God is a parent also

March 21, 2008

Deuteronomy 31:16-18 ESV
(16) And the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them.
(17) Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, 'Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?'
(18) And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.


If you are a parent of an older child you might know how God feels here. You try to raise them so that they will be good people. At some point you know you have to let them go. They act fairly good but you just know there are problems down the road for them. Not because of what you have taught them, but because of the choices that they will make.

God here even knows that they are going to fall back into their bad ways. He does not want them to, He has even warned them of what to do and what not to do. What a feeling to have. You know they are going to crash and burn. What would you do (or have you done) as a parent.

To me there is only one thing to do, do what God does. God steps back and lets them do what they will do. He gives them the free will to do what they want. On the other hand, he also gives the consequences . When they do wrong, he steps back and does not bless them. Likewise, as a parent you cannot bail out a child when they need it each time. They need to come and be repentant and know what they have done wrong.

Study what God does if you really want to be a good parent.

Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today
Deuteronomy 30:1-31:30
Tomorrow
Deuteronomy 32:1-34:12 Psalms 91:1-16
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