Divine Covering

Without any doubt, one of the questions that many are asking is how it is that families are facing more heart-breaking issues today than ever.

It is the question that has left many wondering where they have gone wrong. What could have been done that was not-- the need for discipline or godly intervention, to prevent the current attacks families are facing as the enemy wages destructive wars against children and families.

Whatever culture or race we examine, it is the same. People are so oppressed without hope in sight of recovery.

But although things seem to be looking bleak, and families appear helpless to do anything, the truth is, unless God says all is over, we must not give up. For He has given time for all to get to know and return to Him. He is the Good Shepherd that never gives up, goes in search, finds and brings home the prodigals. The Enemy who comes to lure and steal people from the path of God to the path of destruction has designed a system of lies and deception that the world has fallen into; a deep pit that has been disguised to look like the truth, appealing and unharmful but a dangerous trap to humanity.

Discipline starts from an early age, be it reading, working with numbers or tidying up our rooms, or cultivating daily hygiene habits--brush teeth, wash or shower, change clothes, maintaining a clean home or respecting parents or others. Habits that become part of you once started early.

We don't need to know someone to respect them.

One of the biggest shock to me on leaving home was discovering that my mother's standard of expectation was out of this world as people treated one another without respect or regard.

One that I will never forget was her constant reminder not to disturb the neighbours by our noise when the closest house was a plot away, beside the discipline to do the chores daily after morning devotion, maintaining clean habits and respect for people which stayed deeply ingrained even when the world does not operate that standard.

It makes it easy to keep God's command as we see our neighbours as worthy of respect whether younger or of less advantage. It helps me walk with a humble spirit.

#What happened to humanity?

It is clear that the attacks on families have increased. We may blame the world and its systems as much as we like, but failing to discern where we have gone wrong and try to put things right will not resolve or make the situation any better. For change to be possible, we must chose to seek what God's plans and purposes for the family was at the beginning. We have been lured away from the right path that leads to godliness to one of destruction with all types of inventions to keep us hooked. Children are not educated on child-parent relationships. Children's responsibility as part and parcel of the family, involved in decisions that protect and safeguard each one as a unit, with a heart that sees failure by one within the unit as affecting all however minor or major the consequences is not encouraged.

#Offering of firstborns

There must be a yardstick by which we measure what we do, rules of behaviour towards God and man. We have completely failed to build families like one building lasting structures, identify cracks, seek to put it right and deal with issues with emotional support rather than ignore till it becomes irreparable and turn to experts. Home should be where children go to when the world has let them down and broken. Children will not learn the requirements of the LORD by themselves or outside, they can only grow into what they have been taught from childhood, godly words spoken into them from when a baby.

A woman bringing up a child on her own does not mean the child will fail to attain respectability in life. If she had received godly input, and appreciates the investment of time and discipline will do the same for her child or children no matter how rich or poor.

The Book of Numbers sees God's instructions to Moses regarding the sons of Israel, the roles they were to play in daily attention to the work required for the preparation of the Tabernacle and worship. It was discipline that was built in from generation to generation if followed through.

Often we see the wilderness journey as one that led the people from Egypt to Canaan on a detour. But what we fail to recognise is the time in-between which God used in training and equipping them for service.

#Neglect of responsibility

Much of family life even among believers have been directed by the world as we have given them the right to instruct our children instead of God. We have failed to question what children are taught and depended on the results on paper without assessing the behaviour of children from when they leave and return home to understand where their minds lie and the benefit. Distractions provided in terms of entertainment and desire for acquisition of goods has left us with no quality time to invest in our homes.

People need a godly yardstick to measure the outcomes and determine the final result not the expectation of experts.

From the womb, the mother has responsibility of covering her child with prayer and when born offering the child to the LORD. But it requires the understanding that she is only a steward, that the child she carried for nine months belong to the Creator, God.

1 Samuel chapter 1, is the story of a woman without a child, but she never stopped praying for one. God saw her heart and gave her a child that became one of the greatest prophets in Israel.

People insulted her, just like they do today to those in similar circumstance, taunting her for being childless; but she took her broken-heart to God, the Giver of life, and He blessed her.

Dedicating that child to God was the answer, a decision she made and God raised the child in the household of Eli who failed to discipline his own children.

Therefore, knowledge and the understanding of God is what is needed to overcome enemy traps against families. The Bible is full of stories of godly women who planted good seeds that led to Christ, the Messiah.

My family is of godly women like my great grandmother who valued human life above wealth and would not partake in the evil gains of slave trade.

Today, many think nothing of taking innocent lives for money or position.

#prodigals

#godlyheritage

#dedicationandoffering