Since childhood I have had a fascination with railroad trains. I can recall waving at the train cars as they rolled along the tracks. I would say, "Bye, bye choo-choo," as I waved goodbye. I no longer talk to the train cars as if they were my friend; however, I do often find myself conversing with God when I see a locomotive chugging along the tracks. I usually ask God to protect and bless the engineer and crew.

Volumes could be written regarding how the formative years of our childhood are so vital to the adults we become. In Proverbs 22:6 we read, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." We not only need to teach our children right from wrong, but should also not hesitate to introduce them to God. We should encourage them to pray to Jesus daily and be willing to model a lifestyle reflective of Christ.

The problem with many, in our society today, is they have failed to receive proper training at home. They indeed are often on the wrong track. You may ask, "How do we stay on the right track?" The answer is to stay in God's Word and to read and apply His Word in context. Acts 17:11 speaks of those from Berea who, "Examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." In preparing this devotional I found several verses with the word, "train." The meaning varied from verse-to-verse. In Psalm 68:18 and Ephesians 4:8 train is used as a reference to a group of people, while in Proverbs 22:6, Titus 2:4 and 1 Timothy 4:7 the word train is used as a verb meaning to instruct or teach. In Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3 prepare may be the appropriate definition, while in Isaiah 6:1 the word train is used to describe a part of a garment much like a seamstress might use.

Peter instructs us in the second chapter of his second epistle to be on guard against false teachers. We are to watch out for those who secretly introduce destructive heresies and seek to exploit others with made-up stories. John in the fourth chapter of his first epistle also instructs us to, "Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

You might be wondering how does all of this talk of false prophets and trains relate and is there any correlation to you. May I encourage you to study the Scriptures so that you might know the truth and be able to recognize those teachings which are contrary to God's Word. Secondly, I would like to encourage you to teach our children the truth. Just because a particular church or religion talks about Jesus does not mean they are Christians. Do they deny His virgin birth and deity or do they teach Christ to be the brother of Satan? The question is, "Train, train or train?" We may be using the same words, however the true meaning is only revealed by the context where the word is found. Yes, it does make a difference.

Lord, may we train our children in Your ways and may we train to be Godly men and women and as Paul instructed Timothy, "Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales."