One Small Seed Newsletter – Edition #284, December 2024
Greetings,
“Train up a child in the way he should go. When he (or she) is old, they will not depart from it”.
The thought popped into my mind, while I was in our garden this morning working in my bean patch. I had staked and ran wires so the plants would run up them, but as they grew they ran everywhere. I’ve spent many hours in our garden in hopes of a good crop of whatever I planted. We hope to preserve some, as we have for years, but as they say, the devil is in the details. Ninety-degree days for the last two weeks, very little rain, many pests and little energy. Does this sound like a pity party? It isn’t! Our garden is doing well, so that I’m not a crybaby. My beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, blackberries, asparagus, and potatoes, after the proper training have done very well. I’m sorry, I left out my rhubarb, garlic, onions, radishes, crooked neck yellow squash and lettuce.
The Principle of Training
The lesson is that training is necessary, but planting the seed is most important—without commitment, I shouldn’t plant. There was a warning in Solomon’s message, in verse 15:
“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him”.
Foolishness can range from lacking intelligence and understanding to being dull, sluggish, or silly. Since Solomon was very wise, he was able to give a positive definition for a young child’s approach to life. His approach was not to use deadly force or unnecessary yelling or threats. His definition was what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:2
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine…”
Correction in Love
Solomon was wise in natural things and he was also wise in Godly things. His natural things were what he learned by life experiences and the things he learned from other scholars. His Godly knowledge came from his parents, elders, priests, and teachers under the law. Paul also had this kind of upbringing. Who better to tell us how to train up a child? The “rod” is simply a way of saying “with the authority of a wise parent”. With the sternness, the patience, the understanding, the love, and the zeal of being a good parent. This is what the rod means.
Paul and Solomon both grew up under the strict rules of the Law of Moses. However, there were differences in the seasons they lived:
- Solomon came before the dividing of Israel from Judah, and Paul was in the last days of Judah and Israel. Solomon was anointed as king over the whole family of Jacob and Judah was over the two righteous tribes.
- Solomon ruled during a time of peace and stability. Paul, on the other hand, lived when the Roman Empire dominated the region. Society was filled with chaos, deception, hypocrisy, and false teachings. This chaos was founded on lies and liars, hypocrites and impersonators. The values God established through Abraham—faith, righteousness, and covenant—were being distorted or opposed in Paul’s era.
While training my beans to climb, I reflected on my lessons, experiences, mistakes, and the cost of my training process. Encouraged by training, I climbed higher, kept my eyes on the Son, and honored Him with my fruit. My devotion and honor grew because He loved me deeply, guiding me through daily training.
Seasons of Growth and Training
From birth into the Roberts family in July 1945, my physical training began. In April 1957, my spiritual training took root. Like any human, I was a very slow learner, so what would anyone think? This applies to natural as well as spiritual, that is, the “body and the soul”. A novice cannot lead other novices. However the educated cannot dumb down or shame a novice. My beans were in chaos when they were about a foot tall. They began to stray to the row next door. This was the time that my job and calling stepped up. I was a novice at the beginning of my calling to train up a child. I had to recognize the obstacles novices face before becoming good parents and leaders. Training up children, or beans on poles, is a full-time job for a season. However, with dedication and patience, the end result will prove the worth.
Training is like Solomon’s statement:
Ecclesiastes 3:1
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.
Using the analogy between beans and children, I have learned that time for the learning process is short. The early years are the most formidable. These are the years when thoughts and actions need to be adjusted for a proper approach to learning and living. It is like the twelve-inch beans vines calling out. “I need help to find the poles for me to satisfy God’s purpose and blessing to Him.”
The Fruit of Training up a Child
Growing beans only last half a year, from planting the seed to the end of the harvest. The process for children is much longer between birth and mature adult. In both cases, there is a beginning (the planting of the seed) and an ending for the caretaker. The reaping of the consequences is the important part and hopefully will bring praises to all things in the process.
According to the text, the child will get to the place where they’re matured enough to make their own decisions. Hopefully they will use the judgments of things they learned earlier in life to make their decisions on. If they have learned truth and grace, they will bear good fruit, just as well-tended plants yield a bountiful harvest. Have a Happy New Year and God Bless.
Your friend in Christ,
Rodney Roberts