Here’s a Bible text message for Mothering Sunday! “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.” [ Psalm 127:4 ] Who would have thought that children are like arrows? But if the Bible says so we must put our thinking caps on! First of all arrows have to be made, they don’t grow on trees but they must be made from trees. Like trees, children have knots and twists and these must all be handled patiently by their parents until they become morally straight.

After the shaft has been made it must be polished. So children should be polished with politeness, like always remembering their pleases and thank yous. When polished, the shaft must be pointed. It’s sad when a child lives a pointless life. They need to be inspired by heroic stories of noble people, especially Jesus, so that these become their role models and not those who idly live for their own pleasures.

When an arrow has been straightened, polished and pointed, it needs a feathered tail to give it balance and direction. There is nothing better than the Bible and the wide reading of good books to give the moral stability a child needs. As the arrow is shot forth its tip is only in the warrior’s hand for a moment: so a child is in the hands of its parents for only a few years. During that brief time it must be carefully aimed so that as it leaves the bow string of the home it flies straight down the years bringing glory to the God of truth and love.

God holds us responsible for the way we bring up our children. Jesus gave a solemn warning to those who caused children to be led astray. [ Matthew 18:6 ] Your child is precious, handle with prayer.