Teaching God’s Word to children is rewarding. Everyone benefits! Our children benefit by reaping specific promises of God as they believe them. We, as parents, benefit by seeing our children make wise choices in life based on God’s Word. And God benefits as His Word is made known to the next generation. Let’s consider some of these wonderful benefits for children, parents, and our heavenly Father, God.
BENEFITS TO CHILDREN
When children are taught God’s Word, they learn many promises of God available to them as they believe. Doing God’s Word allows them to claim these promises, which benefits their lives. Consider the benefits to children as they do the Word in the category of obedience.
Ephesians 6:1-3:
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Children who obey their parents in the Lord and honor their father and mother can expect to reap the blessings stated in verse 3: “That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.” What powerful motivation to teach our children God’s Word so that they can claim these benefits.
Children who are taught and who obey the Word of God can also claim the benefit of peace.
Isaiah 54:13:
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
What parents would not want peace for their children! When we teach them God’s Word, they will be taught of Him and benefit with great peace.
BENEFITS TO PARENTS
Parents have the primary responsibility for providing their children with Biblical instruction. We live the Word with our children, teaching them as we go (Deuteronomy 6:6,7). And when we teach our children God’s Word, we too benefit from the process. As our children heed our instruction, we rejoice in seeing them make wise choices based upon God’s Word.
Proverbs 23:24,25:
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
Children who are “righteous” and “wise” have been taught the Word of God. The Scriptures teach us that parents who accept this task and raise such children will be glad and rejoice. Now that’s a rewarding benefit to those parents!
BENEFITS TO GOD
As parents accept the responsibility to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4), and as children receive that Word and do it, God Himself benefits as well. The truth of His Word continues to be declared from generation to generation.
Psalms 145:4,5:
One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
God receives honor and praise as His wondrous works and mighty acts are made known. And to those who believe, God gets to pour out His love on them and enjoy fellowship with them.
Let’s consider the New Testament believer Timothy, who was taught God’s Word from his youth.
II Timothy 1:5:
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith [believing] that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.II Timothy 3:15:
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Timothy had the privilege of learning to believe God and His Word by having it illustrated in the day-by-day examples of his mother and his grandmother. Timothy benefited from the rich heritage of his mother and grandmother—from all they had learned from the Word and applied in their lives. Each generation can benefit from the strength of the previous one and build on their legacy of believing.
Each day we can faithfully look forward to teaching our young people the Word of God because by teaching God’s Word to children, everyone benefits! Children learn to claim God’s promises. Parents experience gladness and rejoicing. And God’s works continue to be declared from generation to generation.