Train Up a Child

 

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

—Proverbs 22:6

Child Psychologists agree that parents must set aside moments out of their busy lives to spend time teaching their children about the most important things in life. By doing so, the investment of the parents will reap untold benefits throughout a child’s life.

This statement remains all the more true when we consider the Christian spiritual formation of our children. Parents play a key role in training up, or teaching, children about God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—and about the principles of the Christian faith. Today, there is no excuse for parents not doing everything in their power to teach their children the way of the Christian faith.

This training begins with the parents living out the life of a follower of Jesus right in front of their children. The way they talk, the way they handle problems, the way they act towards each other, the way they relate to other people. In every situation that they encounter in life, the parents have an opportunity to teach their children how to live as followers of Jesus.

Does this training require parents to daily examine their own lives, so they might rid themselves of besetting sins? Of course it does. For every aspect of a parent’s life affects the learning experience of his or her children. It represents an enormous responsibility. But, it is also a great joy.

And, other believing members of a family are not immune from these responsibilities. In many cases, grandparents also play a key role in the spiritual development and Christian spiritual formation of their grandchildren. Grandma and Grandpa also live their lives as an open example of how a follower of Jesus chooses to live.

The very fact that the way one follows Jesus is a conscious choice becomes so very important. Children must learn that their lives will become marked by the choices they make. They must understand that in every situation, they will need to choose whether they will follow the way of Jesus, or deny Him by the choice that they make.

The blessing of pouring one’s life into raising children to love God and to love their neighbor is immeasureable. Praise God that He has raised up Christian parents who take up this challenge and give themselves to the task of raising their children in the way that they should go.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

We Only Bow to God

 

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

—Psalm 95:6-7

When a person enters the presence of a monarch, he or she shows respect and allegiance by kneeling. It is a sign of yielding one’s own will to the will of the monarch. That’s why, in the turmoil of our present culture, kneeling causes such concern for those of us who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is absolutely the only One before whom we properly feel the urge to kneel.

Kneeling in submission has very powerful implications. When people kneel as part of a so-called peaceful protest, they indicate their submission to whatever group is leading that protest. A commitment to justice for all humans and a desire to see that all humans be given an equal opportunity to lift themselves up in society does not require submission to some secular authority who has become a self-appointed representative of those who believe they are oppressed. Rather, instead of kneeling to show our obedience to such an authority, we need to rise up and speak up for those who are oppressed. We need to do everything we can to promote equal opportunity, while recognizing that the provision of an equal opportunity will not necessarily result in equal achievement. Please allow me to illustrate my point:

Many years ago, when I was part of the small group examining candidates for employment who would fill the position of “fire protection engineer” at the Highly Protected Risk insurance company where I worked, I was very disappointed to hear older men speak disparagingly of the very few female candidates who applied for the position. These men expressed an opinion that was clearly and inappropriately biased. They asserted that a woman simply could not perform the tasks associated with the job. I strongly disagreed and I began to champion the hiring of qualified women as fire protection engineers.

Now, you must understand that these female candidates had met every one of the rigorous qualifications. Having attended respected colleges or universities, they had earned degrees in fire protection engineering, or in a related field of engineering, such as Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Chemical Engineering. They had shown that they clearly understood the complex parts of the job responsibilities. They displayed the kinds of personalities who could stand up to the rough treatment they might receive when inspecting the factories that our insurance company serviced. In every possible way, they had shown they had the knowledge, skills, and temperament to do the job for which they were applying.

To my great delight, almost every single woman that we subsequently hired for the position of fire protection engineer greatly exceeded expectations. Not only did they perform the job tasks with professionalism and excellence, they soon rose through the ranks of the company to hold ever greater levels of responsibility.

Today, an increasing number of women are entering the field of fire protection engineering. And, those women are enthusiastically hired for their skills and training. That I had a very small part in that transition from an all-male endeavor to one now open to every qualified candidate, regardless of gender, gives me joy.

We did not have to change any qualifications of the job to recruit qualified women. The women we hired had already gained the education, knowledge, and training they needed. All we had to do was set aside the long-held prejudice against women in that profession, and welcome these qualified candidates into the job force. We did not need to physically kneel before some self-appointed leader of a movement. We simply had to make a completely rational decision to accept the reality that qualified women could perform the tasks associated with the profession.

