Our three-year-old grandson, Mason, hopped down from the table and walked gingerly into the living room. “Mimi,” he said, “my legs are tumbling.” It took me a minute to understand that he was trying to tell me his legs had fallen asleep. “Oh, your legs are tingly because you had them folded under you at the table” I said. “Oh yeah, right, they are tingly. Ouch, they hurt me” he said as he sat next to me, rubbing his toes. I told him to stretch them out and the “tingly” feeling would go away in a few minutes. I gave his legs a rub and went back to the care of his sister, Emery. Then I heard him begin to pray, “Jesus, please heal my legs. Jesus, You my Lord. Jesus, make them stop being tingly. Amen.” He went on to talk to Jesus about his tingly legs for several minutes. In my opinion, one of the sweetest conversations anyone will ever eavesdrop in on is the one a child has with Jesus. It brought a smile to my face and a joy in my heart to hear his faith spoken. It also allowed me to witness the fruit of loving, faith-filled, parents and grandparents who follow the instructions found in Deuteronomy.
- “Only take heed, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your [mind and] heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children’s children”— (Deuteronomy 4:9, AMP)
- “He said to them, set your [minds and] hearts on all the words which I command you this day, that you may command them to your children, that they may be watchful to do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 32: 46, AMP)
The Israelites had seen God move in tremendously powerful ways as He led them through the wilderness and out of Egypt. He wanted the stories passed down from generation to generation. That’s why His instructions were to teach them. Unfortunately, that didn’t always happen as we learn from reading in the book of Judges.
“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” (Judges 2:10, AMP).
An entire generation who did not know the Lord rose up because no one taught them about the Lord or what He had done for their ancestors. How can this be? There was no longer anyone who could share the stories of how God rescues, how He heals and saves. No one spoke life into this generation and because of it,
“The people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods of the peoples round about them and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger” (Judges 2:11-12, AMP).
Is it possible that we have failed a generation by not revealing to them the stories of the Bible? Have we allowed them to forsake the Lord because we stopped speaking of His work in our own lives? Mason prayed because we pray. He talks to Jesus because we talk to Jesus. If you have children or grandchildren, I encourage you to -
Teach them the word of the Lord by reading them the Bible.
Share with them the promises He has made to them.
Instruct them in the ways of the Lord by knowing His ways.
Show them faith by living a life filled with faith.
"But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven”(Matthew 19:14, NKJV).
- “Only take heed, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your [mind and] heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and your children’s children”— (Deuteronomy 4:9, AMP)
- “He said to them, set your [minds and] hearts on all the words which I command you this day, that you may command them to your children, that they may be watchful to do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 32: 46, AMP)
The Israelites had seen God move in tremendously powerful ways as He led them through the wilderness and out of Egypt. He wanted the stories passed down from generation to generation. That’s why His instructions were to teach them. Unfortunately, that didn’t always happen as we learn from reading in the book of Judges.
“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” (Judges 2:10, AMP).
An entire generation who did not know the Lord rose up because no one taught them about the Lord or what He had done for their ancestors. How can this be? There was no longer anyone who could share the stories of how God rescues, how He heals and saves. No one spoke life into this generation and because of it,
“The people of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. And they forsook the Lord, the God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods of the peoples round about them and bowed down to them, and provoked the Lord to anger” (Judges 2:11-12, AMP).
Is it possible that we have failed a generation by not revealing to them the stories of the Bible? Have we allowed them to forsake the Lord because we stopped speaking of His work in our own lives? Mason prayed because we pray. He talks to Jesus because we talk to Jesus. If you have children or grandchildren, I encourage you to -
Teach them the word of the Lord by reading them the Bible.
Share with them the promises He has made to them.
Instruct them in the ways of the Lord by knowing His ways.
Show them faith by living a life filled with faith.
"But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven”(Matthew 19:14, NKJV).
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