Tuesday July 16th 2019
Memorise: And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. Exodus 2:2


Read: Psalm 127:1-5 (KJV)
1 Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Bible in one year: 
Joshua 6-7,
Ezekiel 17:22-18:13,

Hymnal: 
Sing hymn 16

Message:
What parents see in their children goes a long way to determine how well they treasure them.

As God’s heritage, it is important that parents see the image of God in their children, so that they can nurture them for the glory and pressure of God, who is their rightful Owner. Unfortunately, some parents, especially in under-developed nations, treat their children as domestic animals or working machines, so much so that you begin to wonder if they purposely gave birth to them for economic reasons. Many abuse their children by engaging them in money making ventures and making them become breadwinners at a tender age. I know of a man who has about thirteen children. He gives them out to serve as domestic workers and collects the wages of their labour to feed himself. Clearly, he does not see his children as carriers of God’s image.

Furthermore, some couples decide to abort pregnancies they are not prepared for. However you look at it, this is murder – a grievous sin against God and humanity. God asked me to tell someone reading this devotional that they pregnancy you are about to terminate is your glory; don’t abort the child that will bring God’s glory upon your life. When ‘struck’ with an unwanted child, many parents go ahead to despise such a child, instead of seeing him or her as a pleasant surprise from God. These are all examples of ungodly parenting.

In Exodus 2:1-4, we see what godly parents look like. Moses’ mother, Jochebed, was a godly parent. Even though Pharaoh had ordered all sons born to Hebrew families to be killed at birth, she saw God’s image in her own child and did all she could to preserve him. Exodus 2:2 says:

“And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.”

When the baby could no longer he hidden, she decided to commit him into the hands of his original Owner, the Almighty. In all this, Moses’ parents never imagined that this child was to become the deliverer of the whole nation of Israel. The Lord asked me to tell someone using this devotional that that child you think is a problem will turn around to put smiles on your face in your lifetime.

All you need to do is to give that child the best you have as a springboard for his or her leap into destiny. Children are carriers of God’s image, and unless we see them in that light, there is the tendency to abuse them and lose the blessings accompanying them. In light of what today’s Bible reading says about children, I encourage all parents to first surrender their lives to God, and then it will be easy for them to also surrender their children to Him for supreme care. Parents who do this will not be denied their blessings in Jesus’ Name. 

Prayer point:
Father, please open my eyes to see Your image and glory in the children You have given me, and help me cooperate with You in the fulfilment of their destinies.

Open Heavens Daily Devotional Lessons was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical Churches in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer’s Ministries.