Your Child: A Blessing From God, Not A Burden

Your Child: A Blessing from the Lord, Not a Burden

Study Text: Psalm 127:3-5

Introduction:

- Children are precious gift from above, they are one of life's wonderful and highly desired blessings.

- How wonderful children and teens are. They fill our lives with gladness and our world with fun and happiness.

- The psalmist tells us that "Children are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him."

- Children are a "heritage." The term heritage is a translation of the Hebrew word that means "property, possession, that which is shared or assigned."

- Children are the Lord's possessions, the Lord's property. And, He assigns them to or shares them with parents.

- Children are also a "reward." The term reward conveys the idea of appreciation, of pleasure, of joy. Children are never to be viewed as a sign of God's displeasure, as His punishment for sin.

- To the contrary, the fruit of the womb is the trophy of God's love, His choice reward. Wise parents and grandparents take pleasure in children.

- Children bring joy into our lives. A world without children would be an impoverished world. Their curiosity, their laughter, their excitement, their unique way of viewing things adds to the fullness of life.

- Children are a heritage, a reward. And yet, they can be a tremendous challenge and a test of one's patience too. Yet, we have to say and affirm the words of the psalmist that "Children are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him" (Ps 127:3).

- We shall discuss the topic under three subheadings:

1. The Reward of Children

2. The Responsibility to Children

3. The Responsibility from Children

1. The Reward of Children

- The idea being presented here is that God gives children as a reward for righteousness. What about those who are unable to bear children? Is God punishing them for unrighteousness?

- If God just send children as a reward for righteousness, there would be far fewer children in this world, because only very few people are living according to the will of God.

- In fact, some children come as a result of sinful practices and a life of disobedience to the word of God. Not that sin should be encouraged, but to buttress the fact that children are not reward for righteousness.

- But, we cannot overlook the idea inherent in this verse – children are a blessing. Children bring joy, satisfaction, and hope that can come no other way. Children are not a burden, a problem, but they are a blessing from God.

- Children are a reward from God. It is a blessing given to mankind in general so that we, as a human race, can fill the earth and subdue it.

- Children are a reward from God. But the inability to have children today is not to be seen as a sign of God's displeasure.

- From God's point-of-view there is no such thing as an "accidental birth" or a "surprise pregnancy" or an "unwanted child." Each one belongs to Him and is assigned by Him to parents.

- Wise parents acknowledge that their children – each one of them – belongs to God and is a personal gift from Him and they acknowledged that each child is "assigned" to them by God.

- Wise parents acknowledged that each child is a "heritage from the Lord'', and they thank and praise God for each of their children always.

- In a society such as ours where it is so easy to have an abortion, we have to keep reminding ourselves and each other that children are a heritage, they are a reward.

- They belong to God, and are entrusted to us, and are a sign of His blessing. For this reason, we should know that we must not kill unborn human life.

- Those who kill the unborn never admit that children are a trust from God assigned to parents. They don't view children as a sign of blessing upon mankind.

- Apart from the fact that those who involve themselves in such evil act before the Lord, may suffer some troubles in this world, even loss of their lives in death, we should be aware that the wrath of God awaited the evil doers on the day of judgement, unless there is genuine repentance.

2. The Responsibility to Children

- Children are a heritage, a reward. They are God's gifts and blessings entrusted to parents. As a result, this come with a lot of responsibilities from the parents to the children.

- Some day those who are parents must answer to God for what they have done with this gift. What does God require of parents?

1. God surely expects parents to train their children in righteousness.