Day 207 Chosen People

 

7/26/2026 

"But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,

and He who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not,

for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name;

you are Mine.'"

Isaiah 43:1

 

Baby dedications are very special times for parents who have given their lives to Christ and who desire to raise up their children according to God's ways. When a child is dedicated to the Lord, it is not the same as baptism. Baptism comes when a child is old enough to understand what it means to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, when they surrender their lives and dedicate them to a life hidden in Christ. When a child is dedicated to the LORD the parents, along with the support of the church, are promising to raise the child in a life that is separate, training them in the ways of God as described in the Bible. I don't know if there were baby dedications when I was born, but I do know that besides my parents, grandparents, and many aunts and uncles, my life was influenced by many people, and I was guided by Sunday School teachers and family friends who taught me and kept me on the straight and narrow. I have so many precious memories of my life, and the friends at Central Baptist Church.

Before going to my church this morning I checked in on another local body, Pastor Stan at Cloverhill was doing baby dedications in the early service. The children were young, and they didn't really say anything, or at least I did not hear them speak. I love it when young children grow old enough to understand salvation, and before they are baptized they are questioned as to why they are being baptized. It is a wonderful thing to listen to the purity of a young life dedicating themselves to Jesus. I remember my baptism when I was eight or nine years old. I know I accepted Christ at age eight, but sometimes the baptism does not happen immediately. Although I was young, I know that I knew who Jesus was and is, because I feel that He's always been a huge part of my life. He has been and remains my life. When my children were born, they were each dedicated at Central Baptist Church, and later they were baptized at Colonial Heights Assembly of God. Amazing memories - ones the enemy would love to destroy.

I was reading today that "Neuroscientists have discovered that as the brain develops during the adolescent years, the prefrontal cortex, which is the decision-making center of the brain, develops a mechanism through which impulses are filtered and not instantly acted upon." 

Psalm 139:13-16 in The Living Bible describes our amazingly designed bodies as:

"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body, and knit them together in my mother's womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous - and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in Your Book!"

We have to do everything we can to guard and support our children and grandchildren - all children! They are a blessing from the God of all Creation!