Perseverance; July 23, 2023

Posted on July 24, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 8:15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

One word in this very familiar story jumps out at me right now: persevering. That’s actually an essential life skill, but it’s certainly not popular. We like everything to be instant, from fast food to cell phone communication. The level of convenience that has come with technological advances has spoiled us, and we are the poorer for it. On the eternal scale our time on earth is certainly brief, but it can seem very long when we are slogging through it. God has a purpose in everything, and He knows that we need time to mature. He doesn’t want a heaven full of spoiled brats! I find myself repeatedly saying that God doesn’t pick on us, because as true as it is, from our perspective it doesn’t always seem that way. We have a lot of lessons to learn to become the mature children that God desires, and sometimes we can be slow to learn! Persevering is essential if we are to receive that ultimate accolade, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Perseverance is perhaps one of my few good points. We’ve been in Omura for almost 42 years, and we haven’t given up. As I tell people, I don’t know if I’m faithful, stubborn, or just too lazy to pack up and start over somewhere else. Japan is notorious for being a difficult field of evangelism. Patches of good soil, to go with this parable, seem few and far between. However, that’s no excuse, when God has expressly sent me here to the land of my birth. God has given me an enormous store of seed, having been steeped in the Bible from my birth, and I’m to be faithful to keep scattering it however, whenever, and wherever the Lord gives opportunity, praying and trusting Him for the harvest in His right time, for His glory.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for those who are indeed producing a good crop, however few they might seem. Thank You for the fruit You have given me. Thank You for pointing out to me this morning that some of it is in ways I hadn’t been thinking about. I pray that I would be fruitful indeed, for as long as You keep me here, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Forgiveness of Sin; July 22, 2023

Posted on July 24, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 7:50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Jesus was famous for telling people their faith had brought them physical healing, but here He expressly says that faith has brought forgiveness. In the case of the paralytic lowered to Him through a hole in the roof, He said that the man’s friends’ faith had brought him forgiveness. I’m preaching tomorrow on The Results of Faith, but the greatest result has got to be eternal salvation. We tend to focus on the temporal, on miracles of healing or provision or the like, when all of those things are only temporary. We even tend to define “being saved” that way: saved from this, that, or the other temporal disaster. We forget that our sins have destined us for eternal disaster, and the only salvation from that is repentance and faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. This particular story of Jesus invites the misinterpretation that Paul dealt with in Romans. Since the devil can’t deny the truth of what Jesus said about much forgiveness producing much love, he tells us that we should sin much so that we can be forgiven much and so love much. As Paul said, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2) The secret to salvation isn’t sinning so we can be forgiven, it’s realizing we’ve already sinned, and thus need to be forgiven. The secret to loving God intensely and personally lies in honestly recognizing the countless ways we have sinned against God, and believing that “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7) The magnificence of God’s forgiveness isn’t something we can earn, but is rather to be received in overwhelming gratitude, as this woman experienced.

If I were to try to make a list of all the things for which I’ve been forgiven, not only would I be here all day and longer, there’s no way I could remember them all. One of the many glorious things about God’s forgiveness is that when something is forgiven, it’s gone, period. It’s possible we will have to live with some of the consequences for a while, but the sin itself is gone. Over 20 years ago when I was dealing with a particular “besetting sin” I was liberated by something Peter said. “If you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:8-9) The Lord showed me that if I dwell on past sins, that makes me all the more likely to commit them again. I’ve got to remember that when I’m forgiven, my slate is as clean as if I’d never sinned in the first place. I’m never to make excuses for sin, but rather be quick to recognize it, ask for and receive God’s forgiveness, and love Him all the more for it.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Tomorrow’s message on the results of faith seems impossibly huge. Help me speak only what people are ready to hear and receive, and not dull their hearts with an overflow of words. May we all be sensitive to Your Spirit and allow You to touch, cleanse, and heal us as we need, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Faith for All; July 21, 2023

Posted on July 22, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 7:9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.”

