Grow in Grace and Advance

And the little child grew and became strong, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:40

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature and in the grace manifested in Him before God and men. Luke 2:52

Today, our son, Amana, turned fifteen. All these fourteen years the Lord has been gracing him to grow in life. It has been our prayer that all our children grow in grace, in the love of God, and in the reverential fear of God. That they be open vessels to the Lord to be filled and constituted with the word of God and the Spirit that they become useful vessels to the Master God. With this view, we have been doing our best to pray for them and nurture them with a family environment conducive to the growth of all our children. In the sphere of secular academics, in the truth constitution and experience of life, and even in a proper human character, we have been doing our best to provide them with the best we can. We trust the living God Who only can fulfill all that we pray and desire for our children. Having done our best, we commit them to God and for His divine purpose on the earth. 

This morning, my Bible reading portion was from Luke 2. It was just apt for me to wish what has been written of the Lord Jesus Christ as for my son. Therefore, I made a card with some select photos and these two Bible verses to remind him of our prayers and wishes for him to grow and advance as the Lord Jesus was. That, he be filled with wisdom and the grace of God, and advance in wisdom and stature, and in the grace manifested before God and men. This exactly summed up my prayer as his earthly father as God for His Son Jesus Christ.

As usual, as a family, we went to eat at the same favorite restaurant, cherishing and celebrating the occasion as the grace of God abounded with us. This was all that we could do, and the rest we leave it to God. May the perfect will of the Lord be done in his life.

As an earthly father and a guardian of the Lord's bestowed children, I have been doing my best to inculcate in all my children, the practice of Bible reading, prayer, trusting in the Lord for everything, and living by faith. I have been doing so not as a teaching but by way of setting up a pattern that they can see and follow. Since many months ago, we have been practicing as a family going out to spend time with the Lord in prayer at a nearby park. Oftentimes, I and my son, go together and pray personally and then corporately together walking hand in hand. That's how I felt the Lord led me to lead my son in prayer life.  There may yet be many other things that I need to lead him to, but what I felt best and can practically do now, I have been doing my best I also enjoyed spending time with my son in prayer. What a blessing to pray together with my son! Meanwhile, I could also fellowship with him on some practical matters related to his life and future plans. May the Lord's perfect will be done in his life.

Lord, by Your grace, may all my children grow and advance!