We’ve said goodbye to Joshua, and stepped into a new era. We can’t help but wonder the impact Joshua’s legacy would have on the generations after him. As we flip through the pages of the book of Judges we find the answer and several gems of wisdom. Throughout the lifetime of those who remember what the Lord had done, the people of Israel served the Lord. But once they had passed away their children turned their backs on the Lord. My bible actually says that “a generation rose up that didn’t know the Lord or what He’d done,”
Within just a few generations the seeds of faith that Joshua had faithfully planted and nurtured, his legacy have died out.
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Lessons From Joshua’s Legacy
As we dig into the following verses four important lessons from Joshua’s legacy jump out:
- The Importance of surrounding ourselves with people and friendships that point us to God, remind us of who He is and what He’s done.
- That faith is not inherited, our faith absolutely has to be our own. We can’t rely on other’s faith to feed, sustain our nurture.
- Sometimes God allows people to come into our lives to test us and grow our faith.
- And finally, the importance and need to raise Godly children and passing our faith on to the next generation.
A Godly Legacy: The Need For Faith Filled Friends
We don’t just need faithful friends but faith-filled friends. Having people in your life that will point you to Christ, not just people that agree with you or tell you that you are right is so important. Strong believers that will encourage you and share your trials and joys. We need Joshuas and Calebs to leave a Godly legacy in our lives, we need them close to us to look us in the eye when the battle looks too big and remind us of who the God we serve is. We need people that will help us sharpen our swords.
When we are in the midst of a dry season it can be easy to lose sight of what God is doing, this is why we need fellow Christians to come beside us and hold up our arms like Moses and his friends back in Exodus. We need those people to be the light in our storms and the rain in our dry season, to be like Elisha sending his servant to look for the rain clouds. We need them in our lives to keep our eyes on the horizon looking for the rain. To remind us that even though we walk through the fire God is with us.
A Relationship With God Is Not Inherited
Our faith is not inherited, there are no grandchildren of God only children. Which means that we can not go through life clinging to someone else’s faith. If we aren’t secure in our faith it’s like a drowning person clutching the life jacket on someone else back to remain above the waves.
We can’t rely on our friends and family to pull us to God or be like a safety belt as we tight rope between culture and faith. This is our decision, our responsibility. No one can do this for us.
God Forgives Us When We Fail
Joshua’s legacy has been forgotten as we roll into verses 22 and 23 the bible says that because the Israelites wouldn’t listen to the Lord and do all of what He had commanded, no longer would He drive out the people living in the land. God left them in the land as a test. Would the people turn their backs on the Lord’s commands and embrace the culture around them or would they be obedient to God?
Through the coming chapters, we discover that over and over again the people of Israel fail, they fall short, they turn away but each time they cry out to God he delivers them. I don’t about you but I think this is one of the most hope-filled books of the Old Testament for our lives. That despite the number of times I’ve fallen short and missed the mark our heavenly father is still there waiting to rescue me. Even in the midst of the consequences of our actions.
The Importance Of Raising Godly Children
A generation rose up that did not know who God was. Or the miraculous things He had done for them or their parents and grandparents. Sound familiar? The Bible charges parents to teach their children about God, about who He is and what He has done. It is vital that we raise godly children, that we teach them what God has done for us. With each generation, we must leave a godly legacy and pass on the torch of faith to the next. It’s our responsibility to make sure that the flame of faith never goes out.
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