When Matthew recorded this incident in chapter 8 he was simply relying on his own recollections. Luke, on the other hand, had not been present at the time and was a very conscientious, diligent researcher, and he probably interviewed multiple people to get his account. Luke, as a Gentile himself, was impressed with the centurion’s humility in sending others to speak to Jesus rather than going himself. That makes Jesus’ statement here all the more striking, because Jesus praised the faith of the Gentile centurion, specifically in contrast to the faith He had encountered among the Jews. It is perhaps natural that Luke would note this, but it’s also important that Jesus was clearly fulfilling what the Lord had said through Isaiah: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6) That’s the passage Paul and Barnabas quoted when resisting the Jews who were jealous of their preaching to Gentiles in Antioch. (Acts 13:46-48) Saving faith is not limited to those with a genetic connection to Abraham! At the same time, we must remember that it is certainly not excluded from physical descendants of Abraham. After all, Jesus, His 12 disciples, and indeed the whole earliest Church were as Jewish as could be. Ephesians 2:8-9 applies to absolutely everyone, with no favoritism.

I realized even as a young child that some people seemed to make distinctions on the basis of race or nationality, and I found it strange. Of course I don’t remember it directly, but around the time I was born a speaker came to Fukuoka from America, and my father had the job of interpreting for him. It turned out the man was horribly racist, putting Japan down in countless ways that my father wanted no part of. God gave him wisdom and he interpreted accurately, but ended every statement with “so he says,” making it very clear he didn’t agree. The Japanese congregation understood what was going on and loved my father all the more for it. Of course, I too am a Gentile, but I have always taken pride in having been born the same year as the current nation of Israel, and for reasons known only to God, we were adopted into the Messianic fellowship in seminary, associating with Jews who had discovered Jesus. Right now I am a Gentile ministering to other Gentiles in Japan, with a profound awareness that every human being is equally loved by God, and they need to repent of having ignored or rejected Him and believe that Jesus died for their sins and rose from the dead to give them a living hope. As someone who has received that grace myself, how can I do less?

Father thank You for this reminder. Help me be increasingly effective in communicating the good news of Your grace and love to all who will receive it, whatever their designations or descriptions, so that Your house may be full, (Luke 14:23) for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Blessings of Faith; July 20, 2023

Posted on July 21, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 1:45 “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”

Being so familiar with this passage, the Lord indicated which verse I would be writing on before I ever read it! This is a beautiful counterpoint to yesterday’s passage, where Zechariah had to endure the consequences of his failure to believe what Gabriel had told him. Mary, in contrast, believed fully that what Gabriel had told her would happen even as he had said. The Japanese translation here makes Elizabeth’s words as emphatic as possible, with terms like “believed completely” and “positively fulfilled.” Mary’s faith was indeed remarkable, and she was rewarded for it. She certainly had great heartache, as Simeon later warned her, (Luke 2:35) seeing her oldest child scourged and crucified, but in balance, she had the greatest privilege ever granted a woman, of carrying and bearing the Son of God. She was also in the group in the upper room when the Holy Spirit was poured out, (Acts 1:14, 2:1) so she didn’t miss out on that, either. All in all, she was rewarded handsomely for her faith. Today, Catholic veneration of Mary sometimes crosses over into idolatry I think, which certainly doesn’t please her to whatever degree she is aware of it, but Elizabeth’s words to her at this juncture were accurate indeed.

This is brought to life in my awareness at this point because one of my spiritual children and his wife had their first child just a week ago, and I talked with them both last night by phone. Birth always includes a touch of the miraculous. That said, the point in this verse is the reward for faith. This can get complicated to talk about, because faith itself is a gift, (Ephesians 2:8-9) but we still have to choose to accept it and exercise it. Mary made that choice definitively in Luke 1:38, and she and all mankind have been immeasurably blessed in consequence. I too have been given faith, but I too must choose to let it indwell me fully and put it to work. I have daily, sometimes almost constant, challenges to my faith. I’m not to rebel at or resent those challenges, but rather rejoice that God’s grace is sufficient for me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am to remember that life in this body will always have challenges, (John 16:33) but rejoice that I can get through them all because of Christ in me. (Philippians 4:13)

Father, thank You for yesterday and all it held. Thank You for the blessed time of fellowship with one of the members here, getting to know him better and building up the Body of Christ. The week ahead has fairly major things every day on my schedule. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You through it all, doing Your will on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Consequences of Unbelief; July 19, 2023

Posted on July 20, 2023 by jgarrott

Luke 1:20 “And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”

