God is at work

Last Updated on November 14, 2023

This past week I spent a few days taking care of two of my grandsons, ages five and three, so their parents could get away alone for a much needed rest. It’s so good to be with our grandkids without their parents. We get their total attention. And of course they behave better when it’s just us!

I also learn a lot when I’m on their territory.

I fit into their schedule. I observe their likes and dislikes and I understand what their life is like on a normal, regular day. I also have the opportunity to notice how God has uniquely packaged each child — their different personalities — and this enables me to know how to pray for them more specifically.

One of the main things I’ve always prayed for my children and grandchildren is that they would fall in love with the Word of God. If they fall in love with His Word, study it and obey it, then they will have the ultimate authority for living.

They’ll know where to turn for comfort, for guidance, for wisdom — for all those things they will need in the future. They won’t always have their parents or grandparents, but they will always have their Heavenly Father who loves them even more than we do.

Much of the time we don’t see immediate answers to our prayers for our children or grandchildren. Often we grow weary and wonder if our prayers actually make any difference at all. Occasionally we get lazy in our prayer life.

Tobin, my five-year-old grandson, has a Bible which he carried around all weekend. He slept with it. He insisted I read it to him every day in the morning and at night. He wouldn’t let me carry it with my stuff when we went out. He wanted to carry it!

He told me exactly where to read — He wanted Matthew straight through one chapter at a time. And he knew it if I skipped over any, which I was very tempted to do because it was a traditional translation, not a child’s Bible-story book. I have no idea if he understood any of it.

But one thing I know… this little boy is falling in love with the Word of God. Oh I’m sure this is a phase and the Bible will land on a shelf again. But it is a good phase. His hunger needs to be applauded.

Why this particular Bible and this unusual interest?

His cousin Will who is four years older gave it to Him. Even though it’s beyond his level, it does have pictures and testimonies of pro athletes scattered throughout the text. Will has one just like it. He showed his to Tobin. Anything Will has or does Tobin wants to copy. So Will gave him a Bible just like his.

Now lest you think my grandkids are perfect, they are not. They still get spanked, sent to time out, fight, kick, and on occasion even bite. They are normal kids.

However, I have been reminded of two things.

First, God is answering our prayers. Watching Tobin, I’m reminded to pray even more faithfully for my kids and grandkids to fall in love with God’s word.

Second, I was reminded of the power that older cousins have over younger ones. I need to tell Will, who is nine, about the impact he has had on his younger cousin, to tell him how proud I am of him, and to encourage him to continue. This week, these two young boys have reminded me that God is at work — all the time.

“The word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” – Psalm 119:105

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