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Fathers, Feed Your Families Well, by Pastor Charlie Handren

By Anonymous


Fathers, Feed Your Families Well
By Pastor Charlie
It has long been our tradition to give the mothers flowers on Mother’s Day and the fathers beef jerky on Father’s Day. Now, truth be told, this may be because Pastor Kevin and I really love beef jerky, but it’s also a nod to the fact that, by and large, men love to eat meat.
     Fathers, today I want to honor you by challenging you to love the meat of God’s Word more than you love ribeye, venison, or pheasant. I want to encourage you to value the food that is truly food, and then also to feed that to your families. I call you to hear the Word of the Lord:
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. (Deuteronomy6:4-6)
     Fathers, the most significant thing you can do for your family is to love the words of God because you love the God who spoke those words. Your genuine love for the Lord will be a source of nutrition and joy for your wife and children for as long as you all shall live.
     And then flowing out of your own growing love for the Lord:
You shall teach [these words] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)
     Let me offer you three quick tips on how to diligently teach the words of the Lord to your children.
  • First, read the Word daily. When our daughter Rachel was growing up, we would almost always read from the Bible at night. Our time would start by reciting the Lord’s prayer, followed by a time of reading and a season of prayer in which each one of us prayed. Prayerfully reading the Bible together is the daily meat of a healthy family.
  • Second, meditate on the Word regularly. Although you won’t be able to do this every day, take some time at least once per week to slow down and carefully think about some portion of the Bible together. Teach your children to savor the meat of the Word and meditate on it.
  • Third, apply the Word naturally. As you go about your life, teach your children about the wisdom of the Lord in any given situation. Be on the lookout for teachable moments and when they come, show your children how the Word sheds light on every aspect of life.
       Fathers, I challenge you to be men of the Word and feed your families well!



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