Christian Reflection and Prayer

God celebrates family

What was the most effective discipline you
have experienced?

Scripture:

Now his father, King David, had never disciplined
him at any time, even by asking, "What are you going?"
1 Kings 1:6 NLT

Rebounding skills

Suppose you get home from grocery shopping and
discover your six-year-old is eating candy you didn't buy.
It might be tempting to just scold him, send him to his
room, and let it go at that. After all, it's only worth a dollar,
and you're tired. But you'd miss an opportunity to turn this
"miss" into a second chance.

It would be better to take away any uneaten candy, put
your little shoplifter back in the car, drive to the grocery
store, hunt up the manager, and tell your kid to apologize.
Pay for the candy and deduct it from the child's allowance.
Then, if the culprit is truly sorry, be sure to express your
 forgiveness — and God's forgiveness, too.

You've just boxed out the opposition and put your kid in
position to rightly rebound. Because there will come another
time in that grocery store or when he's passing a coveted
pair of Nikes or — who knows?
Ricky Birdsong in Coaching Your Kids in the Game of Life

The Bible tells us that parents have the primary
responsibility for the spiritual development of our children.
And nowhere is the job given only to mothers and
grandmothers. As Moses told the people of Israel, "Repeat
[the command of God] again and again to your children"
(Deut. 6:7). Why not begin today?

adapted from Men of Integrity Devotional Bible with
devotionals by the editors of Men of Integrity magazine
(Christianity Today, Intl), Tyndale House Publishers (2002),
p 391

It is easier to build boys than to mend men.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN

Remember the First Commandment in its entirety?
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt,
out of the land of slavery" (Exodus 20:2). More importantly,
think about what is not said in this commandment. God
does not refer to Himself as the Creator of the world, even
though that might have been a more obvious choice.
Instead, He commands that we know Him as the God
who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. Why?
Because we are commanded to know God not just as the
Creator of the world, but as the Savior of our individual lives.

We are commanded to believe in a God who hears our
prayers and cares deeply for us. We are instructed to
believe in a God who can and will help us out of our own
personal bondage, our own trials and difficulties. So, can
God command us to be optimistic about life? Yes,
because to believe in the God who took the Israelites
out of Egypt is to believe that God can perform miracles
for us, too! He expects that level of faith and commitment
from us.

So next time you come across that proverbial glass,
don’t see it as half-empty or even as half-full. See it as
filling up and believe that it will run over! As it says in
Psalm 23: "my cup overflows" (v.5).

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

How do you respond to God's Word?

Scripture:

Let the godly sing with joy to the Lord, for it is fitting
to praise him. Praise the Lord with melodies on the
lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing new songs of praise to him; play skillfully on
the harp and sing with joy. For the word of the Lord
holds true, and everything he does is worthy of our
trust. He loves whatever is just and good, and his
unfailing love fills the earth.
Psalm 33:1-5 NLT

Praising God's Trustworthiness

What does it mean to be trustworthy and true? In
a society that insists that all truth is relative, many
people have given up looking for truth, much less
basing their lives on it. But Scripture declares that
there is something that is completely true — no
matter what angle you look at it, no matter what
perspective you come from. God and his Word will
always remain true. That facet of God's character
is what this psalm celebrates. It encourages
believers everywhere to shout for joy, for their lives
are securely established on God's eternal truths.

Take a moment to reflect on how few things are
certain in this world and how much change is a
normal part of life. Then think about how God and
his Word are forever trustworthy and true, and give
him praise.

Prayer:

Dear God, your Word holds true, and everything
you do is worthy of my trust.…

From The One Year Book of Bible Prayers , Tyndale
House Publishers (2000), entry for October 7

Quote:

Now what is food for the inner man: not prayer,
but the Word of God; and here again not the simple
reading of the Word of God so that it only passes
through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe,
but considering what we read, pondering over it, and
applying it to our hearts.     GEORGE MUELLER