(Honoring Parents)Not all is running smoothly. Within twelve months my youngest daughter has been in her second car accident. Another vehicle written off! This time she wasn’t alone. She had her two youngest daughters with her. Praise God, no bones broken this time. She has plenty of bruises which show that her life was threatened, but God in His mercy delivered them from the hand of the fowler.
How grateful I am that I’m called to keep watch. Each day I gather them all under the banner of His love, sprinkle the blood, and claim them for His service. I take Communion remembering the Covenant I have with Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour.
I must not allow myself to be distracted from my mission. There are so many needs and as the Holy Spirit leads me I pray concerning them. But our son is the main focus for now. Hearing that your son is dying physically is not normal. We are supposed to go before him surely? What is causing this prognosis? What gives Satan the right to attack him so?
“He couldn’t touch your son if your son was honouring you,” the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart.
From the beginning, the Scriptures on honouring your parents have come to mind, but I do not desire to judge him, but rather, I seek the cause of this dilemma. Obviously, it’s the devil, but that is too broad. I’m seeking the “cause” that is manifesting this “effect.” I want to hit it on the head, like Jael hammered the peg into Sisera’s temple (Judges 4: 17-22). I want the cause destroyed, struck down dead!
I feel to pray for every male in my immediate family. There are 25 of them. Every man male giving and receiving honour according to his position. It is an inspirational time.
Yesterday and today, right from the first I sensed a change. The Holy Spirit’s presence is heavier/stronger. I feel compelled to pray concerning our son’s lack of honour towards us. I read Exodus 20:12 that honouring us would give him long days. Deuteronomy 5:16 would prolong his days. Matthew 15:4 and 19:19 are scary reading. I am deeply concerned for his soul.
Perhaps, like many a mother I am tempted to tell God, “Don’t worry about him honouring us. We love him so much. Please don’t invoke this punishment upon him.” But I sense this is more serious than I have ever realized.
“Anyway, what is so special about me/us that You demand that we be honoured by our children? Why is it so serious that this is not only Old Testament teaching, but Jesus taught this with even greater emphasis? Why does it entail an early death if not addressed?” I ask fervently.
I search my heart for this lack in my own life and in my husband’s life and cannot detect anything, at least not so far. We honour God for He is our Heavenly Father, the Giver of Life. Made in His image we also are givers of life. I struggle with the fullness of this emerging revelation.
I share these testimonies of Christ at work in me to overcome the enemy.
I look forward to tomorrow’s FOURTH WATCH.
Many blessings from VAL STARES
Gold Coast, QLD Australia
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Val is the Director of Above Rubies in Australia and has been working with me in this ministry since it began in September 1977.
REMINDER:
Australia readers, are you getting the Above Rubies magazine which will be such an inspiration to you as a wife and mother? If not, write to val at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and she’ll be happy to send it to you.
Picture: Val with some of her beautiful 26 GREATgrandchildren. Val and I have a competition (just a joke!), but she hasn’t quite caught up to us yet. We currently have 33 GREATgrandchildren with four more who will be born in the next two to four weeks. Then we’ll have 37! God is so good. It’s amazing to think that Val and I began working together when our children were young and now we are being blessed with all these wonderful GREATgrandchildren!