Power of Story
“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’ “Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people. He brought us out of Egypt so he could give us this land he had sworn to give our ancestors. And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us."
Deuteronomy 6:20-25 NLT
It’s a legacy we can’t afford to forget. The testimony of Jesus will break the religious stronghold that keep people away from following Christ. The “works of God” in our life should be shared openly and often with the next generation. They need to hear that God is more than a mystical power or idea far away. We need to begin to share how God desires to move for us and in the midst of His people.
Tell the stories of the power of God. Tell of His love and desire to give us more! The gospel is much more than just a salvation event. It’s the beginning of a journey into the “promised land.” The Bible describes these promises as “yes and Amen in Christ Jesus.”
So, why don’t we see more families “on fire” for the gospel? Why are we more concerned with raising good kids than godly kids? I don’t want to assume that I have all the answers but the Scriptures can definitely direct our discussion.
In our passage today; Deuteronomy 6:20-25 God himself gives this command to the generation about to possess the land. His concern was for the next generation. The command was to “tell your children” and not just once or in passing. In fact, they were to tell them of the wonderful works of God. His deliverance story for His people. Yet, God was also interested in telling the entire story.
This wasn’t supposed to be an event for Israel. They were called to much more than relief. They were called to possess. Possessing the promised land hinged on their obedience. Sounds like works theology, right? Not really. That first generation died in the wilderness because of their unbelief. We get that. Unbelief manifests in a few ways but the biggest (in my opinion) is prideful unbelief that changing my life and trust in what God says is worth it.
That first generation died because they weren’t willing to give up control. If they did, they would see the promises of God. God’s plan for changing the heart of the next generation was for them to hear the stories of how God took care of His people. The concept was by hearting the stories they would put their trust in Him rather than own ways. It worked.
The fear that their children would die if they had faith to enter the land was the lie they believed. The truth that God would go before them and fight for them was disregarded and challenged when Joshua and Caleb presented it to the camp. However, the stories changed the narrative for the children. They were tired of mediocre living in the wilderness. They wanted their own story. They wanted to see God move in their generation.
The testimony of Jesus in our life builds overcoming faith. We need to share it. A generation is desperate to experience the adventure of faith. Let’s fuel them with our testimony!
Deuteronomy 6:20-25 NLT
It’s a legacy we can’t afford to forget. The testimony of Jesus will break the religious stronghold that keep people away from following Christ. The “works of God” in our life should be shared openly and often with the next generation. They need to hear that God is more than a mystical power or idea far away. We need to begin to share how God desires to move for us and in the midst of His people.
Tell the stories of the power of God. Tell of His love and desire to give us more! The gospel is much more than just a salvation event. It’s the beginning of a journey into the “promised land.” The Bible describes these promises as “yes and Amen in Christ Jesus.”
So, why don’t we see more families “on fire” for the gospel? Why are we more concerned with raising good kids than godly kids? I don’t want to assume that I have all the answers but the Scriptures can definitely direct our discussion.
In our passage today; Deuteronomy 6:20-25 God himself gives this command to the generation about to possess the land. His concern was for the next generation. The command was to “tell your children” and not just once or in passing. In fact, they were to tell them of the wonderful works of God. His deliverance story for His people. Yet, God was also interested in telling the entire story.
This wasn’t supposed to be an event for Israel. They were called to much more than relief. They were called to possess. Possessing the promised land hinged on their obedience. Sounds like works theology, right? Not really. That first generation died in the wilderness because of their unbelief. We get that. Unbelief manifests in a few ways but the biggest (in my opinion) is prideful unbelief that changing my life and trust in what God says is worth it.
That first generation died because they weren’t willing to give up control. If they did, they would see the promises of God. God’s plan for changing the heart of the next generation was for them to hear the stories of how God took care of His people. The concept was by hearting the stories they would put their trust in Him rather than own ways. It worked.
The fear that their children would die if they had faith to enter the land was the lie they believed. The truth that God would go before them and fight for them was disregarded and challenged when Joshua and Caleb presented it to the camp. However, the stories changed the narrative for the children. They were tired of mediocre living in the wilderness. They wanted their own story. They wanted to see God move in their generation.
The testimony of Jesus in our life builds overcoming faith. We need to share it. A generation is desperate to experience the adventure of faith. Let’s fuel them with our testimony!
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