Judges 2:10 - The next generation

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Judges 2:10

While Joshua was alive, the Israelites followed the Lord. Verse 7 states, "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." But what about the next generation? Why were they not faithful? Why didn't they know the Lord? As a Christian, it is my responsibility to not only remain faithful and bring glory to God, but also to teach the next generation about the Lord and what he has done for me.

Lord, Thank you for giving us salvation through Jesus blood. Please help us to share our faith with our children and the children around us. Amen.

Psalm 139:13 - Creation

For you created my inmost being;
     you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Have you ever thought about that when God created the earth, he didn't stop creating. He is creating new people every day. He hand crafted each of us in our mother's womb.

Lord, thank you  for creating us, for caring so much about each and everyone of us that you knit us together. Help us to honor you and give you the glory for your creation. Amen.

Psalm 127:5 - A blessing for sports?

Blessed is the man
     whose quiver is full of them (children).
They will not be put to shame
     when they contend with their opponents in court.

When I read this passage, I had to laugh. I immediately thought of a Sports Dad watching his son play basketball on the court. I'm not sure that is what it means, but children, as difficult as they can be to raise, are indeed a blessing from the Lord.

Lord, thank you for children, whether they be sons or daughters, nieces or nephews, part of our blood family or part of our Christian family. Please help us to give you the glory for these blessings. Amen.

Psalm 113:9 - God cares about our problems

He settles the childless woman in her home
     as a happy mother of children.
Praise the Lord.

We all have struggles in this life. In the two verses before this one tells how God helps the poor and needy and raises them up. The wonderful thing is that God cares about our problems. He sees us. He knows our pain and struggles and he offers comfort for his children, his followers. Sometimes God takes the pain or problem away and sometimes he helps us bear through it, but either way his love is evident.

Lord, thank you for caring about our problems. Please help us to always seek you when we are struggling and be willing to go through the situation with you by our side. Amen.

Matthew 26:36-42 - Bible Study Challenge Day 1

This morning at church, our minister issued us a challenge: A Seven Day Family Bible Study. I study most mornings and post here on my blog, so this week my blog will serve to answer this challenge.
Each day, my husband John and I will read the verses and answer the questions listed in the study. I challenge you to read along with us and answer the questions for yourself before reading our thoughts. Day one is below.

Question 1 - Why was Jesus sorrowful?
Jesus knew what was about to happen. He knew the pain and agony he was going to feel, physically and spiritually. He knew what he was going to have to deal with, yet he was willing to do God's will.

Question 2 - How does Jesus teach obedience in this passage?
He is willing to do what God requires, even if he doesn't want to. He wants to follows God's will not his. He prays for a way to change the situation, but is accepting of God's plan.

Question 3 - When was a time you prayed to God like Jesus does here?
We both thought of times when we were praying for children. Parents love their children and want good things for them, but sometimes we have to allow God to work in their lives, which may may be hard for them and difficult for us to watch.

Lord, thank you for showing us such an example of obedience from your son. Please help us to always accept your will. Amen.

 

Psalm 78:4 - Heritage of faith

We will not hide them from their descendants;
     we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
     his power, and the wonders he has done.

The first 8 verses of  the 78th Psalm emphasize the importance of telling the next generation the amazing deeds God has done. As a follower of God, it is our responsibility to continue this "heritage of faith." It is a blessing to our children to teach them the stories of the Bible. We all have stories of the amazing deeds God has done in our lives to share.  How amazing to see our children, or others we have taught, become our brother or sister in Christ!

Lord, thank you for those who shared their faith with us. Please help us to pass it on. Amen.

Joel 1:3 - Pass it down

Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation.

This passage is talking about passing down the story of a devastating locust invasion, but the idea of passing down information to our children is evident throughout the Bible.  This appears to be one of the best ways share our faith, by sharing it with the next generation in our family. If you are a multi-generational Christian who grew up going to church, you may be a little frustrated that you did not have a "great conversion experience". But remember, even if we learn our faith from our parents, we have to make the choice to follow God. If we are still just following our parent's faith without making our own decision, then we have not yet decided to follow God.

Lord, thank you for allowing me to be raised by a Christian parent. Please help all of us to independently decide to follow you. Amen.

Testimony #5 - A parent

I kept putting off this Testimony...I guess the closer you get to something, the more painful it is and the harder it is to express.

I was an married woman without children. My husband and I became houseparents at a children's home. This was extraordinarily difficult. After this we became foster parents to the child of a friend. This also was very difficult. Then we adopted an older child. This was the most difficult.

Then God gave us permission to give up. Church leaders sat us down and told us this was not working and had become a dangerous situation. After countless efforts to help this child, something had to change. We terminated the adoption and this child was adopted by his biological grandfather.

Now I am finding more joy in parenting our remaining foster child than I ever thought possible. And the other child has a devoted prayer warrior who will never stop loving him.

Genesis 50:7 - Influence

So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his court and all the dignitaries of Egypt—

Could Jacob have ever dreamed he would be so celebrated upon his death? What an honor to have Egyptian dignitaries and officials not just attend the funeral, but travel with them all the way to Jacob's requested burial location. We many never know how many people we have influenced, how many lives we have touched. This influence may not come from us directly, but maybe through our influence of our children, family or friends. Joseph was held in such high esteem by Pharaoh and the people of Egypt, they chose to honor the father in gratitude for the son.

Lord, thank you for giving us opportunities to show your glory and to be a blessing to others. Please help our spiritual influence to extend beyond the people we know. Amen.