As followers of Jesus, we need to reserve our kneeling for the one true God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who is the only One who truly deserves the humble subjection of our foolish human will to His divine, perfect, and holy will. To do otherwise besmirches the reality that God is the only One worthy of our subjection. We bow our knees to God, and to Him alone.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Bad Seeds

 

The acts of the flesh are obvious: … hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

—Galatians 5:19-21

Sometimes, hatred and negativity seem to prosper within certain families. It’s almost as if seeds of hatred and negativity have been passed down from grandparents to parents to children. Have generations past sown seeds of disharmony and discord in us that flare up to cause breaks in our relationships with family and friends? If so, we need to embrace the new life God gives us in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. As the Apostle Paul reminded us in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

If we have acknowledged that the Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, we must embrace our new life. We must put aside our hurts and grudges. We must say “No!” to the discord that has separated us from friends and family.

Instead, we must let the love of Christ flow out from us to touch the lives of everyone who crosses our pathway.

Let’s turn our backs on those seeds of negativity that were sown in us so many generations ago. We must embrace our new life in Christ. We will never change what we continue to tolerate.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Does Your Walk Match Your Talk?

 

Be very careful, then, how you live— not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

—Ephesians 5:15-17

Does your daily walk match your talk? Here’s a cautionary tale to consider:

As Ted battled rush hour traffic, the light turned yellow just in front of him, as he drove cautiously in his blue minivan. He did the right thing, stopping at the white line before the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. A tailgating woman braked sharply behind him. She was furious, as she honked her horn and screamed in frustration at missing her chance to get through the intersection. In her anger, she dropped her cell phone and the makeup she had been so carefully applying while trying to rush down the busy street.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He handcuffed her, placed her in the back of his patrol car, and took her to the police station where she was searched by a female officer, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policewoman approached the cell and opened the door. The incarcerated woman was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ decal on your rear window, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally I assumed you had stolen the car.”

Certainly something to think about. Here’s an expansion on the Scripture passage quoted at the beginning of this blog post to give you a bit more of the context of Paul’s message to the church at Ephesus from Ephesians 5:8-20:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s determine to be careful how we live—so that our walk with fully match our talk.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Like a Refreshing Spring Rain

 

You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.

—Isaiah 45:8

Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old.

—Lamentations&nbap;5:21

Nothing rejuvenates living things as much as a cool, refreshing spring rain. That’s why those who write about revival often use rain as an image for the renewing that takes place when God sends His Holy Spirit to refresh the hearts of those He loves.

As a teenager in the 1960s, we would often close our Wednesday night prayer meetings by singing a little gospel chorus written by Daniel Iverson. Here are the words: ¹

Spirit of the living God,
    Fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God,
    Fall afresh on me.
Break me, melt me,
    mold me, fill me.
Spirit of the living God,
    Fall afresh on me.

The sweet solemnity of twenty to thirty young people kneeling in a circle softly singing this song still touches me after all these years have passed. Even more so, the desire in my heart for a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit to bring a sweeping revival to our land has only deepened with the passing years. I long for revival more today than ever before.

When I use the word “revival,” I am talking about a “coming to life again.”—an awakening, a rejuvination, a new beginning, an enlivening.

The longing for revival comes from the heart of someone who observes the weakness of our current Evangelical Christian culture. Great power in sharing the gospel has long ago diminished. Deeply rooted Christian spiritual formation seems more like something I might read about in a history book than experience in a modern Evangelical church. A burning passion for sharing what Christ has done to redeem those He loves, coupled with a heart-wrenching burden for the lost—the people who do not yet know what Christ has done for them—seems like something from a long ago time in the past.

I long for a fresh, vital, drenching outpouring of God’s mercy, love, and grace. I long for a renewal of the Spirit of God within my own life. Even more, I long for my fellow believers to experience what it means to become solely concerned about Kingdom matters—the work that God wants us to accomplish in His behalf here on this earth, right now, in this present time.

So, I pray earnestly and fervently that God will give us a fresh falling of the Holy Spirit to revive us, to renew us, to set our hearts on fire for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to fill our hearts with His God-breathed love for those around us who need to come to a life-transforming relationship with Jesus.

So, how does revival begin? The great 19th century evangelist, Charles Finney, once took a stick and drew a large circle on the ground. Then, he stepped into the middle of that circle and prayed:

“Lord, be pleased to revive everyone inside this circle.”

That’s how revival begins. It begins by asking God to revive each one of us as individuals. Then, we can join together and pray for that great, sweeping revival to flow across our nation and even around the world.

Would you be willing to join with me in this prayer?

Thank You, God, for loving us. Thank You for sending Jesus to be our Savior. Thank You for sending us Your Holy Spirit to dwell within us.

