(According to Babynom.com.) When a couple is expecting a child, there are so many decisions. One of the biggest decisions is deciding on a name for the baby. Some consider this a really fun process, while others may just be frustrated by it.
There’s little doubt that a meaning to a child’s name is important. This is the first piece of identity that they have and as they grow, they will draw on the name to help determine who they are. Positively or negatively, the name is going to help shape the child’s personality. They too, may search for the meaning of their name. It’s nice when there is a positive meaning attached to their name that they can use as they are deciding who they are. Some names might need some researching to find the meaning but often the meaning is the name such as the name Hope or Grace.
Names are also the first thing that others know about someone else and often, that affects how they treat us. Whether they have an association with name, or know the meaning, hearing the name is the first step in building a relationship with that person. This point is proven when two people meet for the first time and find out that they have the same name. Instantly, they feel that there is a bond there; simply because of something that they could not control.
It may be easy to find the meaning of a name if you want to give the child a family name. This is very common and sometimes the name and the meaning, have been passed down from generation to generation.
Lots of questions have been asked about naming the baby:
Can we give our baby the same name we gave our dog?
Everyone criticizes the names we’re considering for our baby. How should we handle it?
How can I tell my cousin that I don’t want her to use the name I’ve chosen for my baby?
How do I tell my mom we’re naming the baby after my mother-in-law?
Is it too late to change our baby’s name?
Should I go ahead and use the name I love for my baby even if my co-worker is using it?
Actually, I am overwhelmed at the huge interest there is in naming the baby.
You can find popular names, meaningful names, religious names, unique names, unusual names, names not to use, origin of names, perfect names, random names, numerology names, French names, Texas names, incredible names, powerful names, traditional names, The Ultimate Pretentious Baby Name, and many, many more.
Many hospitals won’t release a baby until it has been named.
Barach has been crowned the number one male baby name of the year.
Google Search Engine show 603,000 references to naming the baby.
What does the Bible say about naming?
In Genesis, God named the rivers and other elements of his creation.
But then he did a very interesting thing. We read about it in Gen. 2:19-20.
Gen 2:19-20 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
The privilege of naming all living things extended to his wife.
Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
The privilege of naming someone is extremely significant.
Adam earlier had named the animals, which was a demonstration of his authority over them. His naming of Eve suggests Adam’s position of rule.
In the ancient world when one king placed a vassal king on the throne, a new name would often be given to demonstrate the overlord’s dominion.
Likewise, when God enters *covenant relationships with Abram and Jacob, he changes their names. (from IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Copyright © 2000 by John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas. Published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.)
We have three babies to dedicate this morning. All of them have names.
Abigail:
Meaning: Literally means Father in rejoicing. I’m positive the father rejoiced when he heard Abigail was coming into his life!
3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Abigail is going to be raised to love the truth and to walk in the truth!
Conor :
Meaning: Lover of hounds; hound nobleman. I love dogs!
The greatest speech of the nineteenth century was given by a senator from Missouri on a man’s best friend: his dog. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a dime to your name, your dog will love you anyway. If you neglect feeding your dog, if you leave him out in the cold, if you forget about him, the next time he sees you he will run up to you as happy as he can be to see you.
Conor is going to be raised to love…not just dogs…but people…and especially, God!
The two greatest commandments are:
Matt 22:37-39Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Cali-Rae :
From an Irish name, Caollaidhe: Meaning: s lender.
I hate to tell you this, but slender is not in the bible. Skinny is not in the bible.
Fat is in the bible.
Actually, the word thin is in the bible, but it means weak and unhealthy.
I’m sure there is another meaning for Cali-Rae.
But, I’m thinking…slender is good. Slender is one factor in seeing beauty in a girl or woman. Maybe like Esther.
Est 2:15-17Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
KJV
Cali-Rae is a beautiful baby and she is going to be a beautiful girl as she grows up. But her real beauty will not be her outward appearance, but her character and her dedication to God.
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Jesus.
One of these days, each of these children will be given another name, a name far higher than the one they have been given by their parents.
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
We are baptized in that name.
We pray in that name.
We are healed in that name.
We wear that name in honor of our great King.
Precious Name
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.
O the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!
At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in Heav’n we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.
(According to Babynom.com.) When a couple is expecting a child, there are so many decisions. One of the biggest decisions is deciding on a name for the baby. Some consider this a really fun process, while others may just be frustrated by it.
There’s little doubt that a meaning to a child’s name is important. This is the first piece of identity that they have and as they grow, they will draw on the name to help determine who they are. Positively or negatively, the name is going to help shape the child’s personality. They too, may search for the meaning of their name. It’s nice when there is a positive meaning attached to their name that they can use as they are deciding who they are. Some names might need some researching to find the meaning but often the meaning is the name such as the name Hope or Grace.
