In Deuteronomy 28, the Lord is laying out for the Israelite people the consequences of obeying or disobeying the commandments He had given them. Verse 1 says, And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee…and follows 13 more verses describing the blessings God would pour out upon the Hebrew nation for their obedience.
Verse 15 then begins, But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee…and follows 52 verses describing how God would judge the Israelites for their disobedience.
That's the context. Now, the thought for us to consider today is found in verse 41. This is part of the curse God prescribed for Israel's disobedience to His laws. Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. Parents and kids having lousy relationships was to be a result of the nation's disobedience to the Lord.
Here's the question. Could you, would you describe your relationship with your parents as enjoyable? If not, I believe the Bible would have us know that is a spiritual problem. In other words, if there is something wrong in my relationship to my parents, there is something wrong in my relationship to God.
How can I say that? Well, God did say, Obey your parents. God did say, Honor thy father and mother. And He really didn't put any conditions on it. He didn't say obey and honor…if they're godly Christians. He didn't say obey and honor…if they believe and heed the Bible. He didn't say obey and honor…if they always make the right decisions. He didn't say obey and honor…if you're absolutely sure they have your best interests at hear. He didn't say obey and honor…if you're convinced their intelligence and/or common sense is greater than your own. He said obey and honor…because they're your parents. That's the order He has set up (1 Corinthians 14:40).
Are you able to enjoy your parents? We're not talking about their faults. We're talking about our having a proper attitude toward them…resulting from a proper attitude toward the word of God.
I believe all of us really have a lot to be thankful for. Your parents aren't perfect, and mine aren't either. And when we get to be parents, I doubt we'll be perfect. But I'm willing to bet your parents love you and you know it. It's evident they take care of you. They feed you. They clothe you. They shelter you. They bring you to church, or they let you come. Most people in the world can't say that.
God intends for us to enjoy our family relationships. And if our heart is right with Him, I believe we will. Is thy heart right with God?
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