Feed my Sheep
A man was visiting a family with two young children. The children looked gaunt
and sickly - like they were starving. The man said to the children, "Oh my, you
look hungry."
The older child replied, "We are sir, so hungry."
"Here, let me give you some money to buy food."
"Oh, we don't need money, sir. We have plenty of money."
"Well, then why are you hungry?"
"My mom is just busy. She has to clean the house, and she has
school that she has to study for. And she has to go to the stores. And spend time with
her friends. Then she has to drive us to soccer practice. Daddy gets home
and needs her attention and sometimes we have company and we have to do our
school work. She needs time to herself, too...for crafts and blogging.
Mom just doesn't have time to feed us."
"What?! That's ridiculous! What about your father?"
"Oh, well, my father is busy. He works everyday and then when he comes home he watches a T.V. to relax. Plus, he goes to church almost every night of the week. He has Bible study and then the church soccer league. They practice and have games. You know, a lot of people come to him for counseling and that takes up his time. When he is not busy with all of that, he likes to play video games. So, we just don't get fed."
"What do you eat? Does no one feed you?"
"Sometimes my Church School teacher gives us food. But it is only a snack and doesn't really fill us up. I wish we could eat every day. Mom says that we will eat more when we get older and learn to feed ourselves."
Aghast, the man shook his head. He gave the children a little food. Oh, it made them so happy and they enjoyed the taste so much. They wanted more, but the man was only visiting. He left them and the children didn't know when, or if they would ever eat again.
Isn't that a horrible story? The possibility of anyone starving their children - especially when it is in the power of parents to feed their little ones is beyond us. Capable and Rich, these parents neglected the feeding of their children. The feeding of The Word.
It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matt 4:4
Aren't we doing the same thing when we neglect to feed our children's souls with God's Word? Our responsibility as parents is to TEACH our children God's Word.
I like that quote from C.S. Lewis: "You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:7-9)
The opportunity - the chance to do this is short.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)
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{This was a re-post I enjoyed from another blog. I hope you enjoy it too.}