Names are also the first thing that others know about someone else and often, that affects how they treat us. Whether they have an association with name, or know the meaning, hearing the name is the first step in building a relationship with that person. This point is proven when two people meet for the first time and find out that they have the same name. Instantly, they feel that there is a bond there; simply because of something that they could not control.
It may be easy to find the meaning of a name if you want to give the child a family name. This is very common and sometimes the name and the meaning, have been passed down from generation to generation.
Lots of questions have been asked about naming the baby:
Can we give our baby the same name we gave our dog?
Everyone criticizes the names we’re considering for our baby. How should we handle it?
How can I tell my cousin that I don’t want her to use the name I’ve chosen for my baby?
How do I tell my mom we’re naming the baby after my mother-in-law?
Is it too late to change our baby’s name?
Should I go ahead and use the name I love for my baby even if my co-worker is using it?
Actually, I am overwhelmed at the huge interest there is in naming the baby.
You can find popular names, meaningful names, religious names, unique names, unusual names, names not to use, origin of names, perfect names, random names, numerology names, French names, Texas names, incredible names, powerful names, traditional names, The Ultimate Pretentious Baby Name, and many, many more.
Many hospitals won’t release a baby until it has been named.
Barach has been crowned the number one male baby name of the year.
Google Search Engine show 603,000 references to naming the baby.
What does the Bible say about naming?
In Genesis, God named the rivers and other elements of his creation.
But then he did a very interesting thing. We read about it in Gen. 2:19-20.
Gen 2:19-20 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.
The privilege of naming all living things extended to his wife.
Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
The privilege of naming someone is extremely significant.
Adam earlier had named the animals, which was a demonstration of his authority over them. His naming of Eve suggests Adam’s position of rule.
In the ancient world when one king placed a vassal king on the throne, a new name would often be given to demonstrate the overlord’s dominion.
Likewise, when God enters *covenant relationships with Abram and Jacob, he changes their names. (from IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, Copyright © 2000 by John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews and Mark W. Chavalas. Published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.)
We have three babies to dedicate this morning. All of them have names.
Abigail:
Meaning: Literally means Father in rejoicing. I’m positive the father rejoiced when he heard Abigail was coming into his life!
3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Abigail is going to be raised to love the truth and to walk in the truth!
Conor :
Meaning: Lover of hounds; hound nobleman. I love dogs!
The greatest speech of the nineteenth century was given by a senator from Missouri on a man’s best friend: his dog. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a dime to your name, your dog will love you anyway. If you neglect feeding your dog, if you leave him out in the cold, if you forget about him, the next time he sees you he will run up to you as happy as he can be to see you.
Conor is going to be raised to love…not just dogs…but people…and especially, God!
The two greatest commandments are:
Matt 22:37-39Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Cali-Rae :
From an Irish name, Caollaidhe: Meaning: s lender.
I hate to tell you this, but slender is not in the bible. Skinny is not in the bible.
Fat is in the bible.
Actually, the word thin is in the bible, but it means weak and unhealthy.
I’m sure there is another meaning for Cali-Rae.
But, I’m thinking…slender is good. Slender is one factor in seeing beauty in a girl or woman. Maybe like Esther.
Est 2:15-17Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. 16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Cali-Rae is a beautiful baby and she is going to be a beautiful girl as she grows up. But her real beauty will not be her outward appearance, but her character and her dedication to God.
Psalm 29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Jesus.
One of these days, each of these children will be given another name, a name far higher than the one they have been given by their parents.
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
We are baptized in that name.
We pray in that name.
We are healed in that name.
We wear that name in honor of our great King.
Precious Name
Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.
O the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!
At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in Heav’n we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.
1. Infant mortality rate has been declining for many years.
2. The three leading causes of infant mortality are:
3. Reasons for decline have to do with care for childbearing mothers.
4. Other causes are within the realm of parents.
5. Look at the spiritual applications.
a. Exposure.
b. Lack of supervision.
c. Wisdom in discipline.
d. Mal-nourishment.
Ps 92:13-14 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
Ps 19:7-14 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. Ps 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
]]>Moses
Moses mother was forced by circumstances to do something she did not want to do.
You may be unable to change your circumstances:
Central truth: Trust God absolutely. Do what you can, then trust!
