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What we want is for every father and mother to be moved be say when a little one is put into their arms, "This child is a heritage from the Lord, a sign of the Divine favour towards us, a precious charge of love to be brought up in His nurture and admonition."

I. TRY TO ESTIMATE THEIR WORTH. As God's gifts they possess an inestimable value. Nothing He sends can be worthless. The humblest flower which "He pencils into beauty by a ray of sunlight is not to be overlooked. Of every work that bears the mark of His creative touch, however insignificant, the exhortation may be uttered, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones." How much more shall it be said — and said by the Master of men Himself — of those little flowers of humanity that spring up and bud and blossom in our homes. The hopes of two worlds, of time and eternity, meet in every child born into our homes. Have we ever realized as completely as we might do what they are and may become? If we have attempted this, then all relationships in which they may stand to us are as nothing compared with this, that they may become heirs of immortality and eternal life.

II. TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERS. A family is a little world. Each member of it has a personality of his and her own. But what that is who can tell? There is no magic method of discovering it. God has hot intended to save us the trouble of constant watchfulness by sending with each child a tabulated description of its character. Everything is unformed, yet there is a distinct individuality lying and working underneath, and that manifests itself as education and circumstances develop the mind and heart. What we have to do is to wait, and watch, and guide; acknowledging the existence of variety, yet training it in wholesome ways.

III. TRY TO APPRECIATE THE POWER OF YOUR INFLUENCE. Do they learn from us to honour and to attain the highest principles? Do they see that we as Christian men and women esteem godliness and truth above all other things? Let our influence be such as to nurture in them a fervent love of what is right because it is right, and a profound abhorrence to all that is mean, selfish, double-minded, impure, un-Christlike, and then will their minds respond with quick sensitiveness to all forms of goodness, and turn with spontaneous hatred from that which is contrary to uprightness and truth.

(W. Braden.)

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KJV: Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

WEB: Behold, children are a heritage of Yahweh. The fruit of the womb is his reward.