“Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children” (Psalm 90:16, NKJV).

It’s with good reason the order was this way. Work appeals to the mature—but it is so important that our children glimpse His glory. That glimpse of His glory makes the work worth it all. Even our Lord, “for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2, NKJV).

Once people have glimpsed His glory, they will suffer the loss of all things, counting them but refuse that they might win Christ. Isaiah labored a lifetime and met a grisly death—but he saw His glory first. Ezekiel saw His glory first, also. Paul, the arch-persecutor, became the Lord’s prisoner—laboring, traveling, preaching and suffering as few others have. But he saw His glory first. Peter, James and John also suffered for Him as few have, but they saw His glory first.

We must take care, we parents, that we speak less of the problems, the difficulties, the headaches and heartaches and backaches in this work than we do of Him and His glory. Indeed, I question the wisdom of even mentioning the former when the children are small.

Bible verses taken by permission from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright ©1979, 1980, 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers, Nashville, Tenn.

Taken by permission and adapted from “Prodigals and Those Who Love Them,” By Ruth Bell Graham. ©1991, 1999, The Ruth Bell Graham Literary Trust.