Kids and Grandkids

Proverbs tells us that grandchildren are the crown of old men.
They are true blessings from the Lord.

Kids and Grandkids

"Children's children are the crown of old men,
And the glory of children is their father."

(Proverbs 17:6)

Every day, I read a chapter in the book of Proverbs. I have been doing this for around 20 years. Today is June 16, so part of my quiet time with Jesus today was reading and meditating on Proverbs 16. Also, during today's devotional time or tryst with Jesus (the lover of my soul), I spent time reading Ezekiel. In addition to Proverbs, I am reading through the Bible, and when I finish Revelation, I will start back in Genesis.

Whenever I read Proverbs 17, verse 6 always stands out to me. Solomon first addresses grandchildren and the unique relationship they have with their granddads. Many of you reading today's devotions know what this is all about, and you probably have a big ol' grin on your face. For those who are not grandparents yet, hang in there. It is one of the greatest joys of life. Someone joked that if they knew grandkids would be this much fun, then they would have had them first!

Grandchildren are the crown of old men. They are true blessings from the Lord. Ashley and I have seven grands and one more on the way. We are thrilled. We cannot put into words what they mean to us. Here is a recent picture of them:

What does Solomon mean when he says grandchildren are a crown? I think he is saying that if we are blessed to live long enough to see our children's children, then we have lived a blessed life. Referring to them as a crown means, at least to me, they are rewards or gifts to be treasured... and treasure and spoil them we do!

Solomon then states that dads are the glory of their children. This always grabs my heart. I ask the Lord to help me live and love in such a way that I will be a glory to my kids. If you are a dad or granddad, let me address something vitally important. God has naturally given us this power and influence in our family. We can do one of two things with it: we can leverage it for the glory of God and the good of our families, or we can squander it and neglect those who naturally desire to look up to us.

Living our lives so that we are "glory" to our children involves a couple of non-negotiables: time and effort. Even as I write this devotional, my daughter Hannah and her three kids (and one on the way) are staying with us a few days as the kids' dad and Hannah's husband, Jeffrey, goes to kids' camp. (Jeffrey serves as our church's family pastor.) After I finish work today (Friday, as I write this), we are taking them to see the movie Lilo and Stitch. The grandkids are pretty pumped about this. I do like the movies and popcorn, but the greatest joy and blessing will be just to spend time with these people I love so much.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of family. There is nothing else like it in all the world.

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Podcast of the Week

The Titus Ten: Authority

In this fifth part of his series on the Apostle Paul's letter to Titus and its application to us today (especially to men), Pastor Danny discusses what it means to live our lives in submission to God's authority and how that allows us to overcome temptation and sin and be active agents of good for God's Kingdom.

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