January 8 Devotion

Children stretch us and grow our character in more ways than we can imagine. It always seems that if we have two or more children, God makes sure they don’t have the same personality. In His abundant humor or wisdom, God gives us at least one child who is compliant and one child who is rebellious. I suppose if all of our children had the same personality and we figured out how to raise that one personality, we’d think everybody should be as good of parents as we are. We wouldn’t be able to understand why some parents struggle raising their children and others don’t. As it is, the diversity within our children’s personalities, behaviors, and talents keeps us from ever feeling comfortable, or from ever thinking that we’ve arrived as parents. Ishmael was born to Abraham and Hagar. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah. We don’t know for sure what type of personality Isaac had, but any child who would agree to be sacrificed by their dad has to be a pretty compliant child, don’t they (Genesis 22:9&10)? And we are told quite plainly that Ishmael was “a wild one - - free and untamed as a wild donkey! He will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. Yes, he will live at odds with the rest of his brothers” (Gen.16:12). That must have been an exciting household to be a part of! And then Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, have two sons; twins, no less. And what does the Bible tell us, but they were striving with one another even while in their mother’s womb (Gen. 25:21-26)! Even as God creates diversity within the rest of His creation, such as the plants and animals; so He creates diversity within a human family. He knows what He is doing and He has His reasons (Deuteronomy 29:29). In time, we see His wisdom and can give Him thanks for the variety He has given to us within our family (Isaiah 55:8&9).