Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken:
“I have nourished and brought up children,
And they have rebelled against Me;
The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s crib;
But Israel does not know,
My people do not consider.” -Isaiah 1:2, 3 (NKJV)
And they have rebelled against Me;
The ox knows its owner
And the donkey its master’s crib;
But Israel does not know,
My people do not consider.” -Isaiah 1:2, 3 (NKJV)
Raising children and then getting them through the teenage years is an experience in grace, patience, persistence, and prayer. Even the best and lovingly raised kids will sometimes go against what their parents taught them. Is there anyone reading this right now that was raised in a good home, but yet rebelled for a time? Many of us have done just that; we went against the sound teachings and examples given to us by our parents. That was heartbreaking for our parents and it’s heartbreaking for us when our children sometimes go astray. However, we know that God is faithful and the Word of God which we teach our children will not have been in vain.
The Bible shows that the Lord understands the heartbreak of having His children rebel against Him. The Lord loved His people, nurtured them, cared for them, and provided for them, but they went against Him and all that they had been taught. Let’s not become smug or overconfident and think that we would never do what the ancient Israelites did in bowing down to idols and turning away from God. We are every bit as capable of such rebellion as them. By the grace of God and through faith in Jesus Christ we can live lives of faithfulness and devotion to God. Anytime we turn away from God and go against Him will, it’s just as heartbreaking as it was when His people Israel did the same in ancient times.
The Lord is calling us to daily devotion and a closer walk with Him. When we commit our way to the Lord we are blessed, just as God has promised in His Word (Psalm 37:4-6). The challenge for us as followers of Jesus Christ is to consistently follow the Lord every day. Commit your way to the Lord. Resolve to walk in faith. Move forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. Face the challenges of life with the confidence that the Lord is with us. Take up the cross, adopt a humble spirit, and live for Jesus.
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