The Olive Plants

On cannot but admire WARREN HENDERSON for daring to tackle the difficult subject of bringing up children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. He tells us that he has ‘recorded, in an on-going manner, what my wife and I have learned from scripture, from other Christian parents, and by practical experience’, adding for our encouragement that ‘children will survive despite their parents’.

The author has divided his subject into three main sections. Logically enough they are: the Early Years; the Middle Years; the Continuing Years. The first two have five sub-sections each, the third has four, ending with ‘Given in Marriage’. Grandparents may add wryly that responsibility does not end there! It should be noted that the last two pages, ‘The Reward of Godly Parenting’, must be read diligently.

The great merit of the book is that it is thoroughly Bible-based. It is encouraging to find that there are frequent references to the book of Proverbs, a much-neglected part of scripture. While, inevitably, the book betrays its North American origins, its comprehensive coverage of the subject provides parents with a timely opportunity to examine how far they are fulfilling their responsibilities in the light of the teaching of God’s word.

This book should be read and prayed over by young married couples before they launch out on the ‘choppy waters’ of parenthood. Quite rightly the author emphasizes the need for parents to be united in the manner and methods which they will adopt when, in due course, they shoulder their responsibilities.

Although the book is clearly targeted at parents, others will benefit by reading it. How many elders, for example, could confidently claim to understand the pressures which humanistic teaching is bringing to bear upon our children? Not only parents but elders, grandparents, all who work with children and young people should read ‘Guarding against the Humanistic Threat’, pages 105-108. Our thanks are due to the author for daring, humbly, to address this subject.

[Our thanks to Ed Hotchin, Hucknall, Nottingham, UK, for this review]