(Deut. 6:5-7) “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children…” Before Israel went in to poses the Promised Land, the Lord warned Israel’s Fathers of the importance of the 3 commandments above. 1) To Love God first above all. God wanted Israel’s Fathers to give first place in their hearts to Him. Why? Because He knew man, and how quickly he would forget Him if he didn’t. You see, if leadership forgets to put God 1st, so will the family and those who follow; therefore, God commanded them to make God the Lord of their heart, soul, and mind. 2) To Know the Word of God. How can a father teach the Word of God if he knows not the Word himself? How sad it is when the leaders of our homes do not study or know for themselves what they are commanded to live and teach. Therefore, God expects all fathers to study the Word so that the Word will direct the home and not this world. 3) To Teach the Word to his family. Fathers are not to push off on mom, or the Church that which God commanded him to do. Family devotions, biblical discipline, admonition, and education are all a part of his responsibilities. For God will first hold the head of the home responsible for not doing that which He has commanded. Oh, that all men would take heed to the above commandments, so that fathers would reflect God!
( Gen 41:41-43) “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt... A nd he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” When Joseph was introduced to us in chp.37, he was a young inexperienced 17 year old boy, and yet 13 years later God raised him up to rule the nation of Egypt. So, what made him different ? The Answer : “ Time,” and his faith in God ! You see time is a wonderful teacher; 1) Time strengthens endurance . Endurance and faith can only be strengthened over time. Like exercise, we start out not able to do much but over time we find that we can do more. You see, God allows us to go through the ups and downs of life, to help us gain not only spiritual maturity, but also spiritual abilities. Spiritual endurance therefore enables us to handle life’s trials better. 2) Time strengthens patience . Although Joseph, ...
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