Samuel vs St Monica: One Year Bible Reading for May 10

 Today we read from these verses in the One Year Bible:

1 Samuel 8:1-9:27
John 6:22-42
Psalm 106:32-48
Proverbs 14:34-35

Let's look at Samuel. Now, Samuel was a good guy. He even got a book of the Bible named after him! That doesn't ALWAYS mean you're a great guy (lookin at you, Jonah), but in this case, it means he was dedicated to God from the time he was a little baby and he tried hard to follow God and do what He said all of his life. He even confronted the king and told him things he didn't want to hear! That takes guts - and holiness.

But here at the beginning of our reading tonight, we find that Samuel's sons were little stinkers. They accepted bribes and did NOT follow in the footsteps of their dad. 

That's heartbreaking, isn't it? It's every parents' nightmare. You train your kids to go to church and believe in God and be good... but they go their own way and get into trouble and become bad people. Is there nothing you can do?

Well, on the one hand, don't give up. St Monica prayed for her son Augustine for decades while he lived a very sinful and wild life. He strayed far from God and did all kinds of nonsense. But Monica never gave up on him. She prayed for him every day and even fasted for him. Eventually her prayers were answered and her son Augustine became St Augustine and gave the world some of the best philosophical theology ever written.

On the other hand, understand that what a person does with their life is up to them. All you can do is be the best parent you can, and pray for your kids daily. They have to decide if they want to be good or bad. Just think - God created Adam and Eve, and they blew it and got kicked out of the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had God for their father, but their son Cain murdered their son Abel. So even with the very best parenting, sometimes kids go the wrong way.

So don't give up! But don't be too hard on yourself if your kids take a wrong turn. Pray for them, and let God do His thing.

God, thanks for teaching us to love and pray for our kids, but not lose our minds if they go the wrong way... we just keep praying.