Day 8: Fathers, Turn Your Hearts to Your Children

Scripture Union USA is providing a free online Bible reading guide for Advent called Journey to Bethlehem. Come join me on this Journey and let us prepare for the celebration of Christmas together.

Day 8 of the Journey to Bethlehem is titled Preceded by John.

Read Luke 1:5-17 | (ESV)

And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."(Luke 1:17)

"Turn the hearts of the fathers to the children". These words are resonating with my soul this morning. It does NOT say "turn the hearts of the children to their fathers."

Wow! This got me thinking.

This suggests to me this morning a certain kind of sensitivity and gentleness to our children as we point to Christ as the Savior. As a man, as a father, my natural reaction is to persuade, or even force, my kids into a relationship with Jesus. But I need to turn my heart to my children so they will turn their hearts to the one true and loving Father.

As a father my prayer is that I would turn my heart to the children in my life, my kids, and others around me, and lead them through my words and my actions, to a place where they can humbly stand before their Creator ready and willing to begin a personal relationship with Jesus.

P.S. Here is a link to the previous days of my Journey to Bethlehem.