Ps 31:19-24 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! 20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. 21 Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. 22 For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. 23 O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. 24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
Samuel
Modern Ideas about Children:
“To rescue our children we will have to let them save us from the power we embody: we will have to trust the very difference that they forever personify. And we will have to allow them the choice, without fear of death: that they may come and do likewise or that they may come and that we will follow them, that a little child will lead us back to the child we will always be, vulnerable and wanting and hurting for love and for beauty.” June Jordan (b. 1939), U.S. poet and civil rights activist. “Old Stories: New Lives,” keynote address, 1978, to Child Welfare League of America (published in Moving Towards Home: Political Essays, 1989). The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations is licensed from Columbia University Press. Copyright © 1993 by Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. Caedmon recordings reproduced by arrangement with Harper Collins Publishers.
“Children’s liberation is the next item on our civil rights shopping list.” Letty Cottin Pogrebin (b. 1939), U.S. journalist, author. “Down with Sexist Upbringing” (published in The First Ms. Reader, ed. by Francine Klagsbrun, 1972). The Columbia Dictionary of Quotations is licensed from Columbia University Press. Copyright © 1993 by Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Central truth: Submit to God completely.
(You will never be able to submit your child unless you submit yourself. Also, submitting your child to God is the only way to protect him from the evil influences of the world around him. (Internet porn, latest ideas about sex between adults and minors, etc.)
Timothy
Not a kid when we meet him in scripture, but we piece the story together.
2 Tim 1:2-5 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
The sincere, genuine faith of Lois and Eunice was so remarkable that the Apostle Paul immortalized it in scripture.
There were many enemies of Christ where they lived.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, 11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:10-12
Central truth: Exemplify God faithfully.
Mom and Dad, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, you are the guiding lights for these babies and children. Too many people today excuse themselves from responsibility. Too many people take “time-outs” from life so they can indulge themselves.
When you see Timothy in heaven, ask him how he got there. I’m sure he’ll point to the blood of Jesus for his salvation. But I also think he will say, “Let me introduce you to my Mom, and my Mamaw. If it weren’t for their example before me, I don’t know where I would have gone in my life.”
Who knows what kind of famous kid is being held in someone’s arms today.
]]>Introduction: Daniel and the three Hebrew young men had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon after the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar. Their surroundings had been changed so much that they were now strangers to everything around them. New clothes, new food, new culture, and now a new religion was about to be forced upon them.
In the twentieth century, America wasn’t invaded by a foreign enemy. We were invaded by new-fashioned ideas and philosophies that transformed our national landscape. The foundations upon which this country was built have shifted to a precarious position.
A news reporter asked a pedestrian once, “Do you know what the two greatest problems in America are?” The man said, “I don’t know and I don’t care!” The reporter said, “Right on both counts!”
Erwin Lutzer wrote a piece several years ago entitled “The Myths That Could Destroy America.” Here they are:
We have learned to live with these destructive agents. But maybe things will be different from this week on.
1. Before September 11, we knew how to dedicate children. We knew how to pray for them and what to say to their parents. I fear that many of the things that were said were so predictable, so routine, that they did not have much of an impact. But now, the horizon of the future has been so dramatically changed, that we must find our way once again, even in things we have learned to do so well.
2. Before September 11, we could come and go in a free society. We paid scant attention to the people around us, whether they had evil intent or could carry out terrible crimes against us. We bought and sold, built and planted, worked and played with a freedom that the world knew little of until the United States of America came into existence. Now, we are left with only the memories of the way it used to be.
3. They say that transportation, especially air travel, has changed forever. They say that the economy has changed. They say that even the world of sports has changed. I suppose it has. I don’t know how much of that matters. What does matter, though, is how we raise our children in a world where fear and terror grips our everyday life.
4. There are some things that must not change.
a. We cannot allow fear to monopolize our lives.
“God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love,…”
Ps 27:1-3 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
b. We cannot lose our faith and trust in God.
Ps 18:2-3 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
c. We cannot lose our sense of mission to the world.
“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel…”
5. There are some things that have needed to be changed for a long time.
a. Our relationship with people. (The tragedy has taught love…)
b. Our appreciation of freedom.
c. Our seriousness in serving God.
d. Our personal priority list.
e. Our state of personal preparedness.
6. What kind of world is it in which we will raise our children?
a. It probably will not get better in a spiritual sense.
b. The world that the parents create.
These age-old principles still work!
]]>Prayer
Love
The Bible
Spiritual disciplines.
Our world today knows a lot more about baby-making than they do about people-making. Anyone who eats in restaurants or shops in stores has seen unbelievable things: children allowed to run wild; kids using four-letter words; young adolescents and teens dressing like rock stars; and, kids who have no respect for others, especially adults. It is as though, in one or two generations, we have trashed everything we ever knew about kids.
