children Archives - Page 2 of 2

December 20, 2023 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

Who is God’s Son?

“Who is God’s Son?” asked seven-year-old L., her face crunched in confusion after she spoke her Christmas program lines with the other children.

“God’s Son is Jesus, our Savior,” I responded quickly as the practice continued. Not a regular to our church, L.’s third visit with her grandparents involved rehearsing for our Sunday school Christmas program. She had enjoyed the previous class where we practiced songs and hand motions, but this time L. questioned the content.

After L. squeezed her question in between songs, preschool teacher Debbie and I looked at each other in heartfelt surprise and silent agreement. This was our purpose as Sunday school volunteers: to teach children about Jesus. Both of us had different jobs during rehearsal: we watched, assisted, and tried to keep kids focused. One boy picked his nose. A girl kept her head down as she adjusted her snow boots. Some of the littles ran off. One boy kept sitting down instead of standing up. Like herding cats, Debbie and I managed to get our kids to the manger at the right time.

Before the church service, I caught up with L. I explained that Jesus is God’s Son, our Savior, who came to earth as a baby. L. listened intently as I told her about Jesus and why we celebrate Jesus’ birthday at Christmas.

When I asked her about Easter, she said, “That’s my favorite holiday!” I went on to explain that the baby Jesus we celebrate at Christmas grew up to be a man. As an adult, Jesus did what God had sent His Son to do: die on a cross to sacrifice Himself for our sins. And that is what we celebrate at Easter. My explanations were not detailed or eloquent. I wondered if the big concepts of forgiveness and death on a cross were getting through to L. Eyes focused on me, L. kept her face close to mine, her attention unwavering.

After my short explanations, L. raced off to sit with her grandparents for the service. I followed her into church, praying for the Holy Spirit to open her heart to Jesus. Later, I texted her grandmother about L.’s questions and my answers. She texted me that L. would not be able to come to the program.

The next Sunday, God answered our prayers, and L. came to the dress rehearsal and program with her grandparents. Before the dress rehearsal, our director scrambled to find an extra angel costume. She used a preschooler’s costume, un-hemmed it to fit L., and gave the preschooler a sparkly top as a tunic. During a break, I had a chance to speak with L. again. We discussed more about God’s Son and how Jesus became our Savior by dying on the cross for our sins. I explained that sin is disobeying God in our thoughts, words, and actions—and how we can ask Jesus for forgiveness. Again, she listened intently to my explanations. Again, I left praying that the Holy Spirit would make the Gospel clear to L.

After rehearsing during Sunday school, the children presented their Christmas program at the church service that followed. Nose-picking-boy kept his fingers out of his nose. Girl-with-boots wore regular shoes and danced to the music. Our runners stayed in place, while acting out the phrase, “Shepherds ran to see the sight.” The kids harnessed their energy into hand motions and song lyrics. But those are insignificant victories in light of the important story of God’s Son Jesus. L. participated wholeheartedly as the truths about Jesus, from cradle to resurrection, were presented in the children’s Christmas program.

Lord, please work in the lives of L. and others who need to understand the truth about God’s Son Jesus, this Christmas and always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

[Photos by author.]

March 28, 2023 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

Rebekah’s Advice: Avoid Favoritism

Dear Modern Mama,
Long ago, before any children or favoritism, I moved from far away to marry my husband Isaac. My father-in-law Abraham sent his servant back to their country of origin and that’s where he found me. All I did was offer a drink of water to a weary traveler and his camels, but that hospitality answered a specific prayer of Abraham’s servant. (Check out Genesis 24 for details of God’s miracle.)

Although Isaac and I loved each other, I did not get pregnant after almost twenty years of marriage. They called me barren, but Isaac prayed for me to conceive and God answered Isaac’s prayer. God answered with a two-for-one miracle, but the pregnancy felt awful. Like a war between twins in my belly! I wanted to die. Didn’t think I could take it much longer, so I asked the Lord about it.

When the Lord confirmed the conflict inside of me, He said it would extend throughout my twins’ lives. Two babies, two nations, two peoples. They would be divided, with one stronger than the other and the elder serving the younger. Isaac and I didn’t really understand the entire prophecy, but it made sense later as we raised our boys.

From birth on, the boys were opposites. Our oldest, Esau, had red hair on a hairy body. He loved the outdoors and developed good hunting skills. As a tough hunter, Esau became Isaac’s favorite. They loved to eat wild game and talk about hunting. My Jacob had a quieter nature and liked to stay home. I loved having him around the tent to keep me company; you could say I favored him.

Esau and Jacob fought a lot, mostly because they were so different. Once Esau came in hungry after a long day outside and demanded some of the stew Jacob had cooked over the fire. (Did I mention that my Jacob was a great cook?!) Jacob insisted that Esau sell his birthright in exchange for the stew. In desperation, Esau traded his privileges as the oldest son for Jacob’s bread and lentil stew. Not a fair trade, but no one could change the outcome of their decisions.

