Friday, January 04, 2008

Listen, My Sons

I'm doing daily Bible reading this month with our church's Bible Reading Group, which is reading Proverbs this month. Each day we read the chapter that corresponds to the calendar date. Today we read Proverbs 4, which begins…

Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.

It's hard to describe why these verses (and many other proverbs like them) ring in my heart. It's mostly that I'm so interested in passing instruction to my own sons. I don't care if they grow up to to have a certain job or reach certain achievements in this world, but I'm desperately concerned that are wise and honest men of faith. I care that they have a deep understanding of justice and truth and mercy and love.

If I can teach this, then I've been a successful minister and father.

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