Raising a godly generation

There are often verses in the scriptures which just strike right at the heart.  They challenge and they subdue, with one swipe of that two-edged sword.

I read one such verse on Tuesday, and didn't have time to share it then.  In fact, it was several verses, all through the second chapter of Judges.

"And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?" (verse 2)

"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."  (verse 10)


"And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers....and provoked the Lord to anger," (verses 11 & 12)


"they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so."

OH, so sad.  SO very, very sad. More than sad - tragic.

The Israelites had been given the promised land.  They were clearly commanded to drive out all of the false gods from the land - all those things that would tempt them away from God.  The older generation started off doing so, but then the next generation arose, and they disobeyed the commandments of God, which their parents had followed.  With such terrible consequences - they stirred up the ANGER of God against themselves.

God hates disobedience.  He hates it when those who claim to be His, do not follow after Him and obey Him as they ought to.

Sadder still, however, was the conclusion that I drew.  HOW DOES A GENERATION ARISE THAT DOESN'T KNOW THE LORD????

A WHOLE generation - not just one family, or the odd child or two.  A WHOLE GENERATION.

I drew one conclusion.  I'm fairly certain it's not a quantum leap.  For someone to know what is the right thing to do, THEY HAVE TO HAVE AN EXAMPLE.  You need to know what the right thing is, to follow it.

"And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?"

I think this is a warning to all parents - you need to make sure that your children are brought up understanding the precious truths of God's Word.  We need to make sure that we are faithful in teaching our children - in shielding them from the world and it's snares.  In protecting them from the ungodly influences that seek to crowd in our lives.

You can NOT allow yourself to crack under the pressure of

"well, little Johnny comes from a NICE non-Christian home, he won't do our wee one any harm, playing together every day!"  

Or,

"it's ok, they are learning so many good truths in Church, I don't need to do too much more at home....."  

 Or, (sticking my neck on the line here, with as much love and tenderness as I can muster)

 "school gives them such a broad education, and I really don't think I could manage home-schooling, and I don't want to wrap them in cotton wool anyway....."

We NEED to protect the next generation...and can I say, the influences from which they need protecting, and taught about the errors of, is becoming more foul and horrible every day.  I am getting more and more UNBELIEVERS being sympathetic to my confession  of being home-schooler's, than any Christians I meet!  The hairdresser I had the other day said "you must be able to keep them innocent for so much longer - that's really lovely"!!!!  SHE could see that they lose their innocence at school!

Home education aside - TV, children's books, toys, friends, advertising, music.  There are so many things that we need to protect our children from.  As it said in verse 2 

"ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of the land"

We need to not make friendship and familiarity with the world and it's ways.  You do it to your own peril.

No.....you do it to the peril of the next generation.. And the current generation is already being lost.  Fast.

We need to claim back our children for the Lord..  We need to stop compromising our standards, and lowering ourselves to the standards of the world.

Their standards on leisure...their standards on entertainment....their standards on family values....their standards on education....their standards on children and their "rights".

I fear and I despair, when I look around at the children that are growing up.  I pray that we will all be challenged in our responsibilities and duties before the Lord, to bring up our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, which simply CAN NOT be merged with a toleration of the world and it's standards. Well, it can, but we will lose them....we will raise a generation who "know not the Lord".

Pray that the Lord would challenge and convict you about the ways in which you may be in "league with the inhabitants of this land", and seek to get rid of them, by God's grace and enabling.

I will follow this up with some suggestions and resources which could be useful.  

Have a blessed day.