Read the Bible to Your Children

While I was reading a chapter of the blessed Word of God, the door softly opened and a little girl of four quietly entered the room. I was reading Luke 7 aloud and continued without speaking to her. As I finished the touching story of the woman who washed His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head, she whispered, "Mamma, that is such a sweet story. Please read it again.”
Equally pleased and surprised I said, "There are other pretty stories in this chapter. Shall I read it all?”
An eager "Yes" and a spring into my lap was the answer. I slowly began to read the story of the centurion's servant. Interrupted by questions and explanations, we finished this and then read of the widow of Nain. The quick sympathy of childhood found vent in tears and then smiles for the stricken mother's sorrow and rejoicing.
Then we came again to the story of the woman who "loved much." This was the little one's favorite and her comment was, "Don't you wish the dear Savior were here now, so we could do something for Him when He was so tired?”
Christian mothers, our little one is just like yours, no different. We buy no "simplified Bible stories." We just feed her with the pure milk of the Word, unadulterated. You may do the same with like results to yourselves and your little ones.

Editorial
Which is greater in the Christian home, the need of the children or the privilege of the parents? Never has there been a time when children needed protection, loving care and instruction more than at the present time. Parents, now as always, have the privilege to protect and show loving care and to give instruction in righteousness to those in their family whom they love so much.
Parents need to have wisdom, energy, and a desire to fulfill their responsibility and privilege in their home. The wisdom for this is found in God's Word. In prayer we can ask for the energy and desire to complete properly our responsibility and privilege with our children.
We find a pattern in Psa. 78. The first verse says, "Give ear, O My people, to My law: incline your ears to the words of My mouth." It is not just, "Read my lips," but it is clearly stated truth from God to which we are to pay attention. Then it speaks of "a parable" and "dark sayings of old." These are proverbs and much wise instruction found throughout God's Word. In short, we need the Bible! Do you read it? Frequently?
Verse 3 says, "We have heard and known, and our fathers have told us." This is God's way of passing on truth, wisdom and instruction from one generation to another. Where do you and I fit in this chain?
First, no doubt, it is as a child; then after some years as a parent. Later in the chain of privilege and responsibility it is as a grandparent. So in verse 4, "We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord.”
Again we ask: "Which is greater in the Christian home, the need of the children or the privilege of the parents?”
Verse 5 says, "He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children." Then more follows: "That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children." And it tells us why: "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.”
Next in verse 8 we are warned about failure in our human history: "And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God." Our children are exposed to this kind of people in their school life and in the neighborhood around us. Even rebellion is taught and put forth as "a right" that belongs to man.
These last days are perilous times (2 Tim. 3). These things are here: "Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.”
Without telling you where to find it, but desiring that you will search for it and read more, we put down a few words from the wisest man. He said, "I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live."
Ed.
Nearness to Christ
My purpose is to take from the following verses some applications for ourselves that I believe will be helpful to us in the pathway into which the Lord has called us.
Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto
him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath
made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto
me, tarry not: and thou shalt dwell in the
land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto
me, thou, and thy children, and they children's
children, and thy flocks, and thy herds,
and all that thou hast: and there will I
nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine;
lest thou, and thy household, and all that
thou hast, come to poverty. And, behold, your
eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin,
that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.
And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in
Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye
shall haste and bring down my father hither.
And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck,
and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept
upon them: and after that his brethren talked
with him. Gen. 45:9-15.
GEN 45:9-15
The first message Joseph sent to Jacob was this: "Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt." Then immediately he says, "Come down unto me, tarry not." If we are to live for the Lord's glory in this world, we need to get before our souls the present position of the Lord Jesus Christ-He is our exalted Lord. Apprehending that, everything else falls into perspective. Every provision has been made for us.
Just to know that He is Lord is not enough; God would have our souls drawn to Him. Earlier, in making himself known to his brethren, Joseph had said to them, "Come near unto me" (v. 4). Now the Lord says to us, "Come near to Me." Has the Lord Jesus Christ taken hold of your heart?