Scripture to Read: 1 Timothy 5:4
As we continue to see what God has commanded of us concerning widows, today we will focus on 1 Timothy 5:4. Through Paul, God begins to tell Timothy that if widows have children or even grandchildren who are adults, then these adult children or grandchildren are to be the ones to take care of this widow. To show respect for our family is another high priority that God has given to us. God created the family first, long before He ever created the church. A healthy family is a beautiful picture of God’s handiwork. God gave the husband as the head of the family, so the husband is to be the picture of Christ in the home because Christ is the Head of the church. Just as Christ loves His church and sacrificed His life for her, the husband must love his wife unconditionally and sacrifice for her daily. God gave the wife as the helpmate to the husband, but the wife is also the picture of the body of Christ in the home. The body of Christ is the church, so even as the church respects Christ and submits to Christ’s authority, so the wife is to respect her husband and submit to his God-given authority. Children are a gift from the Lord and they also have their role as they honor their parents and obey them in the same way they obey Christ. So, when a woman becomes a widow, her children and/or grandchildren show her great respect by taking care of her, which definitely pleases God.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about widows with children or grandchildren?
2. How are you seeing this lived out by your family or a family who has a widow in their family?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!