I’ve been reading through the entire Bible this year on Youversion.  I’m using a reading plan that is somewhat chronological.  There came a time in the history of God’s chosen people that they rebelled against God.  They worshiped idols of the nations that surrounded them.  Part of the practice of worshipping idols was sacrificing to those idols.  One of the idols was named Molech, the god of fire.  God’s people began sacrificing their first born children to the fire god by burning them alive in a religious ceremony.  Can you imagine?  How gross!  How detestable.  No wonder God was mad at them and allowed his judgment against them.

Very few things get me angrier than when people abuse the innocence of a child.  I completely understand God’s judgment against these people.  It just ticks me off thinking they threw their children in fire!

Children have a special place in God’s heart.  The Scripture say, Matthew 19:14-15 (NLT) ¹⁴ But Jesus said “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” ¹⁵ And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left. It is true, “Jesus loves the little children.”

Now-a-days, at least in the U.S., we would never sacrifice children to an idol.  We’re far too civilized.  That may happen in backward countries, but never in the U.S.  Really?   I’ve been shocked recently by some of the things that have happened to children at the hands of their parents.  One boy was left to bake in a car when his mom apparently was high and forgot him in the car while she slept.  She realized after about 6 hours that he was in the car.   The child was sacrificed to the gods of drugs and pleasure.

I read an article this morning of a mom who starved her 4 year old.  The child weighed only 15 pounds when authorities found her.   Her mom is a drug addict.  She spends her money of drugs instead of food for her child.  These children were sacrificed to the gods of selfishness and pleasure.

People in the U.S. have tried to sell their children for sex so they could buy more drugs.  These children sacrificed to the god of pleasure.

We have about one million children aborted in the U.S. each year.  These children sacrificed to the god of convenience and sex.

We have become so self absorbed that we no longer protect our children; we  hurt our children.  They are precious and we must value them like God does.  If we don’t we deserve a harsh judgment.

Love your children.  Protect their innocence.  Protect the innocent, the weak, the needy.