The Promise of Those Coming After Us
[12] When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. [13] He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. [14] I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, [15] but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. [16] And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” [17] In accordance with all these words, and in accordance with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.
[18] Then King David went in and sat before the LORD and said, “Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?
2 Samuel 7:12–18 ESV Read More
David is in his kingdom and he wishes to build a house for God. God is touched by this desire and sees the merit in it, but won’t let David do it. Instead, He tells David about what kind of blessing will follow him since he had such a drive and desire for the Lord.
The things that God tells David about his children would benefit us, if we took them to be to us and our children. All too often the cultural sentiment is that kids are a bother, that young people are crazy and old people are frustrated by them. When you see a group of young kids, it’s all too easy to assume they are up to no good, especially if they are laughing or having fun!
What if instead, the common tone we set forth was that God is going to establish a greater kingdom for them than we ever experienced? What if we told them that God would be like a father, only far better, and care for them until they are fully established and steadfast? The future elders of our church are carrying fidget spinners and are wondering if you’ll take them seriously when they ask you about gay people, Hell, and Republicans.
Studies show what Paul told Timothy and Titus 2,000 years ago is still true today. Young people do better when a variety of older people befriend, instruct, and advise them. Through all the shock of their rebellion and experiments of growing up, God says “but my steadfast love will not depart from him [or her].” The wiser our aunts and uncles today, the stronger our church will be in the decades to come.
David received it as a promise, but Paul gives it to the younger pastors as a charge. Either way, we can react as all of them did. We can sit before the Lord in awe, realizing that He will build His church and that He will take care of the next generation. But we can also act like Timothy and Titus did, and “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
God has made great promises. Let us use them as we celebrate them with the young folk.
If this has struck you, you might need to click here and fill out the form. All campuses need more help in the children’s areas, and you will probably be really, really good at it.
You can get the Daily Bible Readings to your inbox via email every day by subscribing here. Join the discussion online on Facebook or Twitter.