August 26, 1992
Warning to Fathers
“And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.
And he went from year to year
IN CIRCUIT TO BETHEL,
and GILGAL, and MIZPAH, and JUDGED ISRAEL IN ALL THOSE PLACES.
“And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made
his sons judges over Israel….and his sons walked not in His ways…”
Lord, here is a godly man; one who is a servant and a laborer of Yours. But, as a father, a trainer of children, he failed. It appears to me, that he was just too busy. Even if his heart was right, his desire was right, and the things he knew to do were right, if, he did not give himself the TIME to keep his feet from hastening all the time (Pro19:2), then he would miss the precious moments that are so fleeting. For example, the time to slow down and go for a walk with one child- to talk heart to heart, or the time to stop and comfort a little one who is crushed by an event that we, especially if we are hastening, would think is unimportant- such as a little frog that the child had just found that day had died.
Help me, oh God, right now, to evaluate my life in light of Samuel’s failure.
Rom 15:4- was it not written for my LEARNING?
1 Cor 10:11 -was it not written for my admonition?
Help me, Lord, out write out a daily and weekly routine making sure that the most
excellent things are taken care of FIRST.