Passing It On
We will not conceal them from our children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done. Psalm 78:4 NASB
Not conceal – What parent would even hide something vitally important and beneficial from a child? Actually, nearly all parents. You see, the culture of origin that does not worship the King and pass His instructions to its children essentially deprives those children of life’s most valuable treasure. Even worse, those parents sign the death warrant for their children, relegating them to lives of confusion and emptiness, vain hopes and shattered dreams. Why, oh why would any parent do such a thing? The answer is tangled simplicity. A sinful lack of true perspective. If I believe that life is about me, my goals, my dreams and my efforts, then my reach will not exceed my grasp and I will be locked in the labyrinth of the yetzer ha’ra. I can still achieve great things, but they will be straw before the Throne. Unless I see that life, my life, is about God and His purposes, I will have no urgency to share this bigger-than-me vision with my children. As a result, they will have no bigger-than-me vision of their own existence. I will have accidentally concealed from them the one thing that lifts human perspective beyond the feet treading the path—God’s glory.
Today is my only daughter’s birthday. She is a grown woman now, but I remember those days when she was very little, rambunctious, curious, precocious. I remember the moment she was born. When I read David, I also remember the heartache of not adequately revealing the glory of the Lord to my most precious daughter. I drifted through the malaise of success, the pointlessness of prosperity and the emptiness of a life preoccupied with myself. All that time I claimed to be a Christian, a devotee without discipline, an adherent of religious persuasion without transforming conviction. What did I teach my daughter? That life is about how I feel, what I want, how hard I work. I forgot to point her to the glory beyond me, the reason for my very being in the world. Perhaps she will forgive—and look at those things I concealed in my ignorant myopia.
“We will not conceal,” says David. This is not simply an individual’s affirmation. David speaks for an entire people, a culture of revelation. The verb is kahad. It means to keep something back, to refuse to make something known. Notice that this verb has a prefixed Nun. That changes the meaning from a declarative command to a performative request. “We will please not conceal.” It is a deliberate choice, not an accidental byproduct of culture. God does not hide. If we seek Him, we will find Him. For this reason, He sends His messengers. The Hebraic worldview is the worldview of the prophets, men called by God to show His people who He is and what He demands. The greatest gift I could give my daughter is a sense of the prophetic moment placed in her hands: the awe of being alive, the mystery of God’s ultimate purposes and the invitation to involvement. These things I wish for her today, on the day that I celebrate her arrival into His world.
Topical Index: not conceal, lo nekahed, Psalm 78:4
Thanks for this timely reminder for all parents.
How beautifully said. I echo your heart.
Grandkids are your second chance.
Absolutely true, Brett! Thank the LORD for that!
Rachel, be assured that many in this community will be reminded to lift you up in prayer today, and I hope that brings joy to your heart.
Happy Birthday Rachel! – (and many more!).
I woke up this morning (thank you, God- for another day of life!) with this song (strange..) and these lyrics playing on the recorder of my mind.. – “I just want to celebrate another day of living, – I just want to celebrate another day of life!”
These words are excellent words and actually find their foundation within God’s Book and this has been spoken from the lips of our LORD: ~ I am come that you might have LIFE- and have it more abundantly!” ~
This, is my wish for you, Rachel- that you would learn to celebrate Him, the One who is (the) Life. (and the Truth and the Way). Yes, celebrate Jesus!
Celebrate every single day. – Why? Because, (is there not a cause?)- THIS is the day which our LORD has made..- (therefore) I will rejoice and be glad in it!
I will leave behind the word of BF, (brother Ben)- “do not squander time – for it the stuff life is made from.” How will we “steward” the gift of another day? The word of God has an answer for us.. “Rejoice in the LORD always!”- and again, I say, REJOICE!!”
May you enjoy this very lovely day, with friends, family and loved ones! – Happy Birthday!!
Thank you, Carl. That was very kind. I am sure she will be encouraged.
Well put. As I have learned more about God and His glory, I have had a desire to teach my grandchildren about Him and the goodness and wisdom of His “law”. Sadly I have no clue how to do that, back to trial and error.
“When I read David, I also remember the heartache of not adequately revealing the glory of the Lord to my most precious daughter. I drifted through the malaise of success, the pointlessness of prosperity and the emptiness of a life preoccupied with myself. All that time I claimed to be a Christian, a devotee without discipline, an adherent of religious persuasion without transforming conviction. What did I teach my daughter? That life is about how I feel, what I want, how hard I work. I forgot to point her to the glory beyond me, the reason for my very being in the world. Perhaps she will forgive—and look at those things I concealed in my ignorant myopia.”
How reflective of my life are these words, they cut my being deep and wide!
You see, on my to-do list today is to write a letter to my son to address a particular sin in his life. Yet what has been heavily on my heart for weeks is not his failure, but mine not having been the father he me needed to be.
Much prayer would be appreciated.
I DIDN’T KNOW HOW.
BUT I DID KNOW HIM!
I became aware of God’s call on my life when my
two daughters were still quite young. How I was to
transmit this reality I had no idea.