The power of habit and expectation is remarkable. It always feels strange to read part of “the Christmas Story” other than at the end of the year, even though Jesus was probably not born in December and all these things took months to transpire ahead of His birth anyway. The interesting thing about that is that this particular passage is about that very issue. What Gabriel told Zechariah was so far out of his usual categories that he couldn’t accept it. That’s very similar to being unable to hear what the Lord is saying through “the Christmas Story” in July, simply because it’s July. As this verse says, there are consequences to that sort of thing. In this particular instance, God used Zechariah’s muteness as a powerful testimony to him, his wife Elizabeth, and all around them, particularly at the time of John’s birth. God wasn’t being mean to him, but He wanted him to learn to accept what he was being told. In this case, the consequences of unbelief were nine months of silence, but they can run a wide gamut. We can miss various blessings by failing to believe, but the extreme example is those who miss eternal salvation by failing to believe. Jesus said very clearly, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:18) Eternal, unending destruction is the ultimate consequence of unbelief. We love John 3:16, but few people want to read on through verse 21. There are many who claim God is being “unfair” in this, but as Paul pointed out, “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:18-20) There is no excuse not to believe in a Creator at the very least. If we have that firmly in place, then the Gospel is good news indeed, and is easy to receive with joy. It is those who don’t want to acknowledge their Creator because of the accountability that entails who have the most trouble hearing and believing the Word of Christ.

I have had the part about God the Father and His Son Jesus “under my belt” for a long time, but it wasn’t until later that I understood and believed about Holy Spirit. I have no issues with those “biggest ticket” items at this point, but I still have trouble with assorted little things. I’ll still be growing in faith until (to quote It Is Well With My Soul) my faith becomes sight. I look forward to that day and have no fear of it, but until then I’m to keep growing! I don’t want to miss any of the countless blessings God has planned for me by failing to believe Him and obey. That last line is important, because as James pointed out, real faith works. (James 2:17) I want to live out my faith in every detail, for the glory of the One in whom I believe.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Little things like physical issues can and do test our faith. Help me rest, relax, and rejoice in You, just as You have told me to do, so that Your will may be done on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Working With Jesus; July 18, 2023

Posted on July 19, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.

The ending of the Gospel of Mark has various problems. It is universally agreed that the book as a whole is Peter’s recollections, recorded by Mark, but it would appear that he stopped very abruptly at 16:8, which leaves us without any encounters with Jesus Himself after His resurrection, but just the angel telling the women that Jesus had risen. It just occurred to me that it could be that Peter’s personal encounter with Jesus at this point was just too intense and personal for him to talk about. (1 Corinthians 15:5) However, that was just too abrupt for some early copyist, and verses 9-20 were added. That said, with the sole exception of drinking poison, (verse 18) everything mentioned is either in other Gospels or in Acts. Sadly, some groups have used the things mentioned to “prove” their faith, which is a direct violation of God’s command, as even Jesus quoted to the devil. (Luke 4:12) That most famously includes the “snake handlers” of eastern Kentucky, but it also includes some Pentecostal groups who hold that you aren’t really saved if you don’t have the gift of tongues. (verse 17) This is just another kind of legalism, which delights only the devil. All of that said, I believe this verse 20 is anointed by God and worth having all the other difficulties. I love that it says, “The Lord worked with them.” We aren’t on our own! Just as He said in the Great Commission, (Matthew 28:18-20) Jesus is with us always, to the end of the age. Paul, though he encountered Jesus only after the resurrection in non-physical ways, was very aware of this, and mentioned it in several of his letters. And since Jesus is as much alive today as He was when He told Thomas to touch him, (John 20:24-31) He is just as available to work with us as He was with Peter and John at the Beautiful Gate. (Acts 3) We have a real danger of reading the Bible and thinking, “That was back then.” This addendum to Mark was written perhaps a hundred or more years after the resurrection, but God was still confirming His Word through believers, and He does it even today.

When I was first introduced to the Charismatic Movement back in the ‘70s I heard this part of Mark quoted a lot. Coming from a line of Bible scholars, that bothered me a lot! There were plenty of other more direct sources that could have been quoted, but some people just seemed to like this part. That doesn’t mean that the things mentioned here are invalid. I’ve never knowingly drunk poison, but when I was a child I had a pet yama kagashi snake, which I have learned only in recent years is actually poisonous! (I thought mamushi were the only poisonous snakes in Japan, as did my parents, so we treated it like a garter snake.) It never bit me, and actually liked to be inside my shirt while I did my homework, enjoying my body warmth. That had nothing to do with faith! I have experienced supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit and seen people healed when I laid hands on them and prayed. I have experienced that Jesus does indeed work with us and confirm His Word, and I want to see that more and more, so that more and more people may repent and believe for their own salvation.

