Faith, Family, Friends and Football, part 1 of 3
I like football because it reminds me so much of life, as life should be lived. The players are motivated to move forward no matter the cost. They are knocked down, pushed back, and injured but do their very best to get back in the game and reach their goal. The cheering crowd is always there too, doing what they can to encourage their team through all sorts of challenging weather. Neither team lets the opposition get them off track, no matter how grim the outlook.There are couples and families I know of personally who remind me of football. They are united, share the same goals, move forward no matter the cost, cheer each other on, live a life of service to others in their home and abroad, and score big for God’s glory!My goal is to have that kind of family. One that “presses toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) This goal became a very real challenge to me not too long ago while reading about a father in the Bible named Jonadab the son of Rechab. Jeremiah 35 tells us that his children had wine set in front of them and they were told to drink it. They refused stating that their father commanded them not to drink wine. Neither were they to build homes, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyards, nor have any all their lives. Later in this chapter we see that God uses them as an example of obedience before the disobedient children of Israel. Here was a family during a very dark period in Israel, who faithfully obeyed their father’s command, yet His own children chose to disobey Him. As a result, God promised the children of the Rechabites that they would have a man to stand before Him forever. After reading this passage I shared it with my husband. He was very interested in this story. He dug deeper, and discovered a gold mine. We learned that Jehonadab, the first son of Rechab, was an Arab of Palestine. He made friends with Israel and decided to follow their God with all his heart. He is mentioned in 2 Kings chapter 10:15 when Jehu asked, “Is thine heart right, as my heart (is) with thy heart?” Jehonadab replied, “It is.” Jehu then said to him in verse 16, “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” And Jehonadab went with Jehu and cleaned up God’s house! We also learned that Jehonadab gave the command to his sons not to drink wine, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyards, nor have them 300 years before the incident mentioned in Jeremiah 35! For 300 years his sons, their wives, and their sons and daughters had obeyed his commands. And because of God’s promise that they would always have a man to stand before Him forever, we have to conclude that somewhere in this world there is a descendant of Jehonadad standing for Him in spirit and truth. When we learned of this victorious family, what a testimony and challenge it was to me and my family.To have a family like the Rechabites does not just happen by chance. Surely Jehonadab made some decisions that he stood by and did not budge. His wife, children, and their descendants kept those commands as well. As stated in Jeremiah 35:8, “Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters.” As a wife and mother of six, I know it is not always easy or convenient to abide by God’s commands, and it is so very easy to get distracted and off track. If we are determined to be faithful till the end, it is going to take commitment. By: Barbara Grande
No comments:
Post a Comment