The Crowning Treasure of the Home

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Psalm 128:3.
Children and youth are God’s peculiar treasure. FLB 261.2
When two compose a family, … and there are no children to call into exercise patience, forbearance, and true love, there is need of constant watchfulness lest selfishness obtain the supremacy, lest you yourselves become the center, and you require attention, care, and interest, which you feel under no obligation to bestow upon others.
Care and affection for dependent children removes the roughness from our natures, makes us tender and sympathetic, and has an influence to develop the nobler elements of our character.
After the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he was drawn into a closer relationship with God. He realized more fully his own obligations and responsibility as a son of God. And as he saw the child’s love for its father, its simple trust in his protection; as he felt the deep, yearning tenderness of his own heart for that first-born son, he learned a precious lesson of the wonderful love of God to men in the gift of His Son, and the confidence which the children of God may repose in their heavenly Father.
I have a very tender interest in all children…. I have taken many children to care for, and I have always felt that association with the simplicity of childhood was a great blessing to me….
The sympathy, forbearance, and love required in dealing with children would be a blessing in any household. They would soften and subdue set traits of character in those who need to be more cheerful and restful. The presence of a child in a home sweetens and refines. A child brought up in the fear of the Lord is a blessing….
Your sons and daughters are younger members of God’s family. He has committed them to your care, to train and educate for heaven.
The soul of the little child that believes in Christ is as precious in His sight as are the angels about His throne.
The Faith I Live By p. 261
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for God’s leading and protection. Buck
—-My cousin passed away last night at 1050 pm. Doreen
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Dear Friends,
When Ronnie Jay was four years old, we had some neighbors who had a little boy about the same age named Sammy. The two boys played together happily most of the time. There was one habit Sammy had, however, that caused problems between them. If Ronnie Jay would forget to bring all his toys inside, Sammy would take the ones he wanted. He would put them in his toy box that was loaded with nicer toys than Ronnie Jay had.
When Ronnie Jay would notice that his toy was missing, we would go over to Sammy’s house to get it back. This would make his mother so angry to think that we would even suggest that her son would take Ronnie Jay’s toys. She would step away from the door for a minute or two and return and say that she looked in her son’s toy box and all of the toys were his. We would not argue about this, but tried to keep the two boys apart as much as possible and make sure that he did not leave anything outside when he was finished playing. We were very poor and could not afford to buy more toys.
One day while I was in town, Eileen noticed that the mother was not there and the father was outside working on his car. She took her younger brother by the hand and marched over to their trailer. She explained to the man what had been happening. She could tell be the expression on his face, that the father was saddened by this bit of news. With a sad look upon his face, he went inside and brought out Sammy’s toy box. He told them that they could look through the box and take whatever was Ronnie Jay’s. He said that he did not want his son to think it was OK to take other people’s things and grow up to be a thief.
This incident made a big impression on Eileen. Sammy’s mother spent many hours telling us what a great Christian she was, and how bad her husband was because he did not go to church. Yet, it was the husband who did the right thing. It was the husband who was concerned for his son. She wondered if the biggest hindrance to this man’s conversion was his wife.
Jesus bids us, ” Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matt 5:16 Yet, how careful we must be to let our light shine with the right light. Often our witness can draw others to our Loving Saviour, or it can make them turn away from their only Helper. Jesus gave a command to his followers just before He ascended to Heaven. He said, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8 His plan was for them to start their witnessing close to home and from there spread to the entire world. So is His direction to us. How is our witness in our home, to our neighbors, to our co-workers? Are we concerned for their souls? Are we leading them to the Saviour by our example as well as by our words?
May we never be, as was Sammy’s mother, a hindrance to others by our attitudes, words, or actions. May we, as we behold our Dear Saviour in His Holy Word, be changed into His image, that those around us see in us a reflection of our loving Saviour. (2 Cor 3:18)
Rose