Jesus in Deuteronomy: Next Generation Leaders
Deuteronomy starts and ends with a commission to encourage and strengthen Joshua, the next generation leader.
Deut 3:28 But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see.” NIV
28 chapters of mentoring and preparing Joshua and then we read the following:
Deut 31:7-8 Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
No question Deuteronomy is about taking all that God has provided to enrich our lives and commissioning the next generation forward with that to greater places of promise.
Moses would never see what Joshua would lead God’s people into. The legacy of our lives should live well beyond the years of our lives. This can only happen if we take an interest and devote ourselves to those coming after us.
God is the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob meaning one generation cannot contain him. So each generation has the obligation of imparting any of God’s wisdom entrusted to their care into the lives of those coming after us.
If each generation shares God’s faithfulness effectively the following generation goes further than the generation before.
Deut 4:9 Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. NIV
We can never leave a legacy until we first live a legacy. May we devote ourselves to serving Jesus and others more readily in this season than ever before.
GP4RL: Turn the page. Every day this week encourage somebody by letting them know you believe in them.