Just to unpack the children as arrows thing a bit more...
Aimed at the right target. This means we are shooting them towards God's glory and not ours. Most parents are satisfied if their children are good citizens or moral people. They would love it if their sons and daughters pursued and obtained the american dream of being married, having kids, a dog, a cat, and two cars for your two story house with a two car garage. This is their glory and it doesn't take into account that ultimately God wants your children to honor him and that may mean something far different than the american dream
Backed up by sufficient power. The ways in which children will reach all that God has for them is through his power and not through just our own. We can discipline and provide and give them all the opportunities that life affords and they still can fall short of God's goals. We can Homeschool them or private school them or public school them and what they learn will be insufficient if it is not what the Holy Spirit wants to teach them. The adequate means and power for these "arrows" is the Holy Spirit and we can tap into that power when we pray for them and saturate them in the Word of God. That is sufficient power.
Released at just the right time. This digs into the heart of the matter. We are given responsibility for our children. They are ours and a stewardship from God and if being a parent is a stewardship from God then ultimately they are his. When the time is right we have to release them into his hands and trust him that they will honor him and bring him glory. For some this may be early on and for others it may be later. The key to shooting an arrow is timing and the key to raising up kids to be God honoring is timing as well. If we let go too early they will fall short of the target. If we let them go too late they will fall short of the target or totally miss it. It takes discernment to know when it is time to release them.
Just think all this from holding my firstborn son in my arms. Hmmmmmm......
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3 comments:
Ramon- this is fabulous! Thanks for the encouragement. I had a rough day with my little ones and was feeling discouraged and this was a reminder to me to keep praying and to continue to follow the Holy Spirit's lead as a parent. And, congrats on your son!!! That is awesome. Those first moments are so sweet and never forgotten. Peace to you and your wife. Megan Pool
Ramon,
Two verses in Psalm 127 describe the happiness of fatherhood with arrows in the hand or quiver. I do not see how it ended up as how/when to use the arrows, where to aim or shoot them.
Well it is implied. Since arrows are not made for just being in the quiver. Just working with the imagery. I am not making it out to be a command but just commenting on the purpose of arrows and if the purpose of arrows is to shoot them then there is a proper way. I know Hebrew poetry is much more about what feeling it gives you and less about practical application but as an american evangelical it's just in my nature. It's a stretch but I don't think it's a big one.
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