"Arrows"

The Bible calls ‘em arrows,

And blessed when quiver’s full,

In a mighty warrior’s hands,

So he might aim and pull.

And, no, it’s not a weapon,

To do somebody harm,

Or any kind of violence,

So no need for alarm.

But the Psalmist speaks of children,

As God’s own precious gift,

Whom we aim into the future,

As each one we lift.

And, no, we can’t control them,

But try our best to show,

The way to live for Jesus,

And help them to know.

That He really loves them,

And we love them, too,

The Bible and belt leather,

To show them what to do.

And if we train and nurture them,

And plant in them the seeds,

When they’re old they won’t depart,

But trust God with their needs.

We do not have them very long,

Far too soon they’re grown,

You wake up and they’re parents, too,

The time has really flown.

But they’ll always be your babies,

Those gifts from God above,

And it’s one of life’s great blessings,

And ways He shows His love.

“Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them…” (Psalm 127:4-5, NLT)

Children are not always viewed as a gift and a blessing. But in God’s great design that’s exactly what they are! Compared to a full quiver of arrows, the clear implication is that God is entrusting them to us so that they are aimed in the right direction. So much of parenting is all about that, isn’t it? One definition of sin is that we aimed but missed the target. With God’s help we want to aim our children and grandchildren toward God’s target. It will be up to them whether or not they follow Him. But our influence can be used by God’s Spirit to help them find the life of faith. They will be head-started in the right direction toward the abundant life that Jesus died and was raised to give them.

Lord, help us aim our children well, in Jesus’ name.

Art by JaNeil Anderson, janeilanderson.com. Used by permission. Thanks, JaNeil, and God bless you.