In their book “God is in the Small Stuff and it all matters,” Bruce and Stan wrote:
The family must be pretty important, because Satan has been trying to destroy it since the beginning of time. We don’t mean to be overly dramatic here, but we do want to take you on a little journey through history (we’re going to use the Bible) and show why this is true.
At the beginning of the Bible (and the beginning of time), God created the family. He made a man—Adam—and a woman—Eve—and put them together as a family. Then came the serpent—otherwise known as Satan—to destroy the first family by enticing them to disobey God, which they did. Only Satan didn’t tear apart what God had put together. God preserved the family, and He promised that some time in the future a Savior would come from Adam and Eve’s offspring (His name was Jesus) to defeat Satan.
Fast forward to Egypt about thirty-five hundred years ago. The great Pharaoh was building his empire and his monuments on the backs of Hebrew slaves. God heard their cries and called a savior (his name was Moses) to rescue His people. Pharaoh, no doubt inspired by Satan, decided there were too many Hebrew families. So to thin the ranks he decreed that all male babies be killed. The plan almost succeeded, except that God preserved baby Moses, who grew up to lead God’s people out of Egypt. Because the Hebrew nation was spared, the family line from Adam and Eve to the future Savior was unbroken.
Fast forward again to Palestine about two thousand years ago. Herod, who ruled the region for Rome, heard about a new king who would be born in Bethlehem (his name was Jesus). Fearing for his throne, and no doubt inspired by Satan, Herod decreed that all Hebrew babies be killed. Once again God preserved the family and our future by sending an angel to Mary and Joseph, who fled to Egypt with their divine Son.
God has always had a plan to save mankind. And His plan has always involved the family. Without the family and God’s efforts to preserve it, Moses and Jesus would never have been born. There would never have been a Savior for Israel and a Savior for the world.
Dr. James Dobson once said that the family is the most effective way for the Good News message to go from one generation to the next. That’s why Satan wants to destroy the family: He wants to destroy the message. For that very reason, the family continues to be under attack today. Take a look at your own family. What kind of shape is it in? What are you doing to preserve and strengthen your family so that your children will be sure to hear the Good News message?
God loves your family. He knows and loves every detail about your family, and He’s counting on you to help preserve it for His glory.
. . . In the Small Stuff
- Establish family traditions and faithfully keep them.
- Be as considerate with your family as you are with your friends.
- Be as courteous with your family as you are to strangers.
- Friendships can fade. Families are forever.
- Prefer the love of your family over the praise of acquaintances.
- There are a few nuts (and squirrels) in every family tree.
- Stay in touch with family members. It’s easy to ignore those closest to you.
- Call your mother—you know how she worries.
- Send cards and notes to your grandparents on special occasions, and be sure to include current pictures or the family.
- Eat at least one meal a day together as a family.
- Develop a recreational activity your family can do together, and then enjoy it regularly.
~ Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz, God is in the Small Stuff and it all matters (Uhrichsville, Ohio, Barbour Publishing, Inc. 1998) 226-31
