Daily Devotional for October 21, 2010

Psalm 71:17
You have taught me since I was a child, and I never stop telling about your marvelous deeds.

Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Do you remember your first “lesson” from God? I’m not talking about a Sunday School lesson or attending church when you were little. I’m talking about the first time you saw firsthand Christian behavior or witnessed an act of God. Sadly, one of my first memories associated with church was a shouting match that occurred one evening when I was about four. There was some sort of dispute between the pastor and several church members, and a man in our congregation actually tried to “shout down” the pastor as he spoke. I can still see the man who was yelling, and I can see the pastor calmly continuing to speak. This was not one of the finer moments for our church. I can’t even tell you what caused the dispute – nor the outcome - but some nearly 50 years later, I still can vividly recall that evening service.

In contrast, I recall positive influences – the fact that my parents and all of my grandparents were faithful members of their church and attended regularly. Bibles were not only visibly displayed in all our homes … they were used regularly! My paternal grandparents had really poor television reception “out in the country,” so they spent their spare time in the evenings and on weekends reading their Bibles and listening to gospel music on the radio. My great-grandfather died when I was about ten, and I remember sitting on my great-grandmother’s lap as she reassured me that “the Lord will take care of me.”

A lot of the things that God taught me as a child, I truly didn’t recognize… much less understand… until I was a lot older. But the wisdom was there… the knowledge and the groundwork were present. And I see that now in the children I encounter… my own nieces and nephews, young cousins and the children of dear friends … and even those of you I have been blessed to serve as a Sunday School teacher.

I have been told over and over, “You are planting seeds.” I know that in actuality, God is planting the seeds – I am just the “field hand.” But the result is that someday – maybe not even in my lifetime – those seeds will grow and bear fruit. The lessons God taught all of us in our childhood stay with us forever and can continue to bless us and guide us well into adulthood.

So today, think about the lessons God has taught you since childhood – the people who have surrounded you and influenced you in your faith walk. And think about the children in your circle of influence. Are you showing them examples of God’s wisdom, love, grace and mercy? Are you behaving in a way that gives little ones a good example to follow? Children are watching us … especially the older teens and young adults they so want to emulate. They are seeking role models and gauging their faith by how we exemplify ours. So how are we doing? What sort of “field hand” are you being for God these days?

©2010 Debbie Robus