Ask most dads – we all remember the first time we laid eyes on our newborn child. I will never forget the moment when our firstborn Isabel was placed in my arms. A tumultuous twenty-hour delivery ended in my wife being taken for emergency surgery. Doctors and nurses filled the delivery room while I nervously pulled scrubs over my clothes. In the operating room, I had no idea what to expect as I gripped my wife’s hand.
Moments later, I was handed a tiny person wrapped in a hospital blanket and for the first time I saw her face, touched her skin, heard her cries. From that moment I knew: this child was mine. And my heart was filled with love. I was so enraptured in her beauty that when the nurse asked me for my baby’s name, I told her the wrong one! Don’t worry, I fixed it before my wife found out.
God Is Love
Many times I look down on love, thinking that love is too emotional, too wishy-washy and touchy-feely. The “loving” parent should be my wife Noel and as a dad, I should embody something different for my children. Endurance. Persistence. Work Ethic. MacGuyver. Rocky Balboa. A Superhero. You know, man stuff. But then I began to think about 1 John 4:8 and noticed two things. First, the word “love” is not a verb. Did you catch that? The word “love” does not describe what God does, it is a noun defining who God is. God IS love (emphasis mine).
Be an Example
Second, the word love is applied to God himself. If the same God who was called the Lion of Judah, who formed the cosmos with the sound of his voice, and crafted man and woman by hand out of the dirt IS love. I can follow his example of love for my kids, especially in their early years. As a parent, you embody love for your child just as your heavenly Father embodies love for you. As a mom or dad, you set the framework for how your children understand and know love, especially as babies and toddlers.
About the “On the Go” Family Devotional Series
On the Go Family Devotions by Matt and Noel Guevara will help families find opportunities in a busy life to teach God’s love and Word to their children. The baby and toddler years pass by so quickly and you want to use every minute to show them God’s love and this series is the perfect tool to get started now!
Start strong, start early! Building a healthy family and growing your child’s walk with God doesn’t have to come “later.” The first two years of a child’s life provides countless possibilities for pointing them to Christ. Nurture your child’s faith and find refreshment in God’s Word with this 52 weekly devotional for families!
Each of the 52 weekly devotions includes:
- Encouraging Scripture
- Real life stories and heartfelt devotions
- Optional reflection questions (with journaling space)
- Meaningful parenting insights and interactive suggestions to grow your child’s faith (Features Baby Steps and Toddler Tips)Save
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