Morning & Evening--The Hearts of Children

As often as my undisciplined self wakes up in the morning to meet with God, I have been using Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. Few things work better to jump start my day than an old kick in the spiritual pants. Over the last several days, I've been hit with some great insights that need to be written down lest they be left to wallow in the deep oblivion of my brain. Here is the first of several:

Spurgeon gives an impassioned call to prayer for our children, saying:

"O for more agonizing prayer on their behalf while they are yet babes! Sin is there, let us begin to attack it. Our cries for our offspring should precede those cries which betoken their actual advent into the world of sin."

I know full well that depravity resides in the hearts of my children. It ravishes quiet evenings at home with the familiar fights over toys, reluctance to eat anything resembling food, and the great bedtime battle.

Yet, I am struck that we are unable even to cure such a heart...a heart that is still so new to this world and its creeping tendrils of envy, lust, and pride. That a four-year-old can so forcefully insist on her own way and resist so diligently the efforts to mold her will to holiness is plentiful proof that we are not enough for our children. We must run to the Lord in prayer.

"Ungodly children, when they show us our own powerlessness against the depravity of their hearts, drive us to flee to the strong for strength..."