O God, we long for revival. We long for the spring rain of Your Holy Spirit, drenching us in body, mind, and spirit. We long to experience the coming to life again that revival provides. We long to become people whose hearts are ablaze for the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Your great mercy, grace, and love, be pleased to hear our prayer and renew a right spirit within us. Turn our cold, lifeless hearts into passionate vessels of Your love and grace. Let Your mercy flow into us, through us, and out of us to touch a sick and dying world. Help us to bring Your healing to everyone who crosses our pathway.

We thank You for your constant faithfulness. And, we thank You for hearing our prayer in and through the precious Name of Your Son, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

______________________

1 Iverson, Daniel. “Spirit of the Living God.” Brentwood, TN: Birdwing Music/Capital CMG Publishing, 1935, 1963. Please note that, in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

As We Begin the Day

 

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

—Psalm 5:2-3

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

—Mark 1:35

I have written a blog about this general subject before. But I believe that certain subjects bear visiting again from time to time.

Bishop Ralph Spaulding Cushman (1879-1960) wrote over 25 books on evangelism, stewardship, and prayer. He faithfully served seven congregations until becoming a denominational executive for the latter part of his earthly ministry. One of his most famous poems appears immediately below: ¹

I met God in the morning
when the day was at its best,
And His Presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.

All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them,
Brought to me a peace and rest.

Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the presence left behind.

So, I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!

There’s something very special about setting aside time at the beginning of each new day to meet with God. We “listen” to Him by reading His written Word—the Bible. We talk with Him in prayer. This time together at the beginning of the day becomes an important and very precious few moments.

In the Lord’s Prayer we begin by acknowledging that God is our Father. He has chosen to adopt us into His Eternal Kingdom. As beleivers in the Lord Jesus Christ we are no longer mere creatures that He has created, but we have become children. As children, chosen by God before the foundation of the earth to belong to Him, we have the rights and privileges of children. We come into God’s presence as His children and we rightly may call Him “Father.” Not only do we call Him “Father,” but we acknowledge that He is. He is not someone who once was. Rather, He currently exists in all His power and glory. And, He waits to welcome us.

We really don’t understand this. We don’t get it. The God of the Universe, the One who spoke a word and all creation came into being, has chosen us as His children. And, He waits to welcome us to come and sit with Him and talk with Him.

Prayer is a fundamental, cohesive, and powerful component of our relationship with God. He is not only willing to have us talk with Him, He welcomes it. He expects it. He longs for it. He waits for it. He waits for us. He wants us to come and sit with Him a while and talk with Him. We have the authority of no one less than the Son of God, Himself, telling us to come into the Father’s Presence and sit a while.

I encourage each one of us to seek God each day. As Bishop Cushman suggests, meeting God first thing in the morning will set us on the right path for the day that stretches ahead.

I would also encourage each of us to meet with God at the end of each day. Talk to Him about what’s happened during the hours that stretched between our time with Him in the morning and these moments as the day comes to a close. He cares about us. He wants to know what we’re feeling, hoping, wishing, and dreaming. He wants to know the things that trouble us and the things that bring us joy.

So, start now. Don’t put it off. Plan now to meet with God as a new day dawns. We will be very glad we did.

 

______________________

1 Cushman, Ralph Spaulding. Practicing the Presence: A Quest for God. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1936. This book is now believed to be in the Public Domain. Though this citation is now noted to be in the Public Domain, in the case of someone claiming Copyright protection of this material, please note that, in each case, whenever a citation of any Copyrighted material is made within a post on this blog, such a citation is made strictly for Educational Fair Use illustration purposes only. All Rights Reserved by the original Copyright Holder.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Attributing Worth

 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

—Psalm 28:7

One of our greatest joys, as followers of Jesus, is the daily opportunity we have to thank God for His divine Presence in our lives through the in-dwelling Holy Spirit. In fact, worshipping God—that is, attributing worth to God for who He is—should fill our hearts and minds with enormous peace. Nothing can make our world explode with light more rapidly than taking time to acknowledge the attributes that God has revealed to us about Himself in His precious written Word.

The poet Edward Estlin “E. E.” Cummings led a very controversial life. Sadly, especially in the cultural climate of our day, many of his poems would spark a riotous mob to burn down buildings. However, in the midst of a life that would make many shudder, he did write some amazing poems, including the one reproduced below.

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

In this related video, renowned composer Eric Whitacre, conducts the Netherlands choral group “VU Kamerkoor” in singing his composition based on the above poem. Please watch this video.

 

 

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}