Father, Thank You for this reminder. Thank You that You don’t leave us as orphans. (John 14:18) May I so live that Holy Spirit always feels welcome, working fully in and through me for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Timing; July 17, 2023

Posted on July 18, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

This is a very famous verse, and in my experience one of the most quoted from the whole Gospel of Mark. I do like it very much, but I think the context is extremely important. The story of Jesus cursing the fig tree (the incident that precipitated this statement) is told in Matthew, as we read on July 5th. However, Matthew’s telling gives the impression the tree withered while they watched, whereas Mark gives the important detail that it wasn’t until the next day that they saw it had withered. That brings up the extremely important subject of timing. We are in the flow of time and experience it on a linear scale, but God is outside of time and is aware of everything at once. That’s why he told Moses His name was I AM. (Exodus 3:14) That fact needs to be in our awareness anytime we read the Bible. Peter nailed it when he wrote, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9) I touched on this on the 5th, because it’s absolutely inescapable when talking about God’s promises. However, it also applies to our own perception of ourselves. Paul dealt with the issue constantly, writing things like, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) In the very next chapter he talks about his own struggles with sin, but it is with the awareness that it’s all a matter of perspective. After all, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) We might not be experiencing that as reality at the moment, but from God’s perspective it’s already accomplished. That’s why it’s important that Jesus said, “believe that you have received it.” We need to surrender our time perception to Him, to walk in all that He has already done for us.


This is an issue I deal with constantly, as actually every believer does, whether or not they are aware of it. God is absolutely faithful and true to His promises, but it doesn’t always look that way to my flesh. Physical/medical issues are a case in point. Right now I seem to be in the throes of a summer cold, which is no fun, but at the same time, “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) That’s all the more acute for my wife, who has Parkinson’s Disease and a number of other medical issues. We know that we aren’t to be presumptuous, and that “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) Various Biblical figures had medical issues, and when Paul asked for healing from one, he was bluntly told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) We are to rest in the assurance that in Christ everything is already accomplished, whatever our temporal perception might be, and rejoice in Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for the cold that is really putting a point on it. I ask for wisdom in cooperating with Your healing, and faith to indeed rest, relax, and rejoice in the process, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Doing the Impossible; July 16, 2023

Posted on July 17, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 10:27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

There are other passages that express this truth in one form or another, spoken by God to Jeremiah, (Jeremiah 32:27) and the angel Gabriel to Mary, (Luke 1:37) and here it is spoken by Jesus. You’d think we would get the message! However, we have a strong tendency to view everything in terms of what we can or could do. In a sense, we are remaking God in our image, instead of remembering that we are made in His. (Genesis 1:27) That can create all sorts of problems. Most basically, it really stunts our faith, because we know from a lifetime of experience that there are many things we can’t do. I think that’s why a childlike faith is so powerful. Little children are very aware of their own limitations, but they don’t know that their daddy is limited, and when that is appropriately transferred to Father God, it can be powerful indeed. The specific “impossibility” Jesus is speaking of here is salvation. In a sense it is the ultimate example, because we can’t even save ourselves, much less someone else. However, God has made it possible for anyone to be saved, if they will “repent and believe the good news,” as Jesus put it at the start of His ministry. (Mark 1:15) In this situation the disciples were amazed, because from their social framework and expectation, it was the wealthy who were able to “dot all the Is and cross all the Ts,” and they had a legalistic view of things. Jesus’ biggest fights were with the legalists! It’s also worth noting that it says Jesus loved the young man who triggered this discussion, (verse 21) but that didn’t keep Him from telling him something that essentially drove him away. Accurate, Godly love doesn’t draw back from the hard stuff, but always speak the truth no matter how unwelcome it might be. Jesus knew the miracle that needed to take place in that young man’s heart, and He also knew that it wasn’t too difficult a miracle for His Father. We aren’t to draw back from difficult situations or pretend they don’t exist, but we must remember that nothing is too difficult for our heavenly Father, to use the terminology He did with Jeremiah.

