The Lord can productively use children who have been trained in the way of the Lord.
Hannah, a woman in the Bible, saw her child as a gift from God; and dedicated the child to be trained in the way of the Lord. With the approval of her husband, their child, Samuel, was trained to be a minister to the people of the Lord, by a priest of God named Eli (1 Samuel 1:21; 1 Samuel 2:11).
Timothy, another youth in the Bible, was trained in the way of the Lord by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice; followed by training from the Apostle Paul. When Timothy was older, the Lord used what he had learned to minister the gospel of Jesus Christ to others. (2 Timothy 1:2-8).
We can train children for the Lord. Jesus said, “let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14): Little children understand and remember what you teach them about the Lord—even those who go astray like a “prodigal” child. Train children in the way of the Lord, and when they are old the Lord can avail what you have taught them for his purpose (Proverbs 22:6).
The Lord can use childhood learning to summons wayward children to himself.
A prodigal son went astray from a God-loving home; and wasted everything he inherited on riotous living. When the wayward son reached his bottom, he remembered his loving Father and went home. (Luke 15:11-24).
Like the prodigal son, I went astray from what I was taught early about our heavenly Father. My grandmother trained me in the way of the Lord by what she said and did. I heard her often talk about the goodness of God, and pray to him. I saw her show love to relatives and neighbors. When I was a child she had me read stories from the Bible to her. As a youth I accepted the Lord in church, and worked as youth leader. But I went astray.
However, the Lord allowed me to reach my bottom, and remember to return to his loving and forgiving arms. He put me back to work reaching out mainly to people who are unchurched; and He promised to restore to me the years that I wasted (Joel 2:25).
“Take Me Back,” lyrics of famed gospel music artist Andrae Crouch expresses the sentiments of people like me who went astray and longed to get back to the Lord. Click to hear “Take Me Back” https://youtu.be/dnV6D3jgAoc
You can train children in the way of Lord for the Lord
You may know the Lord and his way. You may be a grandparent, parent, relative, Sunday school teacher or whoever has contact with children, whom God had placed in your care or sphere of influence. You should see this as a privilege and opportunity to train children in the way of our Lord.
