Caller: My question is about witnessing to parents. You know how in Proverbs it says: Parents, raise up your children in the way of the Lord and when they’re old they shall not depart from it? Would you happen to know of any scriptures that have something to do with the opposite situation which would be children raising up parents in the way of the Lord?
Pastor Doug: I think I know what you’re asking—are there some scriptures that speak more specifically to how a child, not an infant, but how a child can be a witness to their parent and maybe lead them to the Lord. There is that scripture that says, Out of the mouths of babes you have perfected praise and a little child will lead them. Isaiah 65 talks about a little child shall lead them, talking there about the lion and the lamb playing together, so to speak. In Matthew 21:16 Jesus said “Have you not read, out of the mouths of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise.”
God speaks through young people. Another example would be the story of two kings who were very godly as young people and they led the nations back to the Lord. And that was Joash and Josiah. One was eight years old when he began to reign and the other was seven, and they led the nation back to God by their example of obedience. Another example is King David who was the youngest of his family and was selected by God.
We don’t know exactly his age but he was a youth. So there are some principles there that would say you that can lead. One more example, Paul said to Timothy “Let no man despise your youth” and Timothy, though young, was leading a church of people who were older, and Paul was training him.
Caller: Thank you, because my mother is the type of person who likes to argue this stuff so I’ve been looking for three years and have had little luck.
Pastor Doug: Hopefully there’s a little bit there. That text in Timothy is 2 Timothy 4:12: Let no man despise your youth”. Hopefully that’s the scripture you’re looking for.