This is especially meaningful for me because the major purpose and goal of my life is the salvation of souls, and it seems to happen all too seldom around me. I could name any number of people with whom I’ve shared the Gospel who have made no overt move to accept it. “With man it is impossible, but nothing is impossible with God.” I’ve got to keep remembering that and never give up hope, speaking the truth in love and making the most of every opportunity I’m given, and leaving the results up to my Lord. His plans, His will, are good, and I am to walk in peace in that assurance.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all that You are doing in this church, in individuals and in our interaction as a whole. May we respond to You fully, exactly as You desire, so that we may be Your agents for Your name to be acknowledged as holy and Your rule and reign be established as Your will is done, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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Spiritual Growth; July 15, 2023

Posted on July 16, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 9:23-24 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

I keep coming back to this story because I can identify with this father so easily, as I think every Christian can. We say we believe and we’re not being hypocritical, but at the same time it can feel like we are, because our faith can feel very shallow at times. The thing is, God knows our frailty and He loves us anyway. He wants our faith to grow, which is a major reason He doesn’t answer every prayer immediately. Dealing with delayed gratification is a major hallmark of maturity. However, He doesn’t reject us just because our faith stumbles, any more than parents reject their small children for being less than mature. (We can be tempted to do that at times, but objective self-examination shows that we’re less than perfectly mature ourselves.) I have liked some t-shirts I’ve seen, with messages like, “Be patient. God’s not finished with me yet,” and simply, “Under construction.” We won’t be “complete” until we’re before God’s throne in heaven, and we need to be at peace with that. Paul’s famous statement to the Philippians is all the more impactful when you consider that He wrote half the New Testament. “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14) We don’t believe perfectly, or do anything perfectly, but like this father, we can ask God for help to continue to grow.

The longer I live, and presumably the more mature I get, the more I realize just how spiritually immature I am. I jump to conclusions, I take things for granted, I am judgmental, forgetting my own past failures. I am impatient and demanding, hurting people needlessly with my words. That said, I think it’s fair to say I’m a long way from where I once was. Sometimes, particularly when I’m disgusted with myself, I need to look back and see from where God has brought me. There is no shame in saying with this father, “I do believe. Help me do better.” I do need to remember that repentance is an essential part of this. I’m not to take my failures lightly, but I must remember that God is far bigger and stronger than any sin or failure of mine, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me completely. (1 John 1:7)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for Your overwhelming grace! Help me be an agent, a channel, of that grace to all around me, so that they may join me as Your growing children, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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Children; July 14, 2023

Posted on July 15, 2023 by jgarrott

Mark 6:3 “Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

We don’t often think about Jesus’ family when He was growing up. Four brothers are named here and there were multiple sisters, so there were at least seven children in the family and possibly more, depending on the number of girls. As the oldest of the brood, Jesus had plenty of training that would come in handy when dealing with His disciples! Family dynamics are a fascinating study, in turns encouraging, amusing, and tragic. How parents respond to their children, and vice versa, and how siblings respond to each other, has an enormous impact on how we turn out as human beings, and the level of peace, satisfaction, and joy we experience. Affluent societies tend toward fewer children, which can at times be really sad. Only children in particular lack a whole range of interactions that prepare us for life in general. There’s nothing like a house full of siblings to teach you that you aren’t the center of the universe! Numerous studies, not to mention personal observation, tell us that selfishness, being self-centered, never leads to true happiness. Certainly not all only children turn out that way, but they have a major handicap in that direction. An infant is naturally self-absorbed, as well as being curious about the world around them. Wise parents are careful to teach their children from the start to respect others and others’ belongings. If they fail to do so, the odds are high that the children will become selfish and demanding. That certainly isn’t a recipe for happiness! God knew what Jesus needed to prepare Him for ministry, so He gave Him a whole crew of younger brothers and sisters as a training ground. We need to be grateful for the families we have, and allow God to use them to train and grow us as we need, even when the friction level gets high. After all, as was noted all the way back in Proverbs, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

This is very timely for me, because one of my spiritual children and his wife just had their first child yesterday. I’ve been praying a lot for them! With over 40 years of school teaching behind me, I’ve seen a lot of young people, and some of them I could tell you a lot about their family without ever having been told it: siblings, financial level, and the like. My wife and I both grew up with three siblings each, but my father-in-law was one of seven, and my mother-in-law one of 11! We only have two daughters for medical reasons, much as my father only had one sister, likewise for medical reasons. I do a lot of pre-marital counseling as a condition for the weddings I perform, and I always bring this issue up. I don’t have all wisdom, certainly, but I try to steer them toward what I see as the Biblical pattern, since our heavenly Father desires genuine blessing and happiness for us.
After all, families are His idea!

Father, thank You for this reminder. I do pray for my spiritual son and his wife that they would raise their son, and any succeeding siblings, as You desire and intend, to know and love You and be the person You created him to be, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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