DAY FIFTY-ONE - BIG PICTURE IN A YEAR - THE PEOPLE
God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply.
Genesis 1:28a
Reading: Deuteronomy 28:1-4; 6: 6-7; Malachi 2:15
Today we move onto our second mandate – the mandate to multiply the image of God. We see that God instructed Adam and Eve – both male and female – to come together and multiply the image of God. Within the family unit that God had conceived was the perfect environment in which to multiply His image.
The first and basic biological requirements were in place for physical multiplication to take place, to have children. The scripture says He blessed them and said “multiply”. Children are in itself a blessing from your heavenly Father. But it doesn’t stop there. Multiplying the image of God extends beyond the physical attributes and likeness of God. We are both physical and spiritual beings. Made in the image of God, from the dust of the earth – and having God breathe life into mankind, makes us unique from all that He created.
God expects you to multiply both the physical and spiritual by teaching His commands, His ways and His word to your children. The Word of God is the greatest revelation of His character to His people. So often we think multiplying the image of God in our children is the responsibility of the Kids Church or our schools – but the primary responsibility of teaching God’s ways, of multiplying God’s blessing, belongs to parents. Our God is a generational God. He rewards faithfulness and obedience, not just for you, but to the generations that extend from you. For this reason He concerns Himself with how the next generation is raised. He requires that they are constantly reminded of who their God is and of what His word says.
Every January the world is completely abuzz with the annual school hype – parents preparing to equip themselves and their children for the days to come. Lunches, books, uniforms, anything and everything that is necessary to make sure they are prepared. Why then would you send your children into the world unprepared, without the word they need to guide them and govern them in their day to day lives.
There is a saying that goes “if you don’t know what God really said – you’ll fall for anything anyone else says”
As we walk in dominion, live out and model God’s ways – let us commit to teaching this to the next generation.
Prayer
Thank You Lord for the blessing of children. Thank You that You are a generous God who concerns Yourself with the generations to come. Thank You for Your Word that reveals to me Your ways that you ask us to multiply into the next generation. I uphold this as a call on our lives and commit to honouring this mandate.
For The Family
Watch the link (3min) with your children. Notice the ability plants have to reproduce their own kinds through their natural God given design. Notice the number of seeds each single plant produces. Explain the concept of multiplication and of how God created all things to be able to multiply – including you and I – with the distinct difference being that we are made in God’s image which is both physical and spiritual.
