Raising Arrows

There’s a car decal I see often of a group of arrows with the phrase: “Raising Arrows.” It’s a reference to Psalm 127:4-5.

“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.” (Psalm 127:4-5)

My kids were born to me as a young man, and this verse makes me wonder exactly how my children are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. There are some specific things about arrows that make them good or bad; first, the arrow must be specified to the bow you use. You can’t just grab any arrow and use it with any bow and expect to get an accurate shot. The arrow must be the proper length for your bow and the arrow must have the right amount of flex for your bow. If either of these is off, the arrow will not fly accurately. So if my children are like arrows in a warrior’s hand, then my wife and I must be precise and intentional with how we raise them so that they are ready to fly straight when the time comes. Another way to put it:

“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

As Andy Stanley said, “Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do but someone you raise.” When we direct our children onto the right path, when we intentionally pour God’s love and Word into them, when we work to keep the soil of our children fertile, then the seeds we scatter will take root and produce a crop that is one hundred times more than was planted. And when the time comes for that child to leave his father and mother, they will not stray from the path; instead, they will fly straight and true.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed