A mom until I die?

Deuteronomy 11; Psalms 95–96; Isaiah 39; Revelation 9

My dad often said about his hard work, “It’s only right to wear out the old stuff first.” He was smiling because he loved his work, but also poking at us for wanting to goof off instead of keeping up with him. I wonder if he got this notion from this passage from the Bible. It begins with:

“You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always. And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the discipline of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did . . . .” (Deuteronomy 11:1–7)

The rest of it goes on to remind the people of God of their experiences. They had been saved from bondage, taken out of that place and led to the promised land. They learned, often the hard way, of the power of God and the importance of doing what He said. But He was not speaking to their children!

My devotional guide gives reasons for making this generational distinction. One, the older generation should be quick to obey, because of their many opportunities to learn. I hear Him say that I should not fret about my adult children’s limited experience with God because He says I am the one with no excuse, no reason to slack off. God has blessed me immensely and I’m responsible to give back to Him my complete devotion.

Second, this passage clearly makes the older generation responsible to systematically pass on what they have learned. I think about my dad teaching me how to do things, like using copper rivets to fix a broken rein on my horse’s bridle. I learned from him as a child, but now God expects me to teach my children what He taught me. This is a prime responsibility, but does it ever stop?

Third, in this passage God makes it clear that the blessing of His covenant includes the entire lives of His people, not family alone but their land and work. His blessings had a great deal to do with being quick to obey. Those who are mature must pass along to the next generation what God taught them. This isn’t about copper rivets.

This is a challenge because the older I get, the older my children get. They often know more than I do! Yet this does not negate my responsibility to share with them the wonder of God’s love and care. I like the words of the psalmist in today’s readings. He gives me ideas of how I can do that:

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts . . . .” (Psalm 95:1–8)

I felt a small warning in Isaiah’s words to one of the ancient kings, also a parent:

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my days.” (Isaiah 39:5–8)

The challenge is to avoid Hezekiah’s selfishness, thinking only of my own comfort without any concern for the future of my family. Hezekiah disappoints me and God. I don’t want to do that.

APPLY: I always pray for my kids and their kids and our grandkids yet must also be willing to use whatever opportunities the Lord gives me to pass on what He has taught me. I need help with this because they seem so capable without my help. Also, in my flesh can be ‘preachy’ — a big turn-off, or just too cowardly to say anything at all. Lord, as always, grant me the grace to listen and be obedient to You.