Sadly thereafter, I was divorced. I became consumed
with a drive to make sure my girls would always know
I would be with them and there for them.
Ironically, that was the exact same message The Lord
was deeply instilling in me. Little did I know or realize
that His loving presence would bleed through.
My girls watched my life and were impacted by it, the good
and the bad. You learn as you go, that a Dad’s purpose is
far bigger than you ever know at the time. Especially if God
is quietly engineering His purposes without one’s knowing it.
I did share my faith, but only at moments they asked me.
Going to church together became a life’s norm, although
their mother was angrily against it, as well as everything
else I said or did.
Nevertheless, we three all grew together. God was always
with me and unknowingly to me also with them. By the time
they became young adults, they, too, were true believers.
Today, both their husbands and kids are all followers of Jesus
as well.
I can’t claim I knew what I was doing.
I just loved them with all my heart.
God, obviously, was loving them, too.
And His message came through.
Rich-I share a similar life experience as you regarding a divorce and the fallout in relation to my 3 children, all now grown-two married and each giving me a grandson. Thanks for sharing that. I certainly can relate and identify with you.
Also, my heart was nudged, motivated and encouraged by Skip’s TW today. I certainly can relate to it as well. Thanks to you, too, Skip.
I wish you well, Rachel, on this day celebrating your birth. All I can encourage you in regards the mystery of how fast the years of life pass us by. One day I was a young, energetic soul with my whole life ahead of me. And then it seems I blinked a few times and woke up the very next day and realized I was 59 years old ALREADY! It really seemed to go by that fast. In that light, I wish for you the insight of your eyes, mind and heart to make the most of each day for YHWH.
The important stuff IS found in YHWH. May your life never turn aside from totaling resting in Him.
Happy Day of Birth.
Happy birthday Rachel!
“Perhaps she will forgive—and look at those things I concealed in my ignorant myopia.” Wow Skip! How I can relate to that thought. That is also my prayer concerning my three daughters. Unfortunately, most of my life concealed the ways of God and the pathway to life from these beautiful gifts He gave me. I only hope that He will communicate these things to them in spite of me. I believe He can and will.
Rachel, blessings and a very happy birthday from me (a stranger) and from your father who obviously loves you very much. May you be all God created you to be.
“For this reason He sends His messengers…”
Skip…I often reflect on how many lives have been changed because you “came to see that your life is about God and His purposes.” At some point, you chose to respond to the messengers He sent and now you’ve become a messenger in your own right. And, perhaps BECAUSE of your past mistakes, you responded more passionately.
I too have many regrets about my parenting, but, sadly, I couldn’t teach or model something I had never been shown. Praise God that He took pity on me and brought you into my life to teach me what my parents/grandparents didn’t know how to do. You were the messenger that He sent to me and I will forever praise Him for this act of undeserved compassion. God’s timing is never too late.
P.S. Please wish Rachel a Happy Birthday. I’m pretty sure that you’ve had a profound impact on her (even if you missed some golden opportunities in her younger years.) Remember…God’s timing is never too late, and He probably enjoys proving that to us.
3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the Truth.
Skip, We are rejoicing with you and your family in the blessing of a daughter! We too are preparing to celebrate a daughter’s birthday (tomorrow) truly we are blessed!
Rachel, I hope you have had a wonderful day and that you have many wonderful years to come.
My prayer for all the children represented in this community is that they will learn from our (the earthly parent’s) successes AND failures, and that all realize it is in Him that we/they live and move and have our being!
Happy Birthday Rachel! Thank you for serving us at your post on that big boat.
Joyful ‘belated’ birthday to you, Rachel! Our ABBA’s Hand is continuously upon you, in guiding and protecting you in every area of your precious life. Continue seeking Him with all of your heart!
HIS divine purposes will be fulfilled in your life. HalleluYAH!
TW so touched me as a parent. Surrounded with many circumstances during their growing up, I am guilty of neglecting my kids’ spiritual growth, often presuming they are okay as we attended churches (from one to another). Sigh! Too late they are fully grown and married and somewhat out of my guidance now.
Their growing up is as my growing up process in ABBA, a personal journey, not an easy one.
Thankfully our relationship is good and often we can openly/freely communicate on Biblical issues.
I so agree with Judi, that we can only give what we have or know.
My prayers have always been- as I have cared and ministered to youths sent by You, ABBA,, -please ABBA, send folks who care to minister to them! I guess my prayers have changed according to my paradigm mindset. They are my responsibility still because there is no one out there who can truly minister to them in Hebraic worldviews. I send them Skip’s teachings! 🙂
I am grateful they are not at all ingrained by Christian doctrines, being in a Home assembly that blossomed into a wonderful kibbutz after finding that churches we went to were confusing and messy somehow. We didn’t fully understand it then, but now we do as ABBA led us to study Hebrew some years ago, and continued to lead us to Skip’s TWs. HalleluYAH!
Rest assured, YHWH’s Hand is upon us, our kids and our households as we walk in His ways!
Appreciate you sharing this with us, Skip, Shalom!