The Lord, My God, is With You

Long gone are the days when I tell my adult son what to do. Oh, he probably wouldn’t object–he’d just pat me on the shoulder and say, “Thanks, Mom” — and then do what he planned to do anyway, because he’s a quite wise adult who makes his own decisions. If he asks, I share my heart with him. But otherwise, I enjoy him, keep my advice to myself, and pray for him.

But far better than any advice a parent can give to a son or daughter is a life of godly example.  Take David’s life, as a case in point. Yes, David did some terrible things. But he had a heart for God, and that’s why God called him “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22).

You may remember that David longed to build a temple for God in Jerusalem.  But God said that job was for his son Solomon to do.  So David prepared the way by gathering the best materials he could find.

Near the end of his years, David said to Solomon: “Be strong and courageous, and do the work … for the Lord God, my God, is with you” (1 Chronicles 28:20).

Did you notice those words, “The Lord God, my God, is with you”? David knew that his God, the God who had helped him all his life, could be depended on.

I may prepare the way for my child’s future by giving him the best materials to build a life that I can—a loving home, nutrition, moral values, education. But the best resource for him is God Himself, who will never fail him. When all else in life crashes, he will still have God.

Parents, let’s have a relationship with God so fervent that at the end of our years we can say to our sons and daughters, “My God will be with you.”