And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. – Judges 2:10
I stopped in my Bible reading this morning and was drawn to this verse. Up to this point, God had performed many miracles for the children of Israel. They had their ups and downs after leaving Egypt, but God always watched out for them. He had used Moses and Joshua to lead them through some very difficult times. Even during their wanderings in the desert, He never failed them. They marveled every day at His provision and talked about it all of the time amongst themselves.
Then it came time for Moses and Joshua, God’s appointed leaders, to leave and go to Heaven, along with all of “that generation” who had seen the wonders of God during those years. This verse says, …and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.
This must be one of the saddest verses in the Bible. Think about it. The children of Israel had so many years to teach the next generation about the wonders of God and about all that He had done to bring them out of bondage, but they failed to do so. The Bible says clearly in this verse that they …knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done…
I think we as Christian mothers need to be careful to teach our children, who are the next generation, about the goodness of God and about all that He has done to bring us to where we are today. We can become so complacent and reliant upon the Sunday school teachers and the church to teach our children what they need to know about God; however, nothing compares to what their parents can show and teach them. This does not ensure in any way that they will always do what is right and pleasing to God in their lives, but it gives them a good foundation on which to build and an example on which they can look back and say, “I want to have that in my life.”
Here are a few ways that my husband and I tried to keep God before our children as they grew up in our home:
Teach them what the Bible is.
When my children were babies, I used to think my husband was crazy as he stood above their cribs, holding the Bible and saying, “This is the Bible! It is the Word of God!” I mean, they could not read or talk, but he was telling them what the Bible is! We must teach our children that the Bible is not just a book we take to church on Sunday and Wednesday and then forget about the rest of the week! We must teach them that the Bible is God’s Book of instruction on how to live life and serve Him.
Teach them about the miracles of God.
We must not only teach them about the miracles recorded in God’s Word but also teach them about the miracles God has done in our lives, as well as in the lives of other great Christians of the past! I am so saddened by how many of this generation know nothing about the great men of God such as D.L. Moody, John Rice, and Jack Hyles who all did so much for the cause of Christ before going to Heaven! Teach them how God used these men and, most importantly, how God could use them some day!
Teach them to read God’s Word every day.
We decided before we had children that family devotions were going to be part of our everyday life as a family. Even before my children could read, we would sit down as a family to read one chapter from the Bible every day and learn something practical from it. I believe this plays a big part in whether or not they will make time for the Bible when they are adults and on their own.
Teach them to write out the Scriptures.
I took it literally when God said to write His words …upon the posts of thy house,… (Deuteronomy 6:7-10) When my children were growing up, even before they could read or write, I would print out verses of the Bible and hang them on the walls of our house. I wanted the Bible to be ever before them. It helps with memorization and keeps the words of God before their eyes!
Teach them to serve in the ministry.
From the time they were two weeks old, my daughters were always in church. They grew up not only being taught that it was important, but they also were able to see firsthand all of the wonderful things God could do with and through the church. They were taught about the importance of reaching others for Christ, and they were able to experience it for themselves.
I could continuously talk about this topic. It is just so very sad how the next generation of Christians sometimes grows up never being taught about the wonderful things God can do in and through them and through others! Every Christian generation should know God and be able to tell others about Him.
It does not need to end with just our own children. It can continue with our grandchildren. We need to remember that the time we spend with them is also important, and we need to use it wisely. We must not be afraid to speak to our grandchildren about Jesus and tell them how much He loves them. My husband always did that when we were with our grandchildren. He always told them that Jesus loved them and wanted them to go to Heaven someday. They may not have understood it when they were very tiny, but he always told them. Because of this, he had the privilege of leading two of my grandchildren to the Lord, and I recently was able to lead one of them to Christ as well.
It is up to us to make sure that the next generation of our families knows all they can about this wonderful Lord Who we serve!
by April Hernandez
