CREATING THE FUTURE
“But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods. If you do, the LORD’s anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the LORD is giving you. “So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.
Deuteronomy 11:16-21 (NLT)
On a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to the Lord?
No one else is around. There’s no one to impress. As you take stock of your relationship with God, where’s it at? Thriving? Are you deeply committed to Him in every area of your life? Floundering? Are you in a dry season where you feel disconnected and disinterested in what He has for you? Somewhere in between?
As we all take stock, let’s heed the wisdom Moses recorded in Deuteronomy 11. If we allow our hearts to be deceived, we may begin to worship other gods. Not totem poles or carvings, but perhaps popularity, security, pleasure or something else altogether. Moses makes it clear that when we do so, there are consequences. And when we think about consequences, we likely primarily think of the impact on us. But I think there’s something else at stake beyond ourselves: the next generation.
When we turn from God, chasing the idols and indulgences of this world, the next generation suffers. We model for them that it’s okay not to prioritize God, and then we wonder why they don’t prioritize God. In the 2000 blockbuster hit film Gladiator, Russell Crowe’s character Maximus Decimus Meridius famously says brothers, what we do in life echoes in eternity. Your action, or inaction, matters. Our faithfulness to God here and now will have a definitive impact on those who come behind us. In the passage above, Moses instructs us to teach the Word to our children. To talk about the Word regularly, making it a regular rhythm of our daily lives.
APPLICATION: What’s your next step? If your commitment to God is waning, where do you need to repent and recommit? If it’s strong, who are you being led to disciple and encourage toward Jesus?
PRAYER: God, help my faith and commitment to You grow. Help me never be content with the status quo but constantly move closer to You. Show me what steps I need to take, and help me walk in obedience to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?