"The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works." Psalm 33:13-15
The word "fashion" means, "to mould into form; especially as a potter; earthen, fashion, form, frame, make, purpose."
The word "considers" means to "understand".
Putting this together, I see that the Lord looks from heaven and sees my children, HIS children, and that He understands them because He has formed their hearts, just the way He wants them to be.
I love these verses because they reassure me that, the Lord knows each of my children, individually. He knows what plans He has for them because He has fashioned their hearts perfectly for His purposes. He knows whether they will grow up to become missionaries, rocket scientists, janitors, etc. There is NOTHING accidental about our children's personalities, strengths, weaknesses, etc.
When my children were little, I would sometimes fall into a trap of feeling guilty because I had to discipline a particular child more than I did the others. And, conversely, I had a child who needed much less discipline than all of the others and I felt guilty over that too. I wish I had come across this verse then. I now understand that, the Lord KNEW each of my children and that, some would need more, and some would need less, discipline than others. He just wanted me to be faithful in carrying out the appropriate discipline according to His word.
I have been meditating on this verse a lot lately. We have 2 sons that are juniors in high school. We are currently praying about their futures; should they go to college? what should they study? where should they go to college? I am truly resting in the fact that the Lord knows these things already. "He fashions their hearts, individually", and I can trust that the Lord is going to give us direction because He knows them and He knows what He has planned for them.
My encouragement to you moms today is to look at each of your children individually as our Lord does. Enjoy each one for their uniqueness. Pray for each one and their uniqueness. Don't feel guilty for treating your children differently, just love them all equally.
5 comments:
Ahh yes, the guilt. I know it well! It is especially difficult at times when the "different" parenting is directed at an adopted child. I found that when I stopped and thought about the behavior/consequence and asked myself if a different child had done the same thing would they have been treated the same. My answer has always been yes. It helps to ease the guilt and see that it is the child who is different (by God's beautiful design) not the treatment.
BTW- this is Erin not Aaron :) I couldn't convince the computer otherwise.
God sent me just what I needed to hear today. Knowing that God has fashioned their hearts perfectly, gives me such comfort. When the mistakes are made and I wonder how and why, I then see their sorrow and remorse and I know that it is His plan. They are on their path to know Him. The job of disciplining never gets easier, but knowing they are right where God wants them to be helps me tremendously.
@Erin: You and Aaron have the perfect balance with little Alyssa. I can only imagine that struggle, but I watched you handle it beautifully and yes, God's Word DOES give us all comfort that He is in control!
@Ruth: Amen!! It is so hard to discipline however, I think of our Lord and how He says that, "The Lord disciplines those whom He loves" and the other myriad of verses that speak of the benefits and of the love that is associated with the discipline, all for the purpose of drawing us, and our children closer to Him. It is so wonderful to hear of your children being on that path to knowing Him; it's a path that lasts a lifetime!! :-)
I love this post, Ms. Joan! I've definitely found myself questioning myself, because, at times, it seems like I'm riding Marlee more than Nevaeh (and may very well be throughout the years). Not only have I had issues with how one gets disciplined compared to the other, but also the differences in how my husband and I handle given situations. I suppose all that is just "fluffery", because as the Scripture reads, God fashioned them, and He knows (and implements) exactly what they need. He has an ultimate plan for them, and I'm just blessed to be a part of it.
@Dawn: Isn't God's Word wonderful?! That is why I've titled my blog, "I Love Truth"! He really does have all of the answers to our questions and our problems! Your family is so precious and the Lord is working mightily in and through you and your husband!! Keep up the great faith!! :-)
Post a Comment