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Children the Objects of God’s Special Care, July 27
I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save
thy children.
Isaiah 49:25
.
The vows of David recorded in
Psalm 101
should be the vows of
all upon whom rest the responsibilities of guarding the influences of the
home. David declared: “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.... I
will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing
before mine eyes” (
Psalm 101:2, 3
).
The enemy of souls will invent many things to lead the minds of our
youth from firm faith in God to the idolatrous practices of the world. Let
the cautions given to ancient Israel be carefully studied. Satan’s efforts to
spoil the thoughts and confuse the judgment are unceasing, and we must
be on our guard. We must be careful to maintain our allegiance to God as
His peculiar people....
We should endeavor to keep out of our homes every influence that
is not productive of good. In this matter some parents have much to
learn. To those who feel free to read story magazines and novels, I say:
You are sowing seed, the harvest of which you will not care to gather.
There is no spiritual strength to be gained from such reading. Rather it
destroys the love for the pure truth of the Word. Through the agency of
novels and story magazines Satan is working to fill with unreal and trivial
thoughts the minds that should be diligently studying the Word of God.
Thus he is robbing thousands upon thousands of the time and energy and
self-discipline demanded by the stern problems of life.
Let the youth be taught to give close study to the Word of God. Re-
ceived into the soul, it will prove a mighty barricade against temptations.
“Thy word,” the psalmist declares, “have I hid in mine heart, that I might
not sin against thee.” “By the word of thy lips I have kept me from the
paths of the destroyer” (
Psalm 119:11
;
17:4
).
If the counsels of the Word of God are faithfully followed, the saving
grace of Christ will be brought to our youth; for the children who are
trained to love and obey God, and who yield themselves to the molding
power of His Word, are the objects of God’s special care and blessing.
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