Other battles followed. My favoritism toward Jacob progressed to a desperate desire to get the birthright blessings for him. I sinned against God and my family as I lowered myself to lie, cheat, and even betray my husband. I am ashamed of the treachery that I encouraged in Jacob when my dear Isaac lay on his deathbed. (Genesis 27 tells the full story.) Our sins only worsened the family conflicts, sibling rivalry, and long-term consequences.

My advice to you, modern mama, is to avoid favoritism. Recognize your child’s unique nature as a gift from God. Our Creator God gives children different skills, character traits, and interests. Do not let that determine how much you love your child or what you will do for him. Take it from me, the consequences of favoritism and deceitful maneuvering to get advantages for your child will only cause heartache—for a long time! I learned that lesson the hard way.

Trust my advice: the best way to parent your children is to follow God’s way and love all of your children wholeheartedly.

Shalom, in your relationship with God and also in your parenting.
Rebekah

January 30, 2023 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

Gomer’s Lessons: Love God and Love Your Husband

Dear Modern Mama,
Not sure why I got asked to give advice. My life lesson sounds simple: love God and love your husband. But I learned it in painful and difficult ways. Let me tell the story.

Elohim, the one and only God, asked Hosea to take a prostitute for a wife. Can you imagine? A prophet of God sent to pick a prostitute for a wife! Pick any woman. No divinely selected woman. No promised blessing on the woman or the marriage. The prophet Hosea faithfully followed God’s direction, purposefully choosing a wife with a bad reputation. Hosea’s difficult marriage became an object lesson, played out publicly to teach all of Israel.

I know, because I am that whore, chosen out of my life of sin and debauchery. For Israelites, sexual sin outside of God’s design of marriage carried a penalty of death by stoning. But in the idol-worshipping society of my day, Israel tolerated all kinds of sexual sin: temple prostitutes, prostitute daughters, adulterous daughters-in-law, and men who indulged in all of that. As a wayward and rebellious woman, I indulged in that sinful culture, too. I earned a good living by selling myself. My male customers paid me generously in bread, water, wool, flax, oil, drink—even silver and gold.

I did not know God when I met my husband Hosea. Back then, I didn’t want to meet God or some strange guy who thought he should be my husband. In my depraved lifestyle, I enjoyed earning money by fulfilling men’s sin-addicted thoughts. You can imagine how uncomfortable Hosea felt coming to where I worked. He looked so out of place, until he saw me and chose me. The idea of marriage came from Hosea, not me. At the time, I didn’t want to get married or have children. Somehow, I agreed to Hosea’s plan.

We had kids right away. Hosea insisted on naming our kids, with names he said God gave him. Fine with me, I didn’t care about the kids at first. I didn’t know how to parent children. I didn’t want to be a mother; kids just interrupted my work. Hosea named our first boy Jezreel, same as the valley city where King Jehu massacred the house of Ahab. With our daughter, Hosea said God wanted her name to be Lo-ruhamah, or “not loved.” Hosea called our next son Lo-ammi, which means “not my people.” I figured Hosea and God tried to shame me with that one, because, with my extramarital activities, how could I ever know who was the father?!

Even stranger, Hosea later renamed our younger kids. He took the “Lo” part off, calling them Ruhamah, or “loved,” and Ammi, “my people.” Later, I ran out on Hosea, so I didn’t understand these things until I went back to my family.

According to Hosea, God came up with the plan, the one thing Hosea did that I most love him for. After all my sinful betrayals, would you believe Hosea came to the slave block to buy me back? Not that anyone else cared to bid. But it got a lot of attention—everyone in town knew about our sham marriage and how I lived. I deserved nothing, but my dear Hosea bought me back and took me home.

Hosea taught me about true love, and more importantly, about God’s love. Just like God does for us, Hosea demonstrated unconditional love for me, an unworthy sinner. Our story became an object lesson of God’s mercy and forgiveness for all Israel. Not just a lesson for that time, but an enduring human parallel of God’s love and redemption. (Read it for yourself in my husband’s book.)

My Hosea is my hero. So many times I betrayed Hosea’s love and brought him nothing but shame. Yet he never stopped loving me. He bought me back from slavery when no one else would look at me. I know now that God chose to redeem me through Hosea’s love. My dear Hosea taught me how to love and obey Elohim. I am so grateful for my Elohim who gave me a chance.

Elohim, my one and only God.
Me, the sinner and whore.
Hosea, my beloved husband and redeemer.
My advice to you: love God and love your husband.

Love to you,
Gomer, late to learn about love, but grateful to be redeemed and restored