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Four Main Truths that Need to be Fastened like Nails in Every Child’s Heart
This is Dr. Mark Hamby here at Lamplighter Ministries. Got some exciting things to share today. God’s word is very profitable to us. It goads us, it guides us and it guards us. We want our children and ourselves to not only have the word of God, words of delight, words of truth and words of the wise – not only goad us and guide us and guard us but we want those truths to become fastened like nails.
That’s when they become our world view. That’s when they become, no matter what happens in life, no matter how hard we get kicked, we’re going to respond in a certain way because the truths of God’s word are firmly planted in our lives. Firmly planted in our mind and in our heart. They’re fastened like nails.
This is key. This is key in all literature by the way. This is how you evaluate literature. This is how you evaluate what books you want your children to be reading. Here’s what we’re looking at. We want our children to develop a world view. First the word of God guides, goads and guards them. Then the word of God, God’s thoughts and God’s ways, Isaiah 55. Just read Isaiah 55 and look how God’s thoughts and God’s ways surround our thoughts and our ways.
Choosing the literature and ideas we expose our children to is a task we cannot take lightly. Everything that goes into their mind will shape their worldview.
Once this happens in children, in young adults, they become skillful. In Second Peter chapter 1 it says that we’re to gain a full intimate knowledge of Him whose called us to His own glory and excellence. That’s where we need to be. Today children that we’re spending time with, the video games and so much on their texting and social media and Facebook likes and Instagram and all the stuff that’s going on today, it’s dumbing them down so much that they can no longer think. That’s why Neil Postman wrote the book, Amusing Ourselves to Death. The word amuse means not to think.
Children that have been just sucked into this entertainment phase of life, they really have stopped imagining. They no longer have their own imagination. They’ve taken on the imagination of Hollywood and the producers and authors of these gaming devices. That’s why when we get back to Ecclesiastes and we look at the challenge and the warning of Solomon. “My son, beware of anything beyond these words of delight, words of truth and words of the wise. They’re to be like goads, fastened like nails,” here’s the key, “given by one shepherd.” The one shepherd Jesus in John 14, He claims Himself to be, the one shepherd.
This is why this is so important. Here are the four main truths. Number one, God is good. If you have something to write with, you want to write these down. These are important. Four main truths that need to be fastened like nails in every child’s heart.
The first one, that God is good. Why is that so important? That was the very first temptation, the very first enticement that came upon mankind. The serpent says to Eve, “Did God really say this?” And then he gets her to a place, “You will not really die. In fact if you eat this, you will become like God.” In other words, the enticement was, God’s keeping something from you. That is the lie that continues to this very day that’s enticing our children. The pleasures that this world has to offer. God’s keeping something from you.
You can do this. You don’t have to be so isolated. You don’t have to be so rigid. You don’t have to be so legalistic. Come on, enjoy. Drink a little. Watch a little. This is not going to hurt. This movie’s not going to hurt you even though there’s a little pornography, a little sex, little drugs and drinking, a little violence, a little promiscuity. It’s not going to hurt you. That’s been the lie from the very beginning. That’s why God has requirements and boundaries that we’re to live within. Those boundaries are for our health and safety. Those boundaries are for our good.
The very first fasten like nails truth that our children must embrace – they must be fully convinced that God’s ways and God’s words are good. They’re good for us. When children embrace them, they’re willing to say, “You know what? I don’t really think I want to follow this group. I don’t really want to give into their enticements and even though all my friends are doing it, I’m choosing not to.” It reminds me of what goes on in the Book of Proverbs that there are three main temptations, Folly flatters with her words. She beguiles with her beauty and she entices with her touch. Our children need to know that God is good and He’s placed boundaries for a reason.
The second truth is that God keeps His promises. That’s something our children can hold onto. There are over 6,000, between 6,000 and 8,000 promises in the Bible and most Christians know very few. We need to hold onto the promises of God. His divine power has given us everything we need for life in Godliness. According a full intimate knowledge of Him who’s called us to His own glory and excellence. By which He’s also granted unto us, here it is, great and magnificent promises. Not just promises, but great and magnificent promises.
We need to embrace them. Our kids need to know them. Not only will He never leave us or forsake us, He’s a sun and a shield. He gives grace and glory and no good thing will He withhold from them who’ll walk uprightly. I’ve known Jesus for 42 years and I can tell everybody this, He’s never let me down. He has blessed me more than I can possibly imagine. He is true to His word. He will always be there to help us. Now He might not do it just when we want Him to do it but He always does it.
God is good, God keeps His promises.
Third, all things work together for good. God makes all things work together for good to those who love Him. To those who are called according to His purpose. Our kids need to know that there is a calling, there is a purpose that God has designed for their lives and within that calling, within that purpose, God makes all things work together for good. No matter what takes place. Mom and Dad get a divorce. Someone loses their job. Someone has a health problem. Someone’s falsely accused. Someone’s getting picked on. No matter what it is, kids that grow up with these truths fastened like nails, they know that God is good, that God keeps His promises, that God makes all things work together for good.
That leads us to the fourth promise. Here it is.
That God allows suffering. Why? Because suffering produces endurance and endurance encourages character growth. Character growth strengthens hope and hope opens the door for us to experience God’s love. It says here in the Greek text in Hebrews chapter 5, verses 3 through 5. It says that, “His love will be poured out.” No, that’s not what it really says. In the Greek is says, “His love will be gushed out upon us through the Holy Spirit, given to us.”
That’s what God’s done for us. Those are the truths that need to become fastened like nails in our lives and when they are, you’ll see young children turn into young adults that will serve the Lord, that will be used greatly of God and they will be able to experience God pouring out His promise and experience that Ephesians 3:20, “He will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think.” Why? Because we have the one Shepherd on our side who’s going to use His word as goads to guide us, to guard us, and then to open up doors that we cannot imagine that we can be used greatly of God to bring change in this world. Change that brings redemptive truth to a lost people back to a loving God.
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About Dr. Hamby
Mark Hamby (MS, MDiv, ThM, DMin) is founder and president of Lamplighter Ministries International, a ministry comprised of Lamplighter Publishing , Lamplighter Theatre , Lamplighter Guild , Lamplighter Life-Transforming Seminars, Lamplighter Moments Daily Radio Broadcast, and Fastened Like Nails weekly podcast . Mark and his wife Debbie have devoted themselves to making ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17).
If you have ever heard Mark speak, you know that he loves to tell stories that make the truths of the Word of God come alive! Now more than ever, he is ready to tell the unforgettable story of Wisdom and Folly and the epic battle for our children’s souls.
Through the Art of Storytelling , Mark explains how to Develop Discernment in an Age of Distraction by closely examining and dramatically communicating the twelve lessons of Wisdom from the book of Proverbs. He reveals Folly’s false promises of peer-pressured prosperity, promotion, protection, power, and pleasure and Wisdom’s eternal promises of freedom, joy, and entrepreneurial success.
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