Saturday, October 31, 2020 14:57:43
Posted By Nan
|
Proverbs: 23:24 As with Proverbs 17:21, this verse is about parents rejoicing when their children grow up and become wise. Wisdom here is not earthly wisdom, but wisdom that comes from knowledge of God. In reading this chapter and especially verse 24, the experience of parents whose children have troubled lives is brought to my mind. Not long ago a high profile couple lost one of their children to the aftereffects of much tragedy. She developed an eating disorder and eventually it killed her. Friends of mine were deeply affected by this. Not because they knew this young person or their family. But because it brought to their minds the similar journey of their own child. This brought to my mind another family who lost two children to suicide after being abused by a man in their local church. The evil done to children has a devastating effect. It can cause terrible impacts on that child’s future. For many children who have faced such horror, the future is one of pain and shame. The child believes it is their fault this happened to them. When the evil doers within church institutions seek to cover up this great crime against this child, then the child is even more shamed. Many of these abused children develop addictions as a way to cope with the pain of what was done to them. Many will die, either deliberately, or by accident. We can bring our children up in the ways of God. But what do we do when that is thwarted by those who are more interested in evil than God? We can be happy when our children have learned the ways of God and avoided trauma. We can be happy when our child has been able to receive the help they need to recover from trauma. We do not judge others if their children suffer from the impacts of trauma in their lives. We stand by our children and feel joy at the way God works in their lives, whatever journey they go on to reach the point of faith in God.
|