Side by Side

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2).

Would you like to know a successful homeschooling secret? My children did their best schoolwork when I sat next to them as they completed their assignments. Sounds too simple, doesn't it? I thought so, too, until I tested my theory. No matter their age, the difference was remarkable between the days when I quietly sat nearby and the days when I was busy with chores in another room. Apparently, my presence empowered them with the reassurance that I was there to help if they had a question.

Having someone by your side to help you through life's problems is a blessing from God. In Exodus 17:8-13, Moses was blessed to have two men by his side, his brother Aaron and Hur. When Moses sent Joshua to fight the Amalekites, the Israelites prevailed in the battle as long as Moses held up God's staff in his hand. However, as the day progressed, Moses' hands became so heavy he could no longer hold them up alone. Sitting him down on a rock, Aaron and Hur stood by Moses' side and held up his hands until sunset. Without their help, Moses' hands would have dropped, and Israel would surely have been defeated.

Do you feel alone in facing your homeschooling battles today? Praise God, His love and strength are as close as your next prayer. When you need an extra hand to get through a particularly tough day, He knows and cares. God loves you so much that He'll send the exact person you need to hold you up. If you find yourself in a heavy situation, pray and watch as God proves Himself mighty in sending the encouragement you need. "Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand" (Psalm 37:24).

Father, thank You for watching over me and taking care of my every need. I lift up these homeschooling problems to You! Please, help me. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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Comments(4 comments)

STEPHANIE S 04/16/2011 10:48:21

This was such an encouraging devotional today, and such a good reminder that just as my boys like mom to sit with them and be there while they work, God is there with us sitting by our sides as we teach our children. I really needed to hear this today, too often I forget that I am not alone in life, God is right there. He\'s just a prayer away!!

JESSICA W 04/16/2012 04:21:13

Jessie W.

I agree that sitting with my kids during all of their lessons is quite benificial, and I love to when I can. In times that I can\'t, I really am encouraged when my children do their best because the know that Jesus is beside them. We were challenged by a pastor lately to really practice God\'s presence. I know that He is always with us, but quite frankly, get into a routine and you forget. One fun thing that our family did was to make a large card board cut out of a man and wrote Jesus on him. The kids thought it was fun to have Him sit at our table, watch TV with us, travel in our car, and sit beside them during our home school time. It was very eye opening to me how many times I take for granite \"His Presence.\" My re-actions happen out of habit and he is no where in my thoughts. I\'ve learned that when we, as afamily, are really consistant with practicing His presence, the little squabbles and daily challenges are so much less, our relationships are better, and everyone is happier.

MARIAN S 04/16/2012 04:47:34

This confirms what my 14 yr. old daughter tells me. She still says that she wants me to sit with her when she does her work. It doesn\'t mean that she is not independent; she just wants me to be with her. It reminds me of the Bible story about Martha and Mary. Jesus said it was more important to visit with Him while He was there instead of doing the work that had to be done. Household chores will always be there and they certainly need to be done. However, in four years I will be an empty nester - not looking forward to that. Our children will remember the times we spent together more than how clean the house was.

HEIDI T 04/16/2012 23:19:20

Hi, I\'m Heidi. Marian, my 11 yr old son is also like your daughter there. He clearly says to me that he likes it if I sit with him when he does his work. But it bothers me in times when I really can\'t sit around to accompany him. He would act as if he cannot do anything, he would make many mistakes, and say that he would just wait until I finish what I have to do. Not everyday I can sit around at school time. Can you? What do you do about that? He is my only son, and yes, I will be an empty nester in 7 years, like you said. But shouldn\'t I train him to be independent in times when I really can\'t accompany him? How should I do that when most of the time I do can.


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