Judges 2:6-10 “And when Joshua had dismissed the people, the children of Israel went each to his own inheritance to possess the land. 7 So the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD which He had done for Israel. 8 Now Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died when he was one hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timnath Heres, in the mountains of Ephraim, on the north side of Mount Gaash. 10 When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel.
Moses trained up Joshua from the time he was young. Joshua simply showed interest in the sanctuary. How is the next generation supposed to move past the successes of the current generation, much less maintain them, if no one is willing to teach them the secrets, the ways, the successes, the pitfalls, so that they have a platform to jump forward from? How can the next generation succeed if they are not given reasonable opportunities to train, shadow, and lead in this generation? How can we grow unless they receive honest, biblical feedback and accountability from those who have gone before us? How can God make a major shift in the church if the leading generation isn’t willing to allow the younger generation to try some new things? What if we had fathers and mothers who supported the upcoming generations, who purposed to encourage them in their faith, calling, and the very best that God has for them? What if we actually desired for the next generation to go further than we have gone? What would happen if we purposed to plan for it? Hmmm apprenticeships are historically proven to be one of the most effective ways to train a person in any vocation.
What if we positioned others to fulfill their destinies?
We live in an American Idol kind of world. Everyone wants to be the superhero. There’s only one problem/praise we already have a redeemer/superhero. It’s Jesus Christ! If we as believers aren’t careful we can be deceived into believing the lie that we can save the world on our own. We can become so focused on our own calling and ministry that we forget we each have a part and that none of us has the whole loaf. We can become so near-sighted that we may even forget that the Lord may tarry, that no one knows the hour – not even the Son: therefore someone else may have to carry the torch until His majestic and glorious return. Are you willing to let someone go further than you? Do you have someone hanging around interested in the things God is doing through your life/ministry/church/business/service? Why not start today.
