And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (emphasis added)
GOD'S LIVING AND ACTIVE WORD
With the turn of every page in these earliest chapters of your daughter's life story, you can trust that God continues to cover you with His grace as you raise her to be a godly girl, secure in her identity, which is found and formed in Christ.
With your gentle and guiding hand upon her life from the start, you'll watch your princess grow and change before your very eyes - sometimes noticeably overnight! - and you can trust that God will provide you with what you need to be fully sufficient for this most important task.
And what you'll need, first and foremost, is His Word - God's living and active Word (Hebrews 4:12).
Do you dream of how your daughter's life story will be lived out? If so, do you envision that it could be one lived in the Word? And what does "life in the Word" even mean? It refers to more than intentional time spent reading and studying the Bible; it's also about life lived by it (although time spent regularly reading God's Word is foundational and a large portion of what I address [in this chapter]).
Every moment of every day, by God's grace, you can treasure His Word in your heart and teach it to your children by your words and example. That intentionality begins at home in your palace, under your royal roof, of course (as we read in Deuteronomy 6:7: "when you sit in your house...")...
Life in the Word is a life of dependence upon God. And that flies in the face of modern-day culture, which attempts to train us and our children to be self-made people, kings and queens of our own destiny.
I recently read a Facebook post that told me I should not wait for a prince to ride in on his white horse to rescue me from my struggles or my sins because I can be my own savior-of-sorts. The words turned my stomach. Each of us is in desperate need of a Savior, and we certainly won't find it within ourselves or from some guy riding a horse.
The truth is, there is only One who can save us: Christ Jesus, our Prince of Peace, is our Rescuer. Our Savior. And this truth is at the center of God's Word of life. That's why life in the Word is critical.
The Word reminds us, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).
While the world may tell your daughter that she doesn't need the Bible and attempt to lure her into believing the Bible is outdated or irrelevant or merely the words of man, you know better. And you're teaching her the truth as you sit together in your house, reverently talking about Jesus and guiding her into the Bible over and over.
Show her by your life that you are dependent upon God for everything. Then trust Him to work in her heart and yours, as He transforms you both through His Word, the very means by which you may discern His "good and acceptable and perfect" will!
From Raising Godly Girls by Deb Burma © 2015 CPH. Reprinted with permission.
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