The Truth of the Matter

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Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6

If you homeschool your children, there is no 100-percent guarantee that they will turn out to be straight A students with prestigious colleges knocking on their doors when they're finished with high school. That scenario could happen, but might not. As much as you want the best this world has to offer your children, God may have something different planned for their lives.

Are our dreams for our children's futures different from God's dreams for them? We may want them to be intelligent and successful, but God's main concern is that they be obedient and Christlike. We must be careful our pride does not take us of God's straight and narrow homeschooling path for our children's future.

How do you envision your children's lives at the end of your homeschooling days? Are you teaching them to follow God's will for their future or your will? A good way to double-check is to ask yourself this question: "Is my child more concerned about pleasing me and trying to live up to my expectations or God's?" Be careful that your dreams for your children are not leading them off God's path for their lives.

-From the Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; February 28; p. 242

Conquering Fear

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" -Matthew 14:30

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Every mother is a teacher. I was no exception. God used me to teach our baby how to eat with a spoon, say words, play catch and dress herself. Daily, I taught our little one everything she needed to know to succeed at home. Then the school years arrived, and I doubted if I would be able to teach her everything she needed to know to succeed in school. I wanted to homeschool, but people intimidated me about obeying God's call to homeschool. When they said, "You're not smart enough to teach your child," I was tempted to believe them. After all, I didn't have a four-year college degree. Disregarding their comments, however, I decided to relinquish my fears and trust Christ for the wisdom and knowledge necessary to continue teaching my child at home.

Fear is a successful tactic Satan uses to make Christians disregard God's call on their lives. It causes them to doubt God's love and provision, even though they started out strong in their faith. The inspiration given by Jesus to walk on the water is lost, and like Peter, believers find themselves sinking under the waves.

Are the waves of opposition getting high and beating fear into your decision to homeschool? If you've been walking on "water" and experiencing God's blessings in teaching your child at home, don't look down now. Keep your eyes on Jesus and cry out like Peter, "Lord, save me!" Jesus knows what you need, and you can trust him to offer his loving hand to  lift you to safely. After all, hasn't he been right there with you as you've taught your child from the very beginning?

-from The Homeschool Mom's Bible; devotions by Janet Tatman; February 27; p. 238