Preserving Our Next Generation.

2 chronicles 22:10-12

Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and put him and his nurse in a bedroom. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she did not kill him. And he was hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

There has been a debate going on for quite some time about our teenage children in Kenya, after disturbing photos of young teenage girls and boys went viral on internet last week. Most radio stations have been holding discussions panels, on what went wrong in regards to the upbringing of our children today. I happened to listen to some conversations and most callers were on a blame game trail and I really got tempted to comment but in one way or another I did not.

So, on Wednesday evening while studying the word of God, God directed me to 2 Chronicles 22 which is the basis of this post. From this context, we have a very wicked Queen ‘Athaliah’, who rose to power, by murdering all the royal heirs of the house of Judah except one. Her greed for power was the driving force to her wickedness in Jerusalem. Despite of her acts of wickedness, God still preserved a remnant ‘Joash’ from the house of Judah, who would lead the children of Israel in the fear of God and His ways.

What got my attention is, where God preserved Joash. God did not just preserve Joash in any place, He preserved Him in His own house.The house of God was the only place Joash could be hidden, during a time of severe wickedness in Jerusalem.

During this time and age where there is so much wickedness around the world, which is influencing children in all manner of wickedness, the only safe place to hide our children is in the house of God. The Spirit of Athaliah, is a demonic Spirit in our day which represents itself by diminishing the fear of God in the hearts of young people. This demonic Spirit roars after the young generation, to kill any potential men and women of God from being nurtured for the next generation. It is a rebellious Spirit, a destructive spirit, an immoral spirit which is corrupt.

The enemy is not after the present, he is after the future. He is after polluting the minds of young people who will birth a generation that does not fear God. But one thing I know for sure, God will always preserve a remnant for the next generation, as He preserved Joash.Are you a Parent or aspiring parent to be? Make it your responsibility to hide your children in the house of God, from the wickedness of this world.

What do I mean hiding your children in God’s house??Set an example by leading them in the house of God and in the ways of God. It’s one thing to be a Christian because you have a Christian name but it’s totally a different ball game, to set an example to your children by leading them in the house of God and through your actions,which ought to reflect the ways of God. Children will always follow what they see.Train up a child in the way he should go,and when he is old he will not depart from it Proverbs 22:6

Proverbs 23:24-25 The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. Let your father and your mother be glad and let her who bore you rejoice.

Don’t hinder your children from the house of God! Led them to the house of God. The media is not sparing them, the society is not sparing them and religion is not sparing them either, in regards to radicalization.

My caution to any parent, please stop speaking negativity about men and women of God in the presence of your children. If you have any burning issue towards any church or a man/ woman of God!!Direct it to God in prayer not your children. Whenever we tend to speak negativity about any man /woman of God, we plant rebellious seeds in our own children from receiving from God and that’s what the enemy is after, hearts that are rebellious towards God.

However, there are times where parents try their best in leading their children  in the ways of God but they still rebel along the way.This is my encouragement to you “Seeds on the fear of God planted in them at a tender age will still bare fruit in the long run, if you keep praying for them”. I once listened to such a powerful testimony of how God transformed a life of a teenage daughter of a Pastor.While this particular Pastor was busy preaching the gospel,performing God’s miracles and calling forth alter calls,his own teenage daughter was busy partying in clubs.She had caused him so much pain but that did not deter him from loving on her and still praying for her.

Now,her transformation came forth in a very,very weird way and i salute this particular Pastor for his humility,courage and love towards his own daughter.One day, she just work up and asked her Father for an absurd request which she requested him to accompany her to a night club, if he really loved her.This for him was a test but due to his love for his daughter ,he accompanied her to the night club that evening and never cared what people would think about him considering he was a well known Pastor.

His act of love towards his daughter is what touched her that night and she gave her life to Christ the following day.Today as i write this post,she is a phenomenal preacher of the gospel.DO NOT GIVE UP on your child no matter how crazy he/she might act.Keep your guards on by constantly praying for them,talking to them without condemnation and loving them at the same time.

It’s my prayer God will minister to you through this post on the importance of hiding your children in the house of God, in His word and through prayer.I have penned down Unidentified Enemy on the Prowl which is a good read to connect with this particular post.

Love ReinaBeaty.