OUR DAILY BREAD : SECONDHAND FAITH
Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 5:56 pmMay 19
Wednesday
SECONDHAND
FAITH
READ:
Judges 2:6-12
_____________________________________________________________
Another generation
arose after them who
did not know the LORD
nor the work which He
had done for Israel.
__Judges 2:10
_____________________________________________________________
When I was growing up in Singapore, I remember that some of my school friends were kicked out of their homes by their non-Christian parents for daring to believe in Jesus Christ. They suffered for their beliefs and emerged with stronger convictions. By contrast, I was born and raised in a Christian family. Though I didn't suffer persecution, I too had to make my convictions my own.
The Israelites who first entered the Promised Land with Joshua saw the mighty acts of God and believed (Judg. 2:7). But sadly, the very next generation "did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel" (v.10). So it was not long before they turned aside to worship other gods (v.12). They didn't make their parents' faith their own.
No generation can live off the faith of the previous generation. Every generation needs a firsthand faith. When faced with trouble of any kind, the faith that is not personalized is likely to drift and falter.
Those who are second, third, or even fourth generation Christians have a wonderful legacy, to be sure. However, there's no secondhand faith! Find out what God says in His Word and personalize it so that yours is a fresh, firsthand faith (Josh. 1:8). __C. P. Hia
_____________________________________________________________
``````````````````````O for a faith that will not shrink`````````````
``````````````````````Though pressed by many a foe,`````````````
`````````````````````That will not tremble on the brink````````````
`````````````````````Of any earthly woe! __Bathurst`````````````
_____________________________________________________________
If your faith is not personalized, it's not faith.
***************Today's Bible Reading __ Judges 2:6-12************
6 And when Joshua had
dismissed the people, the
children of Israel went each
to his own inheritance to
possess the land.
7 So the people served the
LORD all the days of
Joshua, and all the days of
the elders who outlived
Joshua, who had seen all
the great works of the LORD
which He had done for
Israel. 8 Now Joshua the son
of Nun, the servant of the
LORD, died when he was
one hundred and ten years.
old. 9 And they buried him
within the border of his
inheritance at Timnath
Heres, in the mountains of
Ephraim, on the north side
of Mount Gaash. 10 When
all that generation had been
gathered to their fathers,
another generation arose
after them who did not
know the LORD nor the
work which He had done
for Israel.
11 Then the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of
the LORD, and served the
Baals; 12 and they forsook
the LORD God of their
fathers, who had brought
them out of the land of
Egypt; and they followed
other gods from among the
gods of the people who
were all around them, and
they bowed down to them;
and they provoked the
LORD to anger.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The book of Judges chronicles the cycle of apostasy, oppression,
judgment, and deliverance. One generation turns to idolatry (2:6-13)
and then God permits enemies to oppress them (vv.14-15). But then
God raises up Judges, who deliver them (vv.16-18). Israel returns
to idolatry (v.19). Ironically, Israel finds itself subject to those
foreigners whose gods they prefer to Jehovah (2:20-3:6).
__DENNIS FISHER
Wednesday
SECONDHAND
FAITH
READ:
Judges 2:6-12
_____________________________________________________________
Another generation
arose after them who
did not know the LORD
nor the work which He
had done for Israel.
__Judges 2:10
_____________________________________________________________
When I was growing up in Singapore, I remember that some of my school friends were kicked out of their homes by their non-Christian parents for daring to believe in Jesus Christ. They suffered for their beliefs and emerged with stronger convictions. By contrast, I was born and raised in a Christian family. Though I didn't suffer persecution, I too had to make my convictions my own.
The Israelites who first entered the Promised Land with Joshua saw the mighty acts of God and believed (Judg. 2:7). But sadly, the very next generation "did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel" (v.10). So it was not long before they turned aside to worship other gods (v.12). They didn't make their parents' faith their own.
No generation can live off the faith of the previous generation. Every generation needs a firsthand faith. When faced with trouble of any kind, the faith that is not personalized is likely to drift and falter.
Those who are second, third, or even fourth generation Christians have a wonderful legacy, to be sure. However, there's no secondhand faith! Find out what God says in His Word and personalize it so that yours is a fresh, firsthand faith (Josh. 1:8). __C. P. Hia
_____________________________________________________________
``````````````````````O for a faith that will not shrink`````````````
``````````````````````Though pressed by many a foe,`````````````
`````````````````````That will not tremble on the brink````````````
`````````````````````Of any earthly woe! __Bathurst`````````````
_____________________________________________________________
If your faith is not personalized, it's not faith.
***************Today's Bible Reading __ Judges 2:6-12************
6 And when Joshua had
dismissed the people, the
children of Israel went each
to his own inheritance to
possess the land.
7 So the people served the
LORD all the days of
Joshua, and all the days of
the elders who outlived
Joshua, who had seen all
the great works of the LORD
which He had done for
Israel. 8 Now Joshua the son
of Nun, the servant of the
LORD, died when he was
one hundred and ten years.
old. 9 And they buried him
within the border of his
inheritance at Timnath
Heres, in the mountains of
Ephraim, on the north side
of Mount Gaash. 10 When
all that generation had been
gathered to their fathers,
another generation arose
after them who did not
know the LORD nor the
work which He had done
for Israel.
11 Then the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of
the LORD, and served the
Baals; 12 and they forsook
the LORD God of their
fathers, who had brought
them out of the land of
Egypt; and they followed
other gods from among the
gods of the people who
were all around them, and
they bowed down to them;
and they provoked the
LORD to anger.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The book of Judges chronicles the cycle of apostasy, oppression,
judgment, and deliverance. One generation turns to idolatry (2:6-13)
and then God permits enemies to oppress them (vv.14-15). But then
God raises up Judges, who deliver them (vv.16-18). Israel returns
to idolatry (v.19). Ironically, Israel finds itself subject to those
foreigners whose gods they prefer to Jehovah (2:20-3:6).
__DENNIS FISHER