Longing for their eyes to be opened

"Oh taste and see that the LORD is good!  

Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, 

for those who seek the LORD lack no good thing!"

Psalm 34:8-9

This is the passionate heart's cry of every godly mother (Did you notice the exclamation points in those verses?).  Although, we know full well that some of our children may not be "saints" these are the words we want to impress upon their hearts, penetrating deep within and removing any doubt or question in their relation to God.

I'm convinced, being a mother has to be one of the most heartbreaking experiences ever.  We, who feel a tremendous burden for the souls of our children.  We, who see the error of our children's ways and rebuke and warn.  It is a daily thing.  It is not easy and we become weary in our swim upstream. 

There are currents from without and from within.  It is the "within" that worries me most.  The heart that is hard and not receptive to wisdom.  Yes, that is what makes me tremble.  That is what I fear.  

A mother who knows the dangers cannot help but to imagine the future if children who are small never ever turn from their own ways but simply grow bigger. 

If I have ever had the wrong motives driving my desire to point my children to Christ, Father forgive me.  It is not so that we can "appear" clean on the outside.  A family, all dressed up, happy and smiling on their way to church.  Those things are all well and good but my burden runs far deeper than outward appearances.  My burden is for individual hearts to feel the weight of their sin and to see with eyes wide open that only Jesus can bear it.  My burden is for each and every child to submit their heart to the Lordship of Christ...Creator, Redeemer and Friend.  My burden is for the Holy Spirit to move in hearts...wooing us to turn from sin and find grace to help in time of need.

And it is not an automatic thing.  It is the heart that God is after.  The total and complete change of heart.  Outward conformity will not do.  We who know him and have tasted and seen that he is indeed good are burdened for those who have not tasted and cannot seem to see.  We pray and we long for the heart to go from hard to tender.  We long for them to personally know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the LORD IS GOOD, and all other things that promise to satisfy more are counterfeits.

Let it be said that we loved with every ounce of strength the Lord supplies.  Let it be said that we prayed with the fervency and consistency of a warrior who knows the battle all to well.  Let it be said that the Word of God penetrated our hearts so deeply and was full to overflowing in the lives of our children.  Let the love within the family be so strong and so close that to ever do anything to break that bond would be so utterly painful that the mere thought of it hinders sin.  

Do you long for a closer and tighter bond in your family?  Are you praying for God to show you what to do next?  Ask him to give you ideas for how you can cultivate deeper relationships with each other.  Ways that you can slow down in the hustle and bustle of life and connect with each other.  Don't underestimate God.  He has really good ideas.  He wants the family to be close.  He wants the eye-contact, the heart to hearts, and the fun after the work is done.  It is possible for people to live under the same roof yet not really know each other very well at all.  It takes much effort, communication and sometimes just slowing down long enough to hug and listen.

We are implementing some things in our family that we hope will make our bond even stronger.  I hope to share some of those things soon.  We are hoping that through these things a strong and deep love will be cultivated.  A love for each other and most of all a love for God which will then flow out into the lives of others.  What could be more meaningful than that?

[a re-post from the archives |  March 22, 2013...because sometimes you get too many spam comments and you have to delete the original post.]