That is awesome and encouraging and exciting that the Joshua took over leadership from Moses and lead the people of Israel well throughout his lifetime.
The next book of the Bible, Judges, recounted the above verse almost exactly as in Judges 2:7. "The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.
Then in verses 10 & 11 it tells of the tragety that followed Joshua's death.
"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals."
How sad!
The generation that Joshua led failed to pass the baton to the next generation!
Was it all Joshua's fault?
Of course not. But he obviously lacked in generational vision and the understanding of how to pass on a godly heritage. The parents failed to pass down to their children the laws of the Lord and did not intentionally instill in their children the desire to love and serve YAWHEE. Verse 11 says that they grew up and "knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." I can't even image!
Yet, look around. Has that not happened time and time again throughout the generations?
Let me begin by saying that it is first and formost our God-given responsiblility as parents to teach and train our own children in the ways of the Lord. However, I also believe that we have been given opportunities to mentor/walk along side/train other people throughout our lifetimes.
Many of us, myself included, miss these opportunities.
Darlene says, "Tell your stories....so that the rich history of the miraculous is continually brought front and center. In so doing, you will give the next generation strength to hang on!"
"As spiritual moms and dads, we must be fully convinced of God's ability to work in our lives. Then we can lay hold of the wonderful privilege we have of passing down our knowledge, experience, example, and rich legacy of faith to the next generation, who will also need to remember that if God could do it then, He can do it now."
I would highly recommend this book to you, especially if you are in any form of church ministry or leadership. There are so many great words and lessons that Darlene shares from her experiences in ministry.
Are you passing the baton on to your children?
Are you passing the baton on to others around you that God has placed in your life?
Very interesting! It's usually not until later when I look back and see that a person was placed in my path for a purpose and wish I'd spoken up when I felt the prompting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!