"HEAR, MY SON!"

Proverbs 1:7-9                      (ESV)

"7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

8 "HEAR, MY SON", your father's instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, 

9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck."

Since my mom and dad divorced in 1964, and my dad promptly moved to Canada to avoid paying child support, I had NO father in my life to draw strength, wisdom, and guidance from.  GOD knew that I needed multiple father-figures though, so HE sent maybe 20+ men into my life to influence my path with Godly direction.  

When I was blessed with two sons I told them that I did not have a dad growing up so they would have to cut me a little slack!  Mistakes were numerous and my sons were very patient and forgiving as I sometimes butchered being the father I needed to be!  But GOD can take even mistakes by one of HIS children and cause HIS children to walk a GODLY path.  The main thing I hope I instilled in my children is to fear and love the LORD!

Proverbs 1:7 says fearing the LORD is the "beginning of knowledge".  Book knowledge is not something that I was abundantly blessed with, but GOD was able to teach me a LOT of life lessons that I tried to share with my sons.  When Solomon writes to "HEAR, MY SON" he might be expressing a desire for his children to learn from his mistakes and avoid some pitfalls he experienced.  I am blessed to say I never had to get my sons out of jail, nor did I have to go to the hospital after a drunken wreck, nor did I have to deal with so many other problems that so many dads have.  My children MUST have had the "beginning of knowledge" in there somewhere??

FATHER'S DAY always meant celebrating my mom as my dad!  My mom was a Special Lady as she made sure I was exposed to the "beginning of knowledge.  Now my sons will both be dads by the end of next month.  I pray they expose their children to the "beginning of knowledge" in all they do.  The one sure sign that "HEAR, MY SON" was taking place is they fear the LORD and they display the "beginning of knowledge"!!!