Sons are a heritage from the Lord children are a reward from him. Psalm 127 three a pair of robins built a nest in the apple tree in my backyard. The job required both teamwork and persistence. A blue jay that also lives in the neighborhood was not happy about the robins activity, and he pestered them relentlessly. It was interesting to watch the drama. While one robin carried building materials to the nest, the other kept watch for Mister Blue Jay. The robins built their nest and raised two babies in spite of the effort required and in spite of the Blue Jays best efforts to stop them. Without teamwork and persistence, the robins would have failed. In the past couple of months, we celebrated parenthood in the form of Mothers Day and fathers Day. We honor our parents because we are commanded to do so. In the Bible, it is one of the ten Commandments. Honor your father and mother, Exodus 2012 and is restated in the New Testament. Alistair Begg, pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio, says that at the very least, honoring our parents means speaking kindly to them and about them. Although we need no other reason to honor our parents than the fact that we are commanded by God to do so, I suggest that we also honor our parents for another reason as well. Being a mom or dad is no small or easy task. Parenthood is a big responsibility. You have to be a bit of a hero to be a good parent. The job requires self sacrifice, time, energy, patience, and a lot of love. It takes teamwork and persistence, too. Most important, good parents must build their home on the right foundation. Solomon wrote that children are a reward or a blessing or gift from the Lord. But before he wrote that, he also wrote, unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Moms and dads have a sacred responsibility to teach right and wrong, both by what they do and by what they say. And they have a responsibility to raise their children to know, love, and honor the Lord. Without doing that, parents fail and souls are lost. Jesus told the story of two homes, one built on sand, the other on rock, when a storm rained down on both homes. Only the one built on the rock withstood the storm and survived. Good parents are godly parents who know that their family and home must be built on the foundation of the Lord and his word if they are to survive. It's not mom's job alone or dad's job alone. They must work as a team to get the job done right.

This has been your thought for the day with Steve Burkham, pastor of Community Christian Church in Stockton, California. If you have questions or comments for Pastor Steve, please send them to dailythoughtspodcastmail.com dot. Have a great day and we hope you'll join us tomorrow as Pastor Steve opens God's word to bring us another thought for the day.