From One Generation to the Next

I have always found a reading of the Old Testament to be exciting . . . and heartbreaking. You find real people and how their real lives were impacted and changed when they came to know and walk with God; such as David. He went from being a lowly shepherd boy to being the King of Israel. Yes, there were a lot of years between the two, but he knew and walked with God; even as a young teen . . . so much so he was able to trust God to fight for him when facing a real giant none of the older soldiers in the army were willing to fight . . . they just ran and hid! He knew, walked with, and trusted God to keep him through the years when he was being chased by Saul. Yes, he made some really horrible choices over the years, but when faced with his sin he turned from it and asked God for forgiveness and grace. He wrote the Psalms and modeled for us, even today - how to talk with God as well as how to worship and praise Him!

Yet, in spite of the amazing way David knew and walked with God, his children did not follow and share in his love for God. This is the heartbreaking part. If you spend time looking at the kings of Israel and Judah, some followed God and then in a generation or two they turned their backs on God. If you read Psalm 78 you are able to see how over and over the Israelites walked with God and then forgot Him. Something bad happened so they turned back to God, and then in a generation or two they forgot Him all over again.

I find this frightening. I love God! I want to know and walk with Him  I want my children and grandchildren and future generations, should Jesus tarry, to continue to know, love, and walk with God. I do not want them to forget Him. It only takes a casual glance at the evening news to know our world is broken because it has forgotten God. It is heartbreaking.

So how do we make a difference? I think part of the answer - because clearly it is not a simple answer - is to look at the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve had everything; and it was perfect! They actually walked physically with God in the cool of the evening, every evening. Yet, they were still deceived. They had to know God loved them, and yet they were willing to consider the question Satan asked; was God keeping something good from them? Did God really love them? When we doubt God's love for us we are much more likely to question what He has clearly told us, and try to make it "fit" in the "world-view" of the day in which we live. No matter how much Satan tells us doing so will bring us freedom and happiness, the truth is it only brings pain, sorrow, death and  brokenness. 

When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He chose to hold on to God's Word. I think this is where the answer is found. We need to hold on to what God has said. We need to help our children and grandchildren do this as well. We need to equip the children and families in our ministries to do the same. So, what has God said? Clearly a lot of things, but for me I will hold on to the following:

• I John 4:19 - We love because God loved us first.
• Romans 8:35-39 - Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? 36 It is exactly as the Scriptures say, “For you we face death all day long. We are like sheep on their way to be butchered.” 37 In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. 38 I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, 39 and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!
• I John 1:9 - But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.

As we focus on passing on a heritage and legacy of confident faith to our children, grandchildren, and the children in our ministries let's hold on to God's Word; not what we think, not what our culture thinks, not what people around us might think. Let's hold on to what God has clearly said in His Word!

And, we need to commit to equip the families in our church, so they are able to hand down this confident faith. What are we doing to do this? If we in the church focus upon equipping parents and grandparents, they publishers will start providing resources for us to use with the families in our ministries. This will absolutely make a difference. 

There are not many resources designed for you to use to equip parents and grandparents to hand down confident faith - yet, but there are a few. Check out the Life on the Goldilocks  Planet Series at this link and use it with the families in your church. This is one of the most important things you will ever do - be a church which is committed to making a difference by equipping parents and grandparents to hand down confident faith!