DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
There is a tremendous story in the Bible of a woman who wanted to have a child, but it seemed impossible. She wept bitterly before the Lord, asking Him to give her a son. Finally, she said, “‘O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head” (1 Samuel 1:11, NASB).
God gave her a son; and she kept her vow to the Lord, saying, “‘For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD.’ And he worshiped the LORD there.” (1 Samuel 1:27-28, NASB).
Hannah recognized that children are a gift from God. When God answered her prayer and gave her a child, she, in turn, gave the child back to God. She understood a very simple but important truth. All life comes from God. He gives life, sustains life, and takes life. He is the only true Source of life. It is the first truth we must learn about our children. That truth produces a certain security within them and within our hearts. When Hannah came to grips with this great truth, she gave her son back to God.
My wife and I gave both of our children to the Lord before they were ever born. While they were still in their mother’s womb, we dedicated them to God. Even before conception, we prayed for them. When my wife and I were married, we went to Gulf Shores, Alabama for our honeymoon. We gave each other a Bible for a wedding present. We read that Bible on our honeymoon and prayed. We dedicated our lives and marriage to God. We also dedicated any children that God would give us to Him.
When we learned my wife Tex was pregnant with our son Dave, we laid hands on her womb, prayed, and dedicated him to Christ. We did the same thing with our daughter Renee before she was born. God wants us to fill this planet with children who love God and will serve Him.
Perhaps you might feel discouraged because you did not dedicate your children to God before they were born. That is the wonderful thing about God’s grace. You can do it right now. Now is the acceptable time. Today is the day. The best time to dedicate your children is at this moment.
When I speak about dedicating your children to God, I am not necessarily speaking of a ceremony in a church service. You can do that as well. However, you can give them to God in your secret place of prayer – at your meeting place. I would encourage you to dedicate your children to the Lord – no matter how old they are. Perhaps you did not know Christ or did not know how to pray for your children when they were born. God knows and He understands. Remember He loves you and your family.
Giving our children to God doesn’t mean that they won’t ever stray from God. It means that when they do, they are in His hands and He will ultimately work in their hearts. There is great security when we know that they are in His hands. Give your children to God.
1 Samuel : Chapter 1
21) When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22) Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”[c] 23) “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good his[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him. 24) After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,[e] an ephah[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. 25) When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, 26) and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 27) I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28) So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
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