Physical and Spiritual Protection for Childrenনমুনা

Choose Life and Blessing

Deuteronomy 30:19 makes it unquestionably clear that God has placed the child’s destiny in the hands of the parents and grandparents: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” Man had already fallen; therefore, he already had death and the curse, but God, in His mercy, has given man a choice. In place of the curse and death, God has made it possible for us to choose life and blessing. And when man chooses life, he is not only receiving the blessing for himself but also for his descendants. Then God goes on to say, “So choose life.”

Hebrews 1:14 Are they not ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

The moment we choose life and blessing for us and our descendants, angels begin rendering service to our children and our children’s children. Not only do heaven and earth witness the choice we make, but Satan and his demons also witness it because when we make a wrong choice, it becomes an open door for which the enemy is looking.

However, to throw us off course, notice what the world has to say about our children, “Oh, you never know what these kids are going to do. They’re going to disappoint you. It’s different than it was when we were growing up. No one knows anymore how they’re going to turn out.” And often, we have bought into those lies until even Christians get into the fear of not knowing which way their children will go. But the Word of God never says we cannot know that our children will make the right decisions. God is not going to give us the choice of “life and death, blessing and curses” over our children and even tell us which to choose without giving us the ability and power to see it work out right. When we find a promise in the Word, we can have it if we receive it and are willing to fight for it. There are many Scripture promises to back this up.

Genesis 7:1 Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household; for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time.” There’s no indication that these sons were right with God at that time. Noah alone had been found righteous. And we’re not talking about small children still living at home. These were grown, married men. Yet Noah had the promise, and because he was faithful, his whole household was spared from the flood.

Joshua 2:1 is an example of someone who probably didn’t even have children but stood in the gap for her extended family. Joshua had sent men as spies, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho,” and they came into the house of a prostitute named Rahab. In verses 10-11, Rahab told the spies, “For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea… and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites…, and our hearts had melted and no courage remained…” She was declaring that the Lord God, Jehovah was the true God in heaven above and on the earth beneath. Then she said, “Please swear to me by the Lord, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you will also deal kindly with my father’s household, and give me a pledge of truth, and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them.” So, the spies said, “When we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all of your father’s household… It shall come about that anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.” We can spiritually pray and bring our family under God’s protection by our words.

In Acts 16:31, Paul and Silas were in prison singing praises to God when an earthquake shook their chains loose. Thinking they had escaped; the jailer was getting ready to kill himself when Paul and Silas stopped him. And the first question the jailer asked was, “What must I do to be saved?” He was asking for himself. But they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

We find one confirmation after another that shows when a person sells out to God; it becomes an inheritance for their children as well. Now, this doesn’t mean that salvation is not an individual decision. It is just letting us know that our choice to go with God and walk in His promises puts our descendants in a position to be drawn in by the power of the Holy Spirit until they submit to Him—if we determine to stand and believe for it. Our submission to God to stand on the promises holds our children and grandchildren in that place of decision and gives them extra protection.

Thank You for these Biblical examples of "as for you and your household." I take hold of the promises of God for me and my family.