Good morning all. Son of a gun if this wasn't on my mind when I got up this morning. Have a safe and blessed day.

My Favorite Things: Loving Your Family

December 3, 2022 - Dr. David Jeremiah

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it…. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.
Psalm 127: 1, 3

The biblical Hebrew language is filled with word plays (puns) which don’t appear in the English translation. For instance, the ones building the house in Psalm 127:1—Hebrew bonim—are tagged with the sons (or children) in verse 3, Hebrew banim. The way to build the family (bonim) is to ensure God’s blessing on the raising of children (banim).

So how do parents allow the Lord to build the family so that their efforts are not in vain? Following the precepts of the Lord is foundational, but there is more, displaying the character and attributes of God within the family—parents to children and spouses to one another. What is the character of the Lord? It is love (1 Corinthians 13:13; 1 John 4:8, 16). Parents and family members should continually look for ways to love one another—especially in surprising or unexpected ways: acts and words of kindness, help in moments of need, encouragement on hard days, small gifts as tokens of love.

Look for ways this week to surprise a family member with love. It’s how God builds the family.

No other structure can replace the family.
Charles Colson