-Full Parents

These weekly devotionals I will be posting come from and are copyright to Pam Iannello, my pastor's late wife who went home to be with the Lord on June 18, 2008.

Sorry I didn't get to this Sunday. I left for church in the morning and didn't get back until 10:30 or 11:00 pm.

If you've ever wrestled with God's plan for your life, this series is for you! Based on the book of Luke and the lives of Zacharias, Elisabeth, Mary & Joseph.



This devotion is part of the "The Wonder Of It All" series.

As we continue on in our study of Luke chapter 1 looking at verses 65-80, one can’t help but notice the praise that Zacharias lips were liberated and prepared to give to God - and give it he did! You know what is special about this though? This old priest was a servant of the Lord that fell away - but not completely! Zacharias got right back up again once he saw where he fell backwards in his faith and took the necessary steps responsible for getting closer to the Lord. The light of the knowledge of the glory of God is a reviving light, amen? It keeps us from being utterly cast down when we slip...

Psalms 37:23 & 24 (KJV)
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Ladies, just as Zacharias was not utterly cast down when his faith failed, there is no need for us to be either! No matter how young or old you might be in the Lord, if you’ve fallen away, you can get back on track just like Zacharias and do right again. Our God is faithful to show us where we are lacking in our faith so that we might make the necessary adjustments in our hearts. He will not leave us or forsake us but will uphold us with His mighty hand. What a loving, caring God we serve! Certainly it must have been a powerful testimony to those who knew Zacharias, witnessing this saint get up and praise God again!

Never fail to appreciate how the rescue of one person becomes the avenue of good to many others. Yes, the hand of God upon the lives of this little family attracted great awe and amazement in their region. You know what sayings were noised abroad? Folks discussed the power of God in their home and how the Lord was continually using this couple and molding them, in spite of their sin nature, and in spite of their age! Isn't it a blessing to know that in the face of our weaknesses and failures God can and will still use us, no matter how old? Once we yield our will to His, that is the key that sets our faith in motion again. People saw that the hand of the Lord was upon this home and all those within it - from the youngest to the oldest. The child that God had sent them would be closely observed. "What manner of child shall this be!" was a widespread comment as folks all over began to take note of young John. Nearly everyone predicted that some great things would come of this particular household.

Ladies, those who desire to live wholeheartedly for the Lord and take a strong stand on the Word of God are going to be closely watched - right down to the youngest child! Is your family testimony one that is attracting awe and amazement within your sphere of influence?

Verse 67:
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied...

Though an old priest, Zacharias was speaking as a father responsible for the faith of his child now. It was no longer just HIS faith, and the faith of his wife - but the faith of his child that now mattered!! In their old age, God had miraculously blessed them with a son; a son who would either see or not see faith in God evidenced in his parents lives. What affect would Zacharias faith have on his son John? What affect does YOUR faith as a parent have on YOUR children?? Do you take that role seriously, ladies? Apart from the influence of the Holy Spirit controlling our lives and lips, there is no way you and I can properly represent the Lord to our children. It appears to me that Zacharias had soberly considered this matter in his own life. Below is a long list of things that Zacharias prophesied about the Lord that we know he will pass on to his son John...

Luke 1:68-75 (KJV)
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

What do you think are the most important things parents ought to tell their children while they are growing up? How about a few of those things mentioned in the above portion of scripture for starters? Have you realized some of these qualities about the Lord yourself, dear lady? Have you made them a part of your faith and in turn passed them along to your children, or others in the Lord? It is imperative that we communicate our faith in God to our children, to those for whom we are responsible. You see, whether we consider it or not, we ARE communicating something… What is that something in your life?? We are so quick to have them read books or watch videos to increase their knowledge and faith in God, but have your children heard from YOUR lips the things that God has done for YOU? How about giving them some real live Christianity for a change and not just the storybook kind?? God is no less powerful today than He was in the lives of saints gone by; certainly He is still able to work through you and I! Have your children observed God answering your prayers? Have they heard your prayers at all?! If you'd pray with them more often, they could join you in waiting and watching for an answer… How exciting it would be for them to be able to say, "Mom, God answered your prayer!!" What better memories could there be for a child than those filled with faith in God?

Ladies, there is much we can learn from Zacharias about passing faith on to our children. Even when we fail, all is not lost, for we can show them how to get back up again and keep going for the Lord! Let your children see that God upholds you and keeps you because of HIS faithfulness even when you aren't so faithful, so they will understand how great a God He really is! Show them how to get back on track when you get off, how to listen to the Lord as He speaks to you and shows you where you need to grow. How important is it to you that your children hear from YOU about the Lord and not just the preacher or the Sunday school teacher?? Do they really know God is your God too??

Luke 1:76-80 (KJV)
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

The Lord has ways of dealing with children of all ages, and we ought to observe the dealings of God in their little lives and assist Him in the best possible way of increasing their faith in Him. No matter what family he is born into, God has a plan for every child. However, the Lord expects a return on His investment to those born into a Christian home... In the above verses, Zacharias realizes what John’s role will be and accepts his fatherly responsibility in training his son according to God's Word. The Bible says that parents are to train their children up in the way they SHOULD go - God's way! How can we expect our children to be sensitive to God's calling, to one day properly represent the Lord, to give the knowledge of salvation to others and wax strong in spirit without consistent, godly parental guidance? No doubt Zacharias reminded young John all his life what God wanted to do with him.

2 Tim. 3:15 (KJV)
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

What a blessing for a child to hear from his parents what the Lord expects. Have you obeyed God, dear lady? Have you pointed out this important truth to your children? Do they realize that God has a plan for their life and are you helping them to understand what it is? Are you pointing them in the right direction? Are you seeing to it that they are fully equipped to properly represent the Lord? Have you encouraged them to actively serve God or have you selfishly wanted them to remain near you? Have you given them a sober minded perspective on the responsibility they have to share the Lord with others? In verse 76 Zacharias calls his son John "the prophet of the Highest". Ladies, our children can and should be the same kind of prophets, but it takes years of preparation. Therefore we must daily and diligently teach, train and encourage them all their days, not forgetting our own examples before them as well! How much time have you wasted already? It's never too late to start doing right!

Matthew 19:14 (KJV)
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

We're faithful to push our children to gain worldly knowledge and skills, but what about the knowledge of the Lord, what about their spiritual progress? Do we place enough emphasis on godliness in their lives, or even our own?! Have we been faithful in passing the knowledge of the Lord down to them, firmly attaching faith to it? Zacharias was joyful that his son was called to prepare the way of the Messiah. Would you be pleased or grieved if your child had this calling upon his life? Would your faith as a parent allow your child to go forth and serve the Lord? Or would your lack of faith want to hold them back and keep them close where you could watch over them? Some of you reading this may or may not yet have children... Some of you may still have children that are too young yet to leave the nest. Some of you have children that are coming to the age where they must consider what they will do with the rest of their lives. Some of you have children that are grown and gone already... Whatever the case may be, has your faith in God resulted in you encouraging children to go to the uttermost parts of the world? Your faith, mother, will be passed on down to your children one way or another. Be a faithFULL parent!

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit....

Is this the kind of growth going on at your house? Faith guarantees it!

God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2000 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2003  Meet Ms. Pam

Other Rise and Shine Devotionals
New Beginnings Baptist Church Website