In the book of Judges 2, it tells us that the generation after Joshua did not know the Lord. This generation did not see how God parted the red sea or see the Lord’s fire in the sky. They had no first-hand knowledge of the power of God or how they came to inherit the land of milk and honey. They inherited many blessings that their fore parents had earned without any knowledge of the work, prayer, blood, sweat and tears that had gone into acquiring the land they now took for granted.
I believe the nation of Israel got really comfortable in their new home. We as a people tend to only call out to God when times are hard and we need help. I believe this is what happened to Israel. They were slaves in Egypt, they endured hardship and God delivered them. God cleared a path and gave them their own home. But it seems they got too comfortable and forgot about the hardship, slavery and time in the wilderness. Hence, they did not pass those lessons onto the next generation.
I am a part of the worship team and my church and the worship pastor, Graham, recently announced that he and his family will be leaving to lead another church about an hour away. My family and I have only been attending this church for 4 years, but Graham had been leading at this church for a decade. Part of what makes these years so significant is that when Graham and his wife arrived at the church 10 years ago, their son was 1-year-old and their daughter was a newborn. Today their children are 11 and 10 years old. I hear Graham played a large role in the spiritual and physical growth of the church. Not only is he a spiritual leader, he also helped renovate part of the church; that is, he built the stage, built the prayer room and also lead the complete renovation of an older church recently acquired. He has been an integral part of the church family in a spiritual and physical sense.
After the announcement, I asked how his children took the news when he told them. In short, they were not happy at all. I do not blame them. This church and this city are all they know. They had lived in the same area their whole life. They have made friends and memories here. During their family meeting, the son buried his face in the armrest of the sofa, hiding his emotions. It was not until the conversation ended and he got up that they could see the armrest of the sofa soaked in his tears. Making a move like this is nerve racking for anyone, but to an 11-year-old child, the anxiety of having to make new friends at a new school in a new neighbourhood with new people would be overwhelming.
Aside from the anger, anxiety, and tears, I found the son’s questions most amazing:
“How do you know this is what God what’s you to do? How do you know that moving to another church is God’s plan for us?” the son asked. I do not recall Graham’s exact response, but it included a family trip to the church for the kids to see it for themselves. The son later confessed that when they arrived at the new church, he felt a breeze as he was getting out of the car, and he just knew it was the holy spirit letting him know everything was going to be ok. Just like that, with a breeze, the anger and anxiety left.
First, isn’t it amazing to see an 11-year-old boy both experience and acknowledge the Holy Spirit at a pivotal moment in his young life? Secondly, it is equally remarkable to see how his parents fostered the atmosphere for this spiritual encounter to even occur. It is not the fact that they were moving, but all the family prayers, praying with and for them, bible stories, teaching, conversations and just spending time with them. Had the Israelites continued to foster this atmosphere in their new home, the generation after Joshua and generations to follow would know the Lord and continue the lessons, prayers, teachings and all the above to ensure a strong spiritual connection with the reason for their freedom in the land of milk and honey.
Proverbs 22 verse 6 tells us that we are to teach our children the right way to live so that when they are older, they will continue and not depart. This is obviously much harder than it sounds, but it is necessary to pray with our children. It is necessary to spend time with them and teach them in order to nurture the atmosphere for spiritual encounters, so that they can develop their own relationship with Christ and carry on the torch.
Personally, I find this much easier with my younger children, who are 7 and 8, than my 15-year-old son. Perhaps he is older and less malleable than the younger children, but I must do all I can to encourage spiritual growth and maturity in my next generation. This is the challenge to all fathers; to lead the next generation into not only physical, but spiritual growth and maturity.
Andrew
The Genesis Man Project 