Invested In You And Your Household

But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.  Genesis 6:18  ESV

Is God just interested in calling out women, not men, unto Himself?  How about men, not women?  How about parents but not children?  Or is He just interested in blessing the entire family?  Yes, to the latter.  His heart engaged with the ones you love.

In our discouragement over marriages and the spiritual wellbeing of our children, we can wonder if God cares as much as we do.  The good news is, He does!  His very first covenant is with Noah and it includes his entire family.  Most every covenant God made with people involves saving someone ‘and their household.’  While that doesn’t mean that every family member will choose God, you can know that God’s heart is invested.  He is wooing them even as I write this.  Our part is to speak wisely and with holy restraint, live our faith with humility, use our authority against the forces of darkness who are obscuring the beauty of Jesus, and ask the Spirit of God to open the eyes of their heart.  While God is not going to strong-arm anyone into loving Him, He cares enough to keep wooing them. 

Many people have shared with me in passing, “Pray for my dad, he’s not a believer.”  I hear their story, feel something, but several days later the conversation can be fuzzy.  Not so with God.  When someone I love is constantly on my mind, causing my heart to ache, I can know that God hurts, too.  My ache and desire are a fraction of what He feels.  He is emotionally invested in a way that surpasses humanity.

My tears are safe with You because I know Your heart aches like mine.  In Jesus’ name, Amen