Let’s examine some old truths that now seem to be shocking results of parenting:
You are making a lasting impression. Remember the plaster of Paris molds? You can make anything you want to, until it sets up. Then, it conforms to the last thing you impressed upon it in the critical moment.
Unless you are God, don’t experiment. Children are not “baby-dolls”, expendable possessions, tax-deductions, or mindless creatures who don’t have a clue.
Children actually do need someone to tell them what to do. The hand of God can rest upon children. Acts 2:38-39. Genuine love looks out for the spiritual welfare first.
Parents are responsible. You only get one chance per child.
]]>Paul speaks of a financial responsibility, but this grows out of a larger principle of general parental responsibility.
Deut 6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. (KJV)
Over a month has passed since the Columbine H. S. shootings. The grieving process contines to play itself out. Just ahead, however, the grief will turn to anger, and the lawsuits will come. Two sets of parents are about to discover how much responsibility they had for the actions of their sons. Strife has torn every community apart that has suffered these multiple school shootings.
Parental responsibility cannot be something we consider after the fact. If parents would sit down and take a serious, sober look at their job now, they will probably change their tactics drastically. It cannot be left up to someone else.
If you leave it up to the schools…
If you leave it up to the streets…
If you leave it up to the television…
If you leave it up to your family…
If you leave it up to the neighborhood friends…
If you leave it up to chance…
When you leave your responsibilities up to anyone else…
A child is a living, growing viable member of the human race. A child is another you! If you believe in God, if you believe in the Bible, if you believe in the future, then you must invest yourself into your child. Your child is…
Who will step forward and say, my child is MY responsibility…not the schools, not the streets, not television, not family, not neighborhood friends, not chance? Who will say I accept this responsibility and will invest my entire self into this child I helped to bring into this world?
]]>18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 3:18
Everyone likes to hold a baby up to a mirror so he can see himself. The baby reacts by either crying or laughing, but most of the time he is absorbed with the sight of “another baby” looking back at him. Who does he “take after?” My question to you today really concerns the reflection of the child as he grows into an adult. Who will he really see? Who will he really look like?
Sometimes a child looks like one person, but acts like someone else. He inherits or develops the temperament of those he is closest to.
Of course, what I’m talking about is influence. Who will that the greatest influence in his life? The answer is simple: Whoever takes the greatest interest in him, spends the most time with him and cares about him the most.
I hope the reflection that he sees in the mirror will look like Jesus.
If he will look like Jesus, he will have to be…
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it— he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:23-25 (NIV)
]]>Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world,
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in his sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
I. Everyone loves children.
II. Can little children be saved?
III. Are children important to the church?
IV. Four keys to preserving the faith your children were born with.
V. You are the most important key!
The first thing Abram did when he left Ur of the Chaldees was to stop and build an altar to worship the One God. It set the stage for the rest of his life. Honor God first, then live out your life. First things first.
There is a special significance to the first of everything with a new baby.
Why are first things so important?
At no time is the parent’s role more critical than when a child is going through its firsts.
How can the baby say the right words if no one is there to teach him? How can the baby walk unless he can curl his little fingers around yours to stabilize him? And once the baby learns how to talk and how to walk, the next critical thing to learn is what to say and where to go! We don’t just let them say anything. We don’t just let them wander anywhere. All of their firsts require a mother or father to be with them, to lead them, to show them the way.
Readers of the Bible know that God was extremely interested in firsts.
Creation: Genesis 1:5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
Deliverance from Egypt: Ex 12:1-2 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
Firstruits of the labor: Ex 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
Ezek 44:30 And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.
This is a spiritual principle.
When we look around at the chaos of human tragedy, the war zone of modern family life, we see that too many people put themselves first; put the wrong things first; either neglected or didn’t care about doing the right things first.
Yesterday, I spoke to the men at the Ohio District Men’s Retreat about what happens when fathers sin. Just so they knew what I was talking about, I listed the following transgressions and wrongs:
There are things parents must do first to be in the perfect will of God.
Today, you need to determine in your heart and mind that you will start out right. (Today is the first day of the rest of your parenting life…)
Get your heart right with the people in your life. Matthew 5:24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Don’t live with tension-filled homes; screaming, fighting, arguing, throwing things, slamming doors, throwing tantrums.
Bring your own spirit and life under control and submission to God. Matthew 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.
Establish now that you will put a priority on spiritual things. Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Every Orthodox Jewish baby is taught something first.
When the first sign appears that they have the ability for a cognitive thought, they are taught the Shema. Shema Israel, Adonai Elohanu, Adonai Echaad. Hear, O Israel, The Lord, our God is One. This is first.
What about you? What about your baby?
Why? Because God is first. He reserves this title for himself:
Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
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