DAILY DEVOTIONAL, SEPTEMBER 3
Latest Craze
These days it’s hip to hate God. Unfortunately, the fashion industry is cashing in on this anti-Christian cultural trend. One particular brand of jeans is popular because of its satanic logo. The emblem’s creator admits that it is “an active statement against Christianity.”
While many people think this movement is the latest craze, out-and-out rebellion against God is nothing new. When the Israelites turned away from Him, God said, “The children I raised . . . have rebelled against Me” (Isaiah 1:2). If this statement captures the relationships in your home, check out God’s response to His wayward kids. God said, “My people don’t recognize My care for them” (v.3). Just like Israel, our rebellious children don’t always see our love for them. They tend to reject it in exchange for the acceptance of their friends. It’s okay to remind our kids that we care about them, even if they don’t mirror our affection.
Loving them does not mean enabling them to go on with their insurgency. Rebellion invites punishment. Isaiah described rebels this way: heartsick, injured, helpless, covered in bruises, plundered, and burned (vv.5-7). Although it’s heartbreaking to watch, we can pray that our children’s discomfort will propel them back into harmony with God. Hurting people are often difficult people. That’s why we need to be reasonable, even when our kids are unreasonable. Israel’s mutiny made God angry, yet His levelheaded approach went like this: “Come now, let’s settle this” (v.18). Sometimes it’s hard to know what to say to children who are immersed in a culture that despises God. When we lovingly direct them onto the right path (Proverbs 22:6), they will see that faith in Jesus never goes out of style. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
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