children of darkness...in the Sahara


Watching children brings me joy.

The past couple of nights at our revival services, I have had my attention drawn to the children present. Not because they were misbehaving, but because they are precious.

Watching them interact with their parents blesses me. Especially watching sons with fathers.

Sons grow up wanting to emulate their fathers.

Which father will they be like? The father of lies, our Father in Heaven, or their earthly father?

Reading through first and second Kings recently, reminds me how often our sons are like their dads. It somehow seems to be an invisible current they are swept into.

I remember when I saw my son reflecting the ugliness within me. I was convicted to do something about it. It had less to do with correcting him and more to do with following Christ and giving him a better role model.

I watched the same family the past couple of nights. I saw a father with two of his sons, be loving and firm.

I watched those boys crawl into his lap and be embraced warmly and have their heads kissed. I watched as corrective non-verbals were fired when necessary. Those boys responded to both.

Their eyes reflected whether or not they agreed, but they did what their father said.

They drew pictures of superheros and swords and other boy stuff, while dad listened to the message. When a piece of art was finished, dad would neatly stack it with the ones before it. A pile of treasure was in the works.

Last night, as the preacher beckoned for each hearer to surrender to the Lord in fullness, I was deeply moved as this same father went forward. He took with him his two most precious possessions. They accompanied him on his right and his left.

These were likely too young to understand the gospel message. This trip down the aisle was not about coming to Christ as one may think. This father was already a believer.

I cannot tell you his heart, but I can tell you from the way he gently placed his children to either side of him and laid himself out on before the Father, that his desire was to be completely surrendered to all Christ wanted him to be. To be completely filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped to be the best father, the best servant, possible.

His children learned a great deal through this experience! They understand that their father is seeking to be like his Heavenly Father. They have made this trip with daddy and found out that it is safe! Daddy has showed them that surrendering to Jesus is what life is all about!

This daddy is already a follower. He showed his children that in life, there is nothing more important than being completely Christ's! Completely surrendered before Him is what is necessary.

In a day when men are too manly to be sensitive to the movement of the Holy Spirit, this man was not. He set and example for his children.

You know what else he did? He set an example for the body of Christ! This man is also a pastor.

He could leave his example to his daily work ethic in how he serves Jesus through serving the body...but he didn't. When his children most wanted to be with their daddy, in his embrace, he showed them Jesus.

Children will reflect their father whether they realize it or not. Will it be the 'father of lies' or will it be their Father in Heaven?

Help them choose by being an example of Jesus to them. Completely sold out to the Father's will.

If you live it, they will see it.


dad