“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers…” (Malachi 4:6 KJV). 

Elijah was one of Israel’s greatest prophets.  The Word of God declared that before the Lord would come and establish His Kingdom that Elijah would return to prepare the way (Malachi 4:5).  Jesus revealed to his disciples that John The Baptist was that Elijah (Luke 1:16-17, Math. 11: 10, and Math. 17:11-13)! Jesus was declaring that the same anointing that was on Elijah was on John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit operated in him and through him in the same degree of power that He operated in Elijah during his day. Malachi then described what happens when the Holy Spirit comes and does His work in the family! 

The Holy Spirit will bring reconciliation in the family.  He will “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers..”. His deep work in the heart of the fathers would  cause them to genuinely love their children.  They would delight in their children.  Their children would in turn  bring them great joy!  The children would not be seen as a burden or a bother but be seen as the blessing that God intended them to be (Psalm 127:3-5).   As a result the children would also delight in their fathers!   The relationship would  produce mutual joy. 

That is what The Holy Spirit does when He is invited into our lives and into our homes! 
He reconciles broken relationships.  He brings His love, His joy and His peace into the home.   He brings harmony.  He brings meaning and purpose  to the family.  He enables each member of the family to value and treasure one another.  And The Holy Spirit enables the family to become a refuge from the darkness of the world around it.  Each member of the family will find joy and delight in being with one another.  And Christ will be exalted in the midst of the family. 

To see a family that genuinely loves and cares for one another and to see that Christ is honored in the midst of that family is evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work within the family!  Such a sight brings honor and glory to the Lord and demonstrates that Jesus is truly alive!   So let us be encouraged to enthrone Christ in our lives and our families!  He wants to do a marvelous work in each of our families that will be a testimony to others! 

James W. Black