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Index 3
Page 77

Oh dear - no Java!!!!

THE GARDEN
IS THERE HOPE FOR HIM?
YES, HE CAN HAVE A NEW
               LIFE TOO.
                                                                

A dad was talking to his grown son. Henry, you have two sons of your own now, I would like to ask you, are you teaching them about God? No dad, Henry slowly said. I decided that I would wait until they are older, then I can leave the choice of how to serve God up to them. If I teach them what I believe they won’t have a choice of what to believe, it would be sort of pushed on them. I want my boys to have freedom of choice.
Henry, I would like to tell you a story. There was a man who had a plot of ground. He decided that he would make a garden. He dug it up and broke up the ground. He then carefully raked it. After that he sprinkled fertilizer all around. He stood and looked at the plot and said, ”I think rather than put seeds in the ground I will just wait and see what comes up”.
  
Henry what do you think will come up? Well dad I guess all that will come up is a lot of weeds. That’s right son you don’t have to plant weeds you can be sure that they will be there. You have the choice of what to plant, but you must keep out the things that you don’t want to grow there.
A child’s life is like a garden. There are things that will grow there without planting them. There is no need to teach a child to lie or to be selfish. These things are in the heart of a child, just like the weed seeds in a garden.

Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

We are told over and over in the scriptures to plant good things (seeds) in the heart (garden) of a child.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

So you see Henry, you must plant seeds or you will reap a crop of weeds (Shame) from your children somewhere along the way.

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

I didn’t see that before dad, but now I see that you are so right. I guess that what you are telling me is that I had better start planting some seeds in my sons hearts now.
 
Do you have any gardens growing in your home that are in need of some seeds? If you don’t teach them the way to go, someone will. Who do you want your children to be taught by? You make the choice, good things or bad.
By H. Witmyer