Many people in the world around us do not even care to know God. They are like the people Job describes in Job 21:14-15.
What went wrong with the children after Joshua? God warned the Israelites about three things they needed to do to keep their children from falling away.
Did Israel fail to do the things God warned?
Did the parents not TEACH their children right?
Did they not FULLY DRIVE OUT THE HEATHEN as they had been commanded?
Did they FORGET the Lord because of PROSPERITY?
What can we learn from Israel’s mistakes?
In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God gave the Israelites very specific instructions about how much they should be teaching their children. The KEY is what Deuteronomy 6:6 says, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart…” Matthew 12:34 tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
We know the world doesn’t always do bad things. They are mainly just interested in their own happiness. Read Matthew 6:31-32.
They are interested in what they will eat, what they will drink, what they will wear. As Christians, our work is for something totally different (Colossians 3:1-2). The world works for food to satisfy their lusts. A Christian works for food to have strength to serve the Lord. The world aims to have as much pleasure as possible; a Christian aims to obey the Lord, which often requires denying his own pleasure. If we are about our Father’s business, our works should be different than the world’s works.
We might be surprised to read the reasons God gives for destroying Sodom; it was not only their infamous immorality. READ Ezekiel 16:49.
Idleness and ease can lead to spiritual deterioration as fast as immorality can. A child that grows up constantly entertained grows up believing that he has a right to expect that out of life. It is hard for a child who has grown up living for pleasure to ever be willing to give that up, and choose to live for God’s pleasure. The same goes for ease and idleness. If a child has grown up never having to do or endure anything difficult, (which granted, loving parents would like to shield them from) then they will not be likely to choose to endure the hardness of being a soldier of Christ.
Paul told the Thessalonians to prove all things In 1 Thessalonians 5:21, the apostle Paul told the Thessalonians to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”
https://fortheinvisible.wordpress.com/2016/01/24/prove-all-things/
We must teach our children early if we want them to make good choices.
The Lord’s word is so beautiful in every way. May our younger generation come to love it and choose the principles contained there. These decisions have to be made early in life.
–Beth Johnson – Bible Studies for Women: Muliebral Studies; Muliebral Viewpoint; Articles and Books by Beth Johnson