Morning Devotional

May 4, 2005
"Happily Ever After" (Part 3)
    by Don Emmitte

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Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD. Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what He commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed. They themselves will be wealthy, and their good deeds will never be forgotten. When darkness overtakes the godly, light will come bursting in. They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. All goes well for those who are generous, who lend freely and conduct their business fairly. Such people will not be overcome by evil circumstances. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them. They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly. They give generously to those in need. Their good deeds will never be forgotten. They will have influence and honor. The wicked will be infuriated when they see this. They will grind their teeth in anger; they will slink away, their hopes thwarted. (Psalm 112:1 NLT).

Not long ago I overheard some people in our waiting area discussing their children. As I eavesdropped I heard one say, “Some kids are just unsalvageable.” The more I thought about that the more perplexed I became. Are there really some children who are irrecoverably gone wrong? Are there really children who cannot be salvaged for a positive experience and contribution in life? If the answer to that is yes, then I need to reevaluate my whole understanding of grace!

I know there are end-time prophecies that describe a world in which children will no longer honor their parents. And I also know that that seems to be an apt description of the current culture. I am not referring to the youth of our day, but rather to the entire culture we have established. The Israelites were encouraged throughout the Old Testament to pass along a godly heritage to their children. Families ate together, sang together, read God’s Word together, all in an attempt to leave a legacy with the next generation. One generation was to determine the values for another generation.

As I look at the culture in our country, and many country’s around the world, passing along one generation’s truth is no longer the model we have for shaping our moral and spiritual beliefs as a people. The current norm seems to be that people develop the belief system that works for them, not paying attention to the influence of past generations. This has made following a principle found in Scripture, just because God said to do something, no longer popular.

If we want to produce a generation of godly people who serve and honor Christ with their lives we may need to look back at and follow our ancestors who had a strong faith in Christ, who believed the Word of God, and who demonstrated obedience to God in daily living. Successful, happy children are not an accident. And, of course, children must be held accountable for their personal decisions. But, we as adults must also accept our responsibility in modeling a life of obedience too! What do your children see when they look at your life?