Job 39:13–17: “The wings of the ostrich flap with joy, but are they the pinions and plumage of a stork? For she leaves her eggs on the ground and lets them be warmed on the soil. She forgets that a foot might crush them, or that a wild animal might trample them. She is harsh with her young, as if they are not hers. She is unconcerned about the uselessness of her labor, for God deprived her of wisdom and did not impart understanding to her.”

I am concerned about the way some parents treat their children. It just strikes me that this outline from God describing the ostrich is almost picture‑perfect for how some parents treat their children.

She is harsh with her young as if they are not hers. She is unconcerned about the uselessness of her labor. She is harsh with her young. She forgets that her foot might crush them.

That strikes, right? People have had very harsh experiences from their parents. That is the truth. And the challenge is not to be doing finger‑pointing. The challenge is: are you not mirroring that? Are you not that?

Harshness. Remember Paul wrote, “Do not provoke your children so that they will not become discouraged,” talking about the fathers now, talking about the power of fathers and how they need to be cautioned against the abuse of that power, and that rather they should bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

And you are correct to feel that your parents have been like this ostrich. Some parents just are like this. They go to World War I, World War II, World War III with their children—unending wars, unending nit‑picking. And he is saying that is not wise. Where is that going to lead you? What are we aiming for here? That thing you want to achieve, is it the right way to do it?

But do not forget, the psalmist wrote, “My father and my mother may forsake me, but the Lord will take me up.” Some parents have abandoned their children. They live their lives as if the children do not exist. And you may feel that hurt. That hurt is valid. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

Some parents act as if they are your enemies. That is what we are seeing here, right? He said, “She is harsh with her young… she is unconcerned.”

Harshness, callousness from parents. Callousness—just extreme desensitization to their children. Look at the judgment that God said was going to come on Israel. He said You are going to eat up your own children. That is what we are seeing. Is that not what we are seeing? Not literally now. You look at that picture of judgment of Israel; you say, “They will eat their children?” He said even the delicate woman will cook her child and eat up. When you look at the judgment that God leveled against Israel for disobeying His word, that is one of the harshest. It is like on the extreme end what God said is going to happen.

But I am saying it is happening—not literally, but attitudinally. In the approach to the children, in the treatment of the children, in the lifestyle with the children, in the disposition to the children.

I am expressing power over that thing that I am going to eat. Look at the food that is served in front of me—the head of a goat that is served in front of me. I have power over that goat to eat it up. To say that parents do not have power over their children is to be extremely deceived. But we are saying that power can be abused. And Jesus Christ is not ignorant of the power dynamics when He said, “The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, but that shall not be so among you.”

But that is an aside, right? I am talking about the fact that parents have power over children, and to deceive yourself as a parent and say you do not have power is dangerous, because that means you are already abusing that power. That is what I think.

So the judgment was: they will eat up their children. And I am saying you could have been eaten up by your parents. That is the truth. So many things might have been damaged in your life by your parents, and they may treat you like their enemy. However, you have been commanded to pray for your enemy. That is the truth.

God bless you. See you later.