DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES

Today is Friday and a beautiful day.  I plan to work in the yard and at Church today, all outside!  I am looking in Judges this morning, and here is a thought:

DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES- This term is only about 20 years old, but dysfunctional families have been around for a long time.  In Judges 17:1-3, we read:    "And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.  2  And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.  3  And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee."  Notice with me the dysfunction:  First, the mother had something taken from her and she is going around cursing.  Then the son admits to stealing the gold... "I took it".  Then He is blessed of the LORD by his mother for stealing, but then confessing it.  Then she says that she dedicated the money to the LORD.... but make an idol.  Wow!  Who says dysfunctional families are something new?  They have been around for a long, long time.  The first family had a death when Cain killed Abel.  Just work on your family and pray for God's grace and mercy to raise some good kids.  But, don't follow the example that Micah had in Judges 17.  No wonder the Bible says:  "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes."  Let us determine to please the LORD!

Have a blessed day!  Pastor Mike Mutchler