Dedication

My son and daughter-in-law walked across the platform holding my three-month-old granddaughter and dedicated before their church to train her up according to Biblical principles. This common practice reminded me of when my husband and I had also promised before our own church to raise our children to follow God’s plan for their lives.

The idea of dedicating children to the Lord dates back to early in the Old Testament when Hannah dedicated her son, Samuel to the Lord (see I Samuel 1). The dedication launches a commitment to train children to understand God’s plan and to study His Word.

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 provides a great reminder of the role of the parent in teaching our children about God. “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Raising our children to know God takes dedication and commitment. What about when we dedicate other things to God? What about our health, finances, time, or careers? In each of these areas, it takes diligence and perseverance to fulfill our commitment as we dedicate our lives to God’s direction.

Often, as we embark on the journey, challenges arise early on. If we’ve committed our finances to Him, an unexpected bill or surprise expense arises. These types of tests provide opportunity for us to demonstrate our promise is sincere. The important areas of life, including dedicating our lives to God’s plan, will result in tests. These trials expose areas where we are holding on to things that should be entrusted to God’s care. We often have the illusion that we are in control; however, only God knows the future and already has a plan in place to ensure we have everything we need complete the assignments He gives.

The tests and trials also reveal the level of trust we place in God. Often, we are comfortable with trusting God for others’ provision; however, we secretly wonder if He will come through for us. Yet, God is no respecter of persons. He provides for all His children. What He has done for others, He can do for us. He loves all of us as we are made in His image and He desires to see us fulfill the plan for which He created us.

As we commit every area our lives to God, remember His promise from Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” I’m so thankful for that promise. It doesn’t say the plans might or could be established. It says the will be. We can’t go wrong trusting God and committing our ways to Him.