THE REWARD OF TREATING OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN AS YOU WOULD TREAT YOURS

MEMORY VERSE: for Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater, Esther 9:4

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Sam 18, Rom 16, Lam 3, Luke 23

Everything Mordecai achieved in life was as a result of how he treated the child of others. He started as an ordinary slave in a foreign land and ended up as a mighty prince courtesy of Esther – the daughter of his late uncle. When the parents of Esther passed way, Mordecai took her as his own daughter (Esther 2:7). He loved her like he would love his own daughter. He treated her like he would treat his own daughter not the daughter of an uncle or a cousin. When the king was looking for a queen and all parents were bringing their children to the palace to participate in the audition, Mordecai brought Ester to participate. During the audition, he gave this young lady the support he would give to his own daughter. The bible records that he walked every day before the court of the women’s house to check her welfare, and see what should become of her (Esther 2:11). When Mordecai heard of Bigthana and Teresh’s plan to murder the king (Esther’s husband) he reported them immediately just like a true father in law would do (Esther 6:2). Just as a real parent will out of love scold or rebuke their wards when they do something wrong, Mordecai scolded Esther too and Esther changed.

Because Mordecai took Esther as a daughter, Esther in return took him as a father. When Esther heard that Mordecai was wearing a torn garment, she quickly sent him raiment (Esther 4:4). When Haman (the king’s favorite) set out to kill Mordecai, Esther risked her life to save him (Esther 4:16). It was a law that you don’t go before the king except he calls you, failure to abide by this could result in a death penalty. Esther went before the king without been called all because of Mordecai. Do you know that when Esther became queen, she pulled Mordecai up? When it was time to introduce Mordecai to the king, she referred to him as her father not an uncle. Mordecai went from sitting by the king’s gate to become the second in command to the king. Not only that, Mordecai began to ride on the king’s horses too.

If we treat the children of others like ours, those children will treat us as their parents. As Christians showing favoritism is prohibited. God can use the child of anyone to bless you or fulfill your destiny. Mordecai would not have become a great man in the land if he had abused Esther. Mordecai would have remained at the king’s gate, if he had mistreated Esther. We would not have heard of Mordecai, if he had been wicked to Esther. The whole nation heard of Mordecai not because he was a politician or because his daughter married a great man. He became great because of the child of his uncle he trained as his own daughter. 

ACTION: treat the child of others as you would treat yours.

WATCH WHAT YOU CALL THAT CHILD

MEMORY VERSE: A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold, Proverbs 23:1

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Num 33, Ps 78:1-38, Isa 25, 1 Jn 3

Names are very important. When you give a name to something, you are indirectly prophesying into the future of that thing. At birth Solomon was giving the name Jedidiah (which means the Lord’s beloved), 2 Samuel 12:25. The name was a form of prophesy into his life. The life of Solomon was synonymous with God’s love courtesy of his name. He asked for wisdom, and the Lord gave him wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Not only that, the Lord prospered him in all that he laid his hands on. The mother of a young man gave him the name Jabez at birth, 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.Jabez means pain. This name was also a form of prophesy into the life and future of this man. The life of Jabez was synonymous with pain courtesy of his name. No matter how hard he tried, wherever he finds himself something sorrowful or painful must happen there.

Sarah lived in sorrow virtually all her life because she had no child. She tried to have children through Hagar-her slave, it back fired and she suffered humiliation in the hands of Hagar. One day she and her husband hosted the Most High God and everything changed. A year later she gave birth to a boy and gave him the name Isaac which means laughter. Do you know from the day Sarah called her son Isaac till she died, she never wept over him ? Even when the Lord told Abraham to offer Isaac as sacrifice, the Lord had to provide a ram in the place of Isaac because Sarah had prophesied into the life of her son that she will always bring him joy and laughter not pain.

As parents you need to be careful of the names you give to your children because those names are a form of prophesy into their future. The names are not only prophesies into their future but your future too because your children are your future. You need to watch what you say into their lives or what you call them when you are angry. Whatever you say into their life in anger or call them in anger are all prophesies. According to Numbers 14:28, whatever God hears you say is what He will do. As a good parent out of anger don’t call your child a good-for-nothing boy or a useless girl or a worthless child or any other bad name. As teachers in school or nannies please watch the names you call your wards. Don’t out of anger call them names that will destroy their future.

PRAYER POINT: Father, please cancel the effect of every negative names in my life.