The Hearts Of The Fathers

Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth. And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God. He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly. Luke 1:13-17

JOHN THE BAPTIST had a unique role in the history of redemption. He came in the spirit and power of the prophet Elijah to call the people of God in his day to turn, to repent, and to change. John’s ministry would so affect the hearts of his people that it would revolutionize the way they lived in their homes. Parents would awaken with fresh love and commitment to their children. Rebellious children would accept the wisdom of their godly parents.

What a picture of the grace of God at work in the hearts of every member of the family! What a lesson in how the gospel transforms the way parents and children relate to and respect one another. Parents whose passions have been invested more in work or sports or activities begin to invest their best energies in meeting the needs of their children. Parents who have been abusive in the way they speak to each other and to their children begin to speak with kindness and gentleness and affection. Parents who have withdrawn from their children because of repeated disappointment or apparent ingratitude begin to engage and forgive.

While we sometimes experience that a soft answer turns away wrath, no parent or child holds all the power to turn the heart of the other. Sometimes our best efforts fail to soften or turn the hearts of our children. But because our Father has turned his heart toward us in Christ, our hearts can be turned toward our children, and we can keep asking him to turn our children’s hearts toward us.

Father, the more we experience your grace and mercy, the better able we are to turn toward our children with that same grace and mercy. We are not able to turn ________’s heart toward us or toward you. But you can. Please turn all of our rebellious hearts toward you and toward one another.