August 17 Daily Devotional

Our Children's Sins

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

Job 1:1-5

¹There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
²And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.
³His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.
⁴And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.
⁵And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.

Devotional:

The Book of Job is a magnificent but strange story. It is very moving. Verse 5 of chapter 1 is the picture of a godly father who loves his children with a brave and honest love. We read, 'Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts" ' (1:5, NIV). Surely God heard the prayers of this great father-heart.

All through the lives of his children the Christian parent will be praying for them. Before birth he will begin. Through their childhood he will be praying that the Lord will grant them a new heart. When they are professing Christians there will be prayers for protection from sin, for guidance and direction, for strength and forgiveness.

The parent will pray for their vocational choices. He will pray for their marriages! Always, ever, he will pray for these children. When they are grown and no longer under his personal direction and care, still he will cast about them a mantle of protection as he prays. He will be like Job: 'Thus did Job continually' (1:5).

This is one of the facets of the covenant. In the covenant the child has the special protection and aura of the prayer of his parents! In the covenant the father's intercession is heard by the heavenly Father. The Covenant God is faithful. Are we?

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.