LESSONS IN VIRTUE: RECOGNISING THE DISTINCTION IN YOUR CHILD

PHANEROO~DEVOTION

17th January 2018

Apostle Grace Lubega

1 Samuel 16:10-11 (KJV), Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

It is a powerful thing for a parent to discern the spiritual gift in their child.

The nation of Israel was split into two because of this: a father did not recognise what was in the son. From our theme scripture, when Samuel came into Jesse’s house to anoint the king, Jesse lined up all his other sons and forgot David because he did not know what was upon this child’s life.

As David looked after sheep, he killed lions and bears but Jesse never knew that this kind of spirit was in his son’s life. The first time David gave this testimony was before Saul; he never told Jesse anything (1 Samuel 17:34-36). Eventually, David ended up in the care of Saul, who did not love him for who he was but because David could win battles for him. In fact, David’s success proved to be a threat to Saul who was supposed to represent the other father figure in David’s life (1 Samuel 19).

By the time David becomes king he did not know how to be a father: Amnon raped Tamar and he did not know what to do (2 Samuel 13:1-21); when Absolom killed Amnon, he still didn't know what to do (1 Samuel 13:23-39). He had promised Bathsheba that Solomon would be king but when the appointed time came, he later forgot all about Solomon and did not rebuke Adonijah his son when he tried to take the throne (1 Kings 1:1-11).

Solomon eventually became king but there were critical things he never learned from his father: how to lead, how to exercise authority, how to run a government or how to relate with God and men. Solomon in turn never knew how to raise his son Rehoboam. It was Rehoboam who rejected the counsel of the elderly and declared, “whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” (1 Kings 12:11).

Rehoboam split Israel (1 Kings 12:16-19). But it all started with a father, Jesse, who could not see the distinctive mark in his son. Parenthood requires that you look at your child and see the anointing at work in his or her life. Compliment them and tell them, “you are a prophetess, I see something in you.”

Lay hands on them and speak great things like, “I believe in you.” That is parenthood!

FURTHER STUDY: Proverbs 22:6, 1 Corinthians 4:15

GOLDEN NUGGET: Parenthood requires that you look at your child and see the anointing at work in his or her life. Compliment them and tell them, “you are a prophetess, I see something in you.” Lay hands on them and speak great things like, “I believe in you.” That is parenthood!

PRAYER: Father, I thank you for this teaching on parenting: I know how to recognise distinction in my children and to nurture and grow it. I train them in the way they should go and they will never depart from it. My children are for signs and wonders; they are a pattern to many because I raise them in the way of the Lord. Amen.

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