^“ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” [Isaiah 49: 24 – 26 KJV].

Our text is one of God’s outstanding promises to parents and by extension to all of His children. The home is generally regarded as the oldest and most important of the world’s great institutions, alongside the church and the state. Everything that happens in the world, whether good or evil, starts at home because it is the most fundamental institution. That is why the Bible says, ^“If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” [Psalm 11: 3 KJV].

The family is the cornerstone of the church or any given community. If a society is to work properly, what happens at the family level has a large influence on the outcome. It is critical that we realize this so that we do not take our families and responsibilities for granted.

If Adam and Eve had known that eating the forbidden fruit would have grave consequences on the entire world, they would have rejected the temptation.  That act of disobedience in their own little family unit and the resultant effect is what the world is still suffering from today. That’s how some of the little things we do in our families, where we believe it are all about us; affect the world in some ways.

People who perpetuate evil in our society come from various families. Perhaps, whoever was in charge of their upbringing had no idea that the “masquerades” they created in their own tiny family unit would someday cause problems for the rest of the world. There is an urgent need for the body of Christ to prioritize the family unit.

All of us are works in progress. We must recognize that no parent will ever complete the course of study from “parenting institution.” If you think of yourself as having graduated from your role as a father or mother, you are making a huge mistake. God wants us to take our parental obligations seriously and to be the best we can in the task He has given us. It may interest you to know that, no matter how advanced you believe I am in marriage, I still read marriage materials. This is because marriage is an institution from which no one ever graduates.

The more knowledgeable you are and the more motivated you are to put what you’ve learnt into practice, the more value you would bring in to your marriage. Certain untoward things occur in the family as a result of lack of knowledge. So, never have the mindset of ever graduating.

As a child, never think that other people’s parents are better than your own. People who from the outside, appear to have a lovely relationship with their parents may have struggles they may be facing within their own family as well. Appreciate the blessings that God has bestowed upon you. Pray for your parents, work as closely with them as possible and obey them. No parent wishes to see his or her children fail in life. So, be patient with them and pray for them because being a parent is a huge task.

Wives, show compassion, because your children will treat their father the same way they see you treat him. If they see you respect their father and taking his instructions seriously, they will do the same because children learn more from what they see than just what they hear.

One of the most serious issues confronting our church today is the scourge of immorality afflicting some of our youngsters. Some of us may be unaware that a number of our youths have gotten pregnant and some others are engaged in various vices. If you consider the lifestyle of their parents, you would not expect such behavior to come from their children. It’s excruciating. When incidents like this happen, parents become quite disillusioned and frustrated. May God strengthen us no matter what problems we face in our families. Do not be discouraged or feel ashamed but hold on to God’s promise that even if our children are held captive by the devil, God said from our text, “for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.”

God designed our homes to be His embassy here on earth, where children who will further His interests are raised. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to keep our children from becoming a disgrace to God. Proverbs 22: 6 tells us to, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” 1Timothy 3: 1 – 8 emphasizes this advice much more forcefully: “This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work… One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)”

Try to learn not only by reading but also by observing those who are successful in their own homes. Seek wise and godly counsel as needed, because no one has everything it takes to manage alone this marriage life of a thing.

I’ve learnt that you can do your best as a parent to raise your children correctly but you may still have to deal with misbehaving children. This can be devastating. But you do not have to feel discouraged. Hold on to God’s promises once you’ve done what He wants you to do; He will sort things out in His own time. God will not send you to hell or punish you because your children are not following your instructions; they have their lives to live. This subject is addressed in the book of Ezekiel 18: 1 – 4, 19 – 22.

Remember the story of Eli’s sons? It’s worth noting that Eli raised Samuel, like his sons. Do you think Eli would have raised Samuel uprightly but fail to do so with his sons? No! We saw how God intervened and defended Samuel. I encourage us therefore as parents to keep doing our best and believing in God’s promises to see us through.

QOUTES:

“God wants us to take our parental obligations seriously and to be the best we can in the task He has given us.”

“It may interest you to know that, no matter how advanced you believe I am in marriage, I still read marriage materials. This is because marriage is an institution from which no one ever graduates.”

“We must recognize that no parent will ever complete the course of study from “parenting institution.” If you think of yourself as having graduated from your role as a father or mother, you are making a huge mistake.”