Re:Verse reading— 1 Samuel 20:1-17, 30-42 (day seven)
“For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for he must surely die.”
-1 Samuel 20:31
Saul had a plan for his son. After Saul built the kingdom of Israel for himself, he imagined his own legacy solidifying by his son becoming a powerful ruler. Their family name would be established forever. It is a plan that most every parent comes up with for their growing children. A plan that puts them in the strongest possible position to be safe, strong, and wealthy. We truly want our children to climb to the top of the ladder and have more than we ever dreamed of.
Our problem is that we often dream like Saul in worldly definitions of success that only happen at the expense of others. Our hope of safety, strength, and wealth for our children often look no different than the Joneses down the street. These worldly expectations will only hinder our children. Let us pray for and imagine a different future where our hopes for our children are holy. The only way to plan for our children’s future is to hand them and their potential over to God. God is the only one who can see into a distant future and prepare them to be genuinely successful.
We all have dreams and expectations for ourselves and for our children but God must give. Our dreams for our children are likely to succeed, I believe, if they are part of God’s plan and will for them. God must approve and must be pleased!
They must take the initiative to follow God’s Word so they can minimize Satan’s influence to go against God. God controls this world so knowing His expectations for our dreams to be realized is a must. We can dream for our children but they are the ones who can make our dreams their dreams. They should be aware that God loves and cares for them unconditionally, not Satan! Parents must lead by examples!
Learning to do the right thing to please God is the beginning of wisdom. When God is pleased, failure is not an outcome. When God is pleased with someone, His blessings are abundant!
I could not agree more, “…. worldly expectations will only hinder our children.” Worldly expectations may lean toward Satan’s influence and are subject to God’s judgement. Fear God, not the world. God’s expectations matter to our inner peace and eternal life.