The Children for Christ by Andrew Murray

and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when
thou risest up.’ Such a wholehearted love and such a loving piety! Ah,
how would it receive wisdom from on high, and be guided by Divine
love to know when and how to speak: how it would influence children’s
hearts with the flame of its own zeal, and find a willing and a loving ear
when others could only weary! And how surely it would.
Sixteenth Day - A Consecrated Home.
'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'—Joshua. 24:15.
IN God's dealings with Noah and Abraham, with Israel in the Passover
and at Mount Sinai, we have repeatedly noticed the deep meaning of
the united mention of father and children in His commands and
promises. 'Thou and thy house,' 'thou and thy seed,' 'ye and your
children,' 'thou and thy son.' Such is ever the language of the Covenant
God. In the words of Joshua we have the response from earth, 'as for me
and my house.' The principle of the Divine dealing is accepted; the
parent boldly vouches for his family as well as himself; the covenant
engagement of the Father in heaven is met by the covenant obligation
of the father on earth. Joshua is to us here the very model of a godly
parent, and in him we can see what parental religion ought to be.
Let it be a personal religion. 'As for me and my house': he began with
himself. We cannot too strongly press the truth that for a godly
education the first and the most essential requisite is personal
consecration. It is good to reflect on our responsibility, to study our
duties and the best way of fulfilling them, to speak with our children,
and to pray much for them,—but all these may be called accessories.
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