The Generation to Come

If you were to dream without limits, what would your ministry look like? Which specific things would you want to accomplish for the kingdom of God? Which countries would you bring the gospel to? What kinds of things would you do for God's people? Many times our wildest dreams seem far too big to accomplish. I encourage you this week to think bigger. Specifically, I encourage you to think multi-generationally.

The wonders God did in partnership with Moses were some of the most famous of the Bible. In fact, Deuteronomy 34:10-12 reads,

“Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

Yet even Moses only saw the Promised Land. He never crossed over. His whole life's work was devoted to the transitioning and preparing of God's people to be able to inherit territory of enormous significance. Yet this land was not going to be a place in which he walked. This isn't discouraging news for us. In fact, it's exciting news. Imagine God using you for something so immense that your lifetime could literally not contain the fullness of it. In fact, that's more often how God operates. We are part of a continuous story that many have taken part in before us, that we have a major role in, and that will continue on after us to the next generation.

Rather than framing your goals for fulfilling your calling based on your lifetime, I encourage you to take a step back and pray for spiritual eyes to see what God is doing multi-generationally. Treasure your role in not only what you will see, but your role in what is yet to come. Pray for God's plans to come to pass that are larger than your scope of view, longer-term than your lifetime, and much bigger than your understanding.

Throughout scripture a pattern emerges of a two-fold focus. Moses, Elijah, even Jesus, and many more both were simultaneously focused on the tasks God put right before them to be done as well as the training up of the next generation who would continue those works. This week take a look at how you are doing each of these. Which things has God set before you to be done for Him now? Also, what part are you taking in preparing things for the generation that will take up the work behind you?