“O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”
Psalms 107:1–2 KJV
God promises us that He will pour out His Spirit on our descendants and blessings on our offspring (see Isaiah 44:3). Do you really believe Him? I do. Because I believe Him, I watch for the manifestation of these blessings. “Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1 BSB). Faith is the proof, the possibility, the confidence and the trust that I charge ahead with. I run with outstretched arms expecting those promises.
The problem we have is that we pray with no expectation. I know that God has already done what He promised He will do for us on Calvary’s Cross so in my prayers I thank God for His blessing on my children. I thank Him for giving them a new heart and for teaching them as well (see Ezekiel 36:26 and John 14:26). Yes, I thank Him for going before them as He promised me (see Isaiah 45:2). I have seen so many of these promises fulfilled in my life, how can I not believe in them. I depend on Him. It is for His glory that I take God at His Word. The Lord will not put me to shame.
I notice the work that God is doing in my children’s life and am confident He will finish what He started, because He said so. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1: 6 NASB®).
Why are we so fearful for our children? “Say to those with anxious hearts: ‘Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution, He will come to save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped” (Isaiah 35:4–5 BSB). Promises like these in Isaiah continue to keep me strong and firm in my walk with God. They help me through life’s journey. They help me run and not faint especially in my parental role.
When my 14-year-old daughter was attending the Journalism School in New York City, she was six feet tall, 120 pounds, tall and slender. One day I received a call from my daughter’s school, saying, "Your daughter was in a fight and we are suspending her. Please come and get her." I jumped up from my desk at work and got on the subway to the school to find out what really happened. As I got off the train, I received another call from the principal, saying, "Go straight to the police precinct, your child has been arrested. The other girl's parents pressed charges. Because the girl’s face is badly damaged, it was determined your child was the aggressor."
The restaurant owner volunteered to write a letter that explained that my daughter and her friend had come there for breakfast and that he had never seen the other young girl before. If the owner had not been there to intervene, who knows what would have happened. I realized in rearing my children, that the God I know truly knows what is ahead of us. If we keep looking up and depend on Him, He will come through in ways we cannot imagine.
When I received the news that my 14-year-old was arrested, my imagination started to run wild. Not being there to reassure her that everything will be alright, I started to imagine how frightened she must be. I could actually see this six-foot young lady’s hands handcuffed behind her back and the police hands holding the top of her head down to protect it from hitting the door. You know the way they do that to criminals. Then suddenly my mind went from rehearsing the worst to the good this experience would be for her in the future. Yes, I found myself thanking God for His goodness and His mercy in my daughter’s life, as I walked the five blocks to the precinct. I did not stop thanking Him until I got there.
Entering the precinct, I looked to my right and there she was in a cage. Yes, my daughter was in a cage. Instantly, my heart melted in pain. To my right was the sergeant at the booth. As I proceeded over to him, there appeared a man from out of nowhere, as if he was an angel sent by God. "What can I do for you, you look worried?" I pointed to my right, saying, "That is my daughter over there in that cage. How long will she be in there?" The sergeant answered, “Until she is arraigned by a judge. There is no judge until tomorrow." Then he went over, got her out of the cage, and took us into a secluded area. "What happened?" he asked. She told him. He said, "I interrogate hundreds of people daily, and I can tell you your daughter is telling the truth. Mother, take your child home." He explained in detail what I needed to do. I received a call a couple of days later that the charges had been dropped.
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God" (Psalm 42:11 KJV).
Call to Action
God truly works everything out for the good of those that love the Lord. Take God at His word, claim His promises, trust Him with each and every moment of your day. Thank the Lord for fulfilling His promises. Then watch expectantly for His mercy endures forever.
