Marriage and Family Life Reading PlanSample

Arrows in Your Hand

It has been said that a child is a parent’s heart walking around outside his body.

In Psalm 127:4, God compares children to “arrows in the hand of warrior.” Arrows are not designed to stay in the quiver. Arrows are created for flight, to rush toward God’s target. They’re meant for battle. And from the time you bring them home from the hospital, those little arrows must be shaped, sharpened, and honed for God’s intended purpose.

Every archer worth his salt can tell you there is pain in launching an arrow. As the archer lets go, his left forearm can be painfully stung with the slap of the string. The same is true of a parent’s heart. While the arrow is enjoying the flight he was made for, the heart of a parent feels the sting of the release.

Releasing is also scary. Will they fly straight? Will they get blown off course? Will they fall short of the God’s intended destination for their lives?

You’ll never know if you don’t release them. You’ll never know what God has intended specifically for each one. In fact, they’ll never grow up at all if you keep them safe in your quiver, away from the battlefield. At the appropriate time, take careful aim. Pull back slowly and deliberately launch your arrow. Then resist the urge to pull that arrow back and into the quiver where it’s safe.

We’ve launched six and trust me, it got tougher to let go with each arrow! But we’ve learned that we must let go if our children are to fly toward the target that God has for them.