Setting PRIORITIES RIGHT with our CHILDREN

April 29 Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles Chapters 22-24

Setting PRIORITIES RIGHT with our CHILDREN

"Now, my son, may the Lord be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the Lord your God, as He has said to you. Only may the Lord give you wisdom and understanding, and give you charge concerning Israel, that you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed." (1 Chron. 22:11-13)

Before David died and completed his earthly duties, one of the most important things that he did was to call his son Solomon to himself and lay out to him the things that were in his heart. He told Solomon that he had desired to build a temple in Jerusalem as God had now given rest to His people so that they may dwell in Jerusalem forever (1 Chron. 22:6-7; 23:25), but God did not allow him to proceed forward in this building venture as he had shed a lot of blood in his lifetime (1 Chron. 22:8). However, God had wanted Solomon to undertake this building project after his death (v. 9-10), for which David had prepared all the required building materials for this project (v. 14-16).

David then set out the priorities for his son Solomon in this manner – that God would give Solomon ‘wisdom and understanding’ to keep the commandments of God completely so that he would fulfill the statutes and judgments that God had previously charged Moses concerning Israel. In doing so, he would prosper in his life. Solomon must have pondered over this final charge of his father, and decided that getting ‘wisdom and understanding’ from God is the primary thing above everything else in his life. That must be reason that when God appeared to Solomon later and asked him what he desired in his life, Solomon asked for ‘wisdom and understanding’ above anything else that he could have asked from God (2 Chron. 1:7-12). God truly blessed Solomon with abundant ‘wisdom and understanding’ that he became the wisest king and the most prosperous ruler of Israel.

This is a wonderful lesson for all parents everywhere about setting priorities for their children. It is good that the children study and achieve greatness on the secular side. But more important is that they desire for ‘wisdom and understanding’ from God so that they obey the word of God completely all the days of their lives. Then only are they going to be truly prosperous and successful and can influence many people towards God.

In order to get started in obtaining wisdom from God, they should develop a godly fear and reverence for God (Prov. 1:7) and a love for reading and meditating on God’s word (Joshua 1:8) while they are still young. This is the training that parents are supposed to give to their children as per Proverbs 22:6. If they lack wisdom, they can also ask in faith to God: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6)