The Challenge for Every Generation

“… after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors ….”
Acts 13:36b (NLT)

I have a pastor friend who told me his life verse is Acts 13:36. It’s what motivates him to serve God. Curious, I looked it up and discovered why my friend adopted this passage as his life verse. It simply says, “… after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was buried with his ancestors….”

It’s the challenge of every generation to do the will of God.  The truth is we are always just one generation away from extinction. One of the saddest verses in the Bible to me is found after the greatest conquest in Israel’s history. Joshua had led them into the Promised Land after 40 years of wilderness wanderings and over 20 years of battles.  But something happened that explains the dark days of Israel’s history when every man did what was right in his own eyes and they suffered such great defeat.  Judges 2:10 (NLT) says, “After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel.”  The next verse opens with the natural consequences – “The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight … they abandoned the Lord … And they angered the Lord.” 

How is it that a generation, especially in Israel’s history, can grow up and not know the Lord?  We only have to look at our own history to find the answer.  Today, our challenge in our generation is to do the will of God as revealed in the Word of God.  David was just one man; yet when he did the will of God in his generation, it changed the history of Israel.  It led to the greatest period of peace and prosperity in their history!  In Acts 13:22 the Bible said David was called “a man after God’s own heart.”  You and I are challenged to be people like that.  How?  That same verse goes on to explain, “God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after My own heart.  He will do everything I want him to do.” 

If we want to be a people after God’s own heart, we must be willing to do everything He wants us to do.  It begins with our will.  Will we?  Will you say, “Yes, Lord.  I am willing to do whatever you want me to do.”  Begin now by doing what He has already revealed in His Word.  It could change a whole generation!      

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 Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.

Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.