Highpoint Church, San Diego, California, August 28, 2022 – What an eventful day shared this past Sunday. Our families came together in worship. Child dedication was shared for three of our adorable children, Jeziah Zayne Suka, Sumiko Mai Robert, and Tautianei Makai Jakobe “MJ” Aizawa Robert.
Shortly after, everyone came together in the Fellowship Hall for a celebration. In addition to the dedication, the Birthday blessings were in order. Happy Birthday to Jeziah & all the August babies.
100 families and friends gathered at the Highpoint Church in San Diego for this important occasion to bare witness and support parents as they presented their children to the Lord.
The service started off with a call to worship and opening prayer by Mr. Surleigh Tara. Following that, the worship team led the congregation through worship songs. A powerful and beautiful special number was presented by our Samoan family.
The dedication was officiated by Pastor Suka who closed out the ceremony by sharing a message from 1 Samuel 1-2.
The main point of the message can be in the story of Hannah who sought the Lord in the midst of her crisis. She poured out her heart to the Lord and made a vow that if the Lord blessed her with a child, she would dedicate him back to the Lord to serve Him for the rest of his life. The Lord answered and blessed her with baby Samuel.
Samuel was called by the Lord to be a prophet to the Nation of Israel. As a Prophet, Samuel ordained King Saul, the first king of Israel, and later, King David.
While it may seen a crisis for Hannah year after year, barren and heartbroken, Hannah continued to seek the Lord despite the negativity and shame from the other women around her. Out of her desperation was born a blessing because she sought the Lord. She trusted that the Lord was who she needed in the midst of her seemingly and unending problem. Furthermore, she fulfilled her vow to the Lord by giving back her son, her only son, to the Lord.
In turn, the Lord blessed her with five more children, three boys and two girls.
Pastor Suka charged the parents to follow the example of Hannah, to fulfill the vows to raise their children up in the ways of the Lord. To remain patient and faithful – regardless of the surroundings, teach our children to desperately seek the Lord.
Teaching is and foremost the responsibility of the parents. It’s wonderful and a blessing to have Sunday school teachers. However, the prime responsibility of teaching children rests upon the parents and begins at home. Teach them how to pray, teach them how to read the Bible, teach them the ways of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old he will not depart from it.”
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall take of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-8)
Notice, the command in Deuteronomy 6 verse 4 begins with “You shall love the LORD your God…” To dedicate a child to God, the parents are to love the Lord and know Him first. It would not make sense for parents to dedicate their children to a God whom they do not know and do not love. So first, it is extremely important that parents who dedicate or wish to dedicate their children must have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus, know our Lord Jesus and love Him. Only then, your love can be true toward the Lord, and therefore would make a lot of sense to dedicate your child to God in whom you know and love.
Although the focus was on Hannah, Pastor Suka addressed the men, husbands, head of the household. Elkanah was a good spiritual leader of his family. Year after year, Elkanah took his family to Shiloh to offer sacrifices and worship the Lord. He led the family. He was the one taking them to this place to worship. He was the one that was providing for them so that they can offer sacrifices unto the Lord. He was a spiritual leader within his home. That’s what a spiritual leader looks like, he leads. You lead by example, and he brings them along. and that’s exactly what he did here, a good example for us in that regard.
To God be the Glory! We thank the families for sharing this special moment, and pray that God would be pleased!
