Parent Devo - Camp Day 3
In every arena of culture, we have grown more accustomed to connecting with people over screens. Preachers preach, teachers teach, trainers train, comedians entertain, doctors prescribe, and musicians inspire all from the convenience of a video screen. From the comfortable safety of our devices and the detached nature of their mediums, we have grown accustomed to receiving information without experiencing connection.
As an adult, you have experienced this pull and noticed this shift. This reality is all your child has ever known. This generation has always held that physical distance may limit a connection but not completely prohibit it. You probably struggle as a parent encouraging everyone to interact with family in the same room because they are all pseudo-connected to other people on a device.
We have grown accustomed to being connected without ever experiencing communion.
How do you think your child’s digital connections hinder his or her relationship with God?
What hinders you from believing that God is truly near to you?
God is not detached from us. He is not on one side of the video screen where we can see Him, but He cannot see us. He is closer to us than we can imagine. Every moment of every day, God is with us. In today’s focus, your child will be learning about this glorious truth.
“Jesus doesn’t define us by our past but works with us to create a different future.”
Jesus doesn’t define us by our past but works with us to create a different future.
Jesus never waited for the woman in John chapter 4 to get her life in order before He talked with her. Instead, He approached amid her drama and dysfunction. While others were afraid to be seen talking to her (John 4:27), Jesus wasn’t. Jesus was committed to initiating a relationship with her before she had ever given a thought to Him.
As you think about your child today, what are the greatest hindrances blocking his or her connection to Jesus?
Doubt — Maybe your child has intellectual blockades that oppose the idea that God is with him or her.
Guilt — Your child may have a sense of regret from sinful decisions that invokes an idea that God doesn’t want him or her.
Experience — Maybe your child struggles in this technological age to understand that a connection with God isn’t initiated through a device.
Desire — Your child may be aware of God’s willingness but lacks a desire of his or her own.
Which one is blocking the signal more than the others? Why do you think it is that way?
Just as the woman at the well shared her story with others, have you ever shared your story with your child? Do your children know how Jesus initiated contact with you? Your testimony can be an excellent tool in God’s hands for your child’s growth. Think about how you can share with your family regarding how God reached out to you at first and how He still reaches out to you today.
PRAY
As you think through that greatest hindrance in your child’s life, pray that God would break through it today. In today’s focal passage, the psalmist speaks of how God connects with us like a river gladdening a city. Pray these words over your child by taking a phrase and expanding upon it.
“There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold” (Ps. 46:4-7).
Today is going to be a good day. Jesus has set up a time to meet with your child. Pray that those moments with Him are life-changing.
Personal circumstances never exceed God’s power and faithfulness. Remembering how God has provided in the past gives courage for the future. He is faithful.
This devotional is adapted from FUGE’s Parent Devotions. You can find the complete resource here.
