There’s no questioning the importance of following Jesus if we want to move forward in life. In Victory, we’ve been going through a series called “Forward.” In this preaching series, we’ve been looking at the importance of following Jesus, fishing for the lost and remaining in fellowship with believers if we want to grow.
At the core of discipleship is a directive to follow Jesus. As Matthew 4:19 directs us, “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Following Jesus is the starting point of a life lived in the direction we made for us. And as important as following Jesus is to our own personal success, the stakes are even higher.
I was reading off Joshua this morning and I came across the story of Caleb- a man who had followed God wholly. When time came that Israel had conquered a considerable size of Canaan, they started to divide territories. Caleb, remembering the promise Moses made to him had this to say during that assignment of land:
“And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’”
Joshua 14:9
One part of that verse doesn’t automatically stand out- the part where it says “and your children forever.” Too little people today think about how their actions affect the next generation. God challenges us to think multi-generationally. We are to take into account the success and growth of those who will follow us, not only our own.
And from Joshua 14:9, we learn the greatest implication of following Jesus. Scripture tells us that Caleb wholly followed the Lord. That brought upon him an inheritance not just for himself but for the next generations.
For a long time, I’ve limited the benefits of following Jesus to my personal progress in life alone. But God is reminding me and us today to follow Him so that we and the next generation will experience His best.
Are you following Jesus today? If you are, look to the greater implication- that God will cause not only you to move forward. He will also cause your children and your children’s children to move forward in life too.
Pray this prayer with me today:
Dear Jesus, as I follow you cause my heart to wholly submit that I may never leave your paths. Remind me that my inability to follow you will bring consequences not just to me, but to my children too. And God, I thank you that the rewards of my obedience will not only affect me but the next generation as well.
Amen.
