Judges 2:10-13, New Living Translation

“After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.”

Whenever we make a mistake, it is never too late to go back and fix it. This is the lesson I feel the Lord has impressed upon me as I was taking time in His word. I had been reading the book of Judges, when this scripture spoke to my spirit.

 “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal. They abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They went after other gods, worshiping the gods of the people around them. And they angered the Lord. They abandoned the Lord to serve Baal and the images of Ashtoreth.”

(Judges 2:10-13, NLT)

We can always shift the blame on the other individual, but really that does not solve anything. In this scripture, I wondered why the new generation abandoned God? Of course, the scripture says they did not physically see the miracles of God and they had forgotten what God had done for them. But could there have been a lack from the previous generation? This reminds me of the days we are living in now. There are so many young people serving other gods and doing their own thing, rejecting the Lord. Whose fault is it?

My thoughts go back to the Garden of Eden when the serpent said to Eve, “Did God really say?” In that moment, doubt was sewn into the heart of humanity and then humanity fell to sin. In our humanity, we are given a choice, free will, to decide if we will follow God or Satan.  

Then my mind goes to the lack of knowledge. The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being a priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6, NKJV) Perhaps, due to negligence and ignorance, the Israelites abandoned the Lord. Perhaps, due to negligence and ignorance, the current generation of our time has abandoned the Lord. But all of this circles around blame. What if, instead of blaming or even feeling shame for not stepping up, we take responsibility?

As you read in Judges, the Israelites recognized their need for God, that they had gone astray because of the judge God strategically placed to speak truth to them. They called out to the Lord, and again, the Lord rescued them, and then they would live in peace in the land for many years. What if we recognized our need for God, and with a spirit of humility, brought ourselves before Him to repent of our sins and to call on Him for help? 

2 Chronicles 7:14-16 (NLT) says this, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.”

If we, in humility, cry out to the Lord, He will hear our prayers from heaven and He will deliver us, just as He did the Israelites. Not only will He deliver us, but He will continue to watch over us because we are dear to His heart. Paul reminds in 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NLT), “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” The Lord was speaking to Moses when He reminded Him, “You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own.” (Leviticus 20:26, NLT)

What if we held onto these precious words, because they are words that speak life over us, that establish who we are, and we run forward pursuing God with passion? Jesus was speaking to Thomas when He said, “…You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.” (John 20:29, NLT) Let’s not make the same mistakes again. Let us learn from those who came before us and run with steadfast faith towards the One who gave us life! Let us all set an example, for those around us, and for the generations to come, not just with our words, but with our actions also!

Don’t listen to the enemy when he comes to discourage you. It may seem like you are alone, but you are not! There are many brothers and sisters in Christ who are running towards Jesus. Most importantly, we have the Lord, Jesus Christ. We have His Spirit that dwells within us! Paul encourages us, and I want to encourage us, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessings if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9, NLT)

Life can be a challenge. We are human and make mistakes. But as Paul also said, “… but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” (Philippians 3:13, NLT) I pray that as we continue to run towards the Lord with passion together, that it will catch like a fire across this nation in the here and now, and to future generations, because we humbly seek the Lord and His will. When all is said and done, we will receive the prize to which God through Christ has called us heavenward! In Jesus' powerful name. Amen.