A Challenge for Us:  Take a walk around our homes, looking in each room, seeing the contents placed there, the objects we have deemed “valuable” and “necessary” for our lives.  So often, we hear the reports about how we should downsize, throw out, and minimize our lives by getting rid of things we do not need, but what about that which we should keep?

In studying the Old Testament, we discover a time when “Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the LORD given by Moses” (The Second Book of the Chronicles 34: 14b NASB).  It’s quite odd that the Book of the Law was lost, but over time and generations of people who left following God, the house of God was destroyed, and the people forgot the One who was the Creator and Sustainer of all.

The day came when King Josiah was in power over Jerusalem, when he ordered the destroyed temple be repaired, and as the workers dug through the rubble, they located the Book of the Law.  Immediately, they carried it to the high priest Hilkiah, who took it to King Josiah.  The chronicles of the king’s daily actions report how—

Neglect can occur so quickly because daily habits, a forgetfulness of that which is MOST important leads one to stop doing what he knows he must daily do.  In a short time, a person can drift away from the LORD.  Yes, that’s right.  If we allow ourselves to drift, forgetting to pick up our copy of God’s Word to study each day, then before long, we will have formed a habit of forgetfulness, and this habit has the power to become generational.

When I was a teenager sitting in Sunday School, Brother Lanny (our teacher) would ask before the lesson three simple questions—Ones that taught us great spiritual truths.

• Do you have any offering today?
• Did you study today’s Sunday School lesson?
• Have you daily read your Bible?

Each question asked required a simple action.  We merely had to lift our hand or keep it placed at our side.  Let me tell you, the accountability was thick in the room.

• Did I remember to bring the required tithe from my week’s earnings, from the lawns mowed?
• Did I remember to pre-read the material from our lesson book before Sunday morning?  &
• Did I remember each day to pull and read from my copy of God’s Word?

Since those days, I have recalled these accountability questions, thankful for the theological lessons they taught.  If we neglect these in our lives, then our children will not find any value in following these teachings, and one day (years from now) our grandchildren may never see the need to do so.

Generational Neglect.

• Do we take the truth of God at His Word?
• Do we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, even when it disrupts our lives?
• Do we truly follow Jesus or just say we do?

The Word of God will impact our lives every time we open and read.  It will unnerve and upset us at times because God’s Word will metaphorically “step all over our toes,” revealing our sin.  In fact, the teachings found within the Bible will make us uncomfortable.

These are the reasons why people avoid daily study of Scripture.

However, we mustn’t for the LORD knows every intimate detail about us:  Our Intentions, Our Thoughts, Our Plans, Our Words, and Even the number of hairs on our head.  Because He does—We Can Be Comforted in Realizing How Much God Loves Us.

He Reveals Our Sin BECAUSE He Wants Us to Draw Near, Closer to Him.

In His wisdom, The LORD reveals our waywardness for our own good and for the good of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Generational Faithfulness.