Next Generation - What Seeds Are We Planting

"And also all that generation were gathered to their fathers,

and there arose another generation after them who did not

know (recognize, understand) the Lord, or even the work which

He had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did evil

in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals."

Judges 2: 10 11

The verse above relates to the passing of Joshua and all the elders who witness the powerful hand of God; both in blessing and judgement, in the lives of the children of Israel. From their being rescued from Egypt, through the wilderness and into the promised land.

After Joshua and the elders who witnessed the hand of God died, a whole new generation (their children and grand children) were now on the scene. They were grown up. The Bible says they did NOT know the Lord and as a result of this they did the very things that despised God. For example, they worshipped other gods, like the Baal-gods. They did nothing that their father's did, the things that pleased God.

I read this and thought, how could they have not known the Lord, or learnt from how their father's served God? I mean with all the wonders and punishment (for their disobedience) Israel went through with God, this new generation should have at least know about it!

I pondered and I reasoned that I believe they knew about God and all His miracles and blessings and all, but they did NOT KNOW GOD. It seemed that they knew God from afar, the God their father's served. However, they did not have a personal relationship with Him. The verse makes me think, that the older generation carried on with the business of serving God, yes the books where there, the temples, the alters and the rest, however it seems they might not have taken the the time to sit down and teach the upcoming generation about God, and guide them towards having a personal relationship with Him.

My question - "did Israel forget to implement the commandment of Deuteronomy 4:9-10? Which reads "9 But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. 10 Never forget the day when you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai,[a] where he told me, ‘Summon the people before me, and I will personally instruct them. Then they will learn to fear me as long as they live, and they will teach their children to fear me also."

Fast forward to this generation, imagine a family - mother, father who have lived a life of obedience in God, they get married and have two children. They immerse themselves in family life and the father, wanting the best for his children (as he should), works all the hours, to give his children what he considers ** the best** in life. He works on Sundays too, just to get that extra double pay that His company provides. The wife on her own (even though married) raises the children- takes them to school, takes them to church and so on. She is busy rushing from one appointment to the other. The husband and wife only just have about enough time to catch up in the evening, before they both fall asleep, in anticipation of yet another busy day. They do not have the time to sit down and tell or really teach the children about God, who He is, and how to live a life that is pleasing to Him. ... and the wheel keeps spinning until the kids are grown.

Most likely, the boys would have learnt that working hard is required to give the family **the best**. The girls might have learnt that most if not all of the work of raising the family rests on her shoulders, and she just has to do the best she can, praying God will help.

Is this the best we can do for the next generation? Selah

Are we busy with life and serving God for ourselves, at the detriment of the younger ones.

The question that ensures is thus "what, if any knowledge of God are we passing on, planting, installing into our children or the next generation"? Will we empower them to live a life that is pleasing to God, or will they like the generation that is spoken in Judges 2, turn away from God, because they do not know Him?

Using the principle of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7, which reads "Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant"). What we sow in the lives of our young people - the next generation, is what we will reap. What will manifest through the next generation in years to come, will be as a result of what we are or not doing today.

Like a farmer we must understand the hidden meaning of the principles of Galatians 6:7; and do our best implement them into the future generation, from our own little corner of the world.

The principles teach us that:

• We must not be misled, because God is not mocked: The message bible puts Galatians 6:7 like this: "Don't be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds." Are we ignoring the spiritual needs of the next generation, the very foundation that will see them through in life? A word of encouragement, an act of reaching out to that teenager, that youth and young adult, will go a long way to save a life and most probably a nation.
  
  
• That we are required to do something: A farmer must first do something to get a harvest. He must go to the farm, get his out and plant them. Periodically, water them and tender the farm in expectation of a bountiful harvest. What are we expecting in and from the next generation? Are we planting the right seeds? Are we watering, and tendering them as we should? Teaching, coaching, being a good example, guiding and praying for them as we should? Are we planting God in their minds, in their hearts and soul. Are we planting, compassion, love, what it means to live a godly life, courage and obedience and complete trust in God and not in things?
  
  
• We reap what we sow: This is good news if we are sowing good seeds into the next generation, but terrible news if we are sowing bad or no seeds. Are we sowing the very seeds of Gods' word into our next generation - in prayer, in speaking in teaching and in doing? Are we sowing things such as discipline, respect and godly character?
  
  
• We reap more than we sow: Farmers plant their seeds because they expect a harvest, a great deal more than they put in the ground. Remember a seed is very tiny, but it blossoms into a big crop. A single seed of a scripture, prayer, word of guidance, or encouragement, a day, in the life of a young one will go a long way to bring forth a great harvest.
  
  
• We reap later than we sow: We don't see the results in the future generation now, but it does not mean they will not come. It also does not mean we should continue to ignore and not teach them about God and the godly principles that will save their very soul. There is no regular timetable for the harvest of life. Some crops will reap quickly, others take a long time, but it sure will be manifested.

So today, as you make your way through another week, I encourage you to pause from all your activities and spare a taught for the next generation. It is disheartening to read the horrible stories in the news, about the atrocities teenagers are getting up to. The devil is taking hold of our future and we must put a stop to it. It starts where you are, in your home, in your community, even at work. A word, a prayer, an act of compassion here or there goes a long way to plant good seeds that will bring forth good harvests in the future.

I encourage you to do your best to invest precious time to sow seeds into the lives of the future generation, and when their time comes, they will not be like the generation spoken about in Judge 2, but their very existence; love passion and fire for God, will make Him famous along their way.

Much Love, Remi
***pictures by photobucket***