You have to know Him for Yourself

We've been talking about Chronicles like study notes for the test, and today's reading made me think about something important.

          I can give someone my study notes.

            But I can't take their test for them.

Joash had an incredible start. When Athaliah tried to destroy the royal family, he was rescued and hidden in the temple for six years. When it looked like God's promise was gone, it was actually being protected in a place nobody could see.

    Then Jehoiada the priest steps in. He protects Joash, helps put him on the throne, teaches him, guides him, and points him toward God. And Joash does well. He repairs the temple. He restores what had been neglected. Scripture says he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

    But then it adds something important “all the years of Jehoiada the priest.” When Jehoiada dies, Joash changes. He starts listening to different voices. He walks away from God. Eventually, he even has Jehoiada's son Zechariah killed when Zechariah confronts him.

And that is hard to read.

     Joash had literally grown up in the temple.

He knew the right things. He had been surrounded by godly influence. He had an incredible mentor. But eventually Joash had to stand on his own faith. 

    And that's where this gets personal for me.

I'm a mom. I'm a children's pastor. I work with kids every day. A huge part of my life is spent trying to teach the next generation. I want them to know Scripture, I want them to know how to pray, I want them to worship, I want them to see what it looks like to trust God when we're afraid and have no clue what we're doing. I want to give them really good study notes.

But I cannot give them my relationship with Jesus.

    My sons have to know Him for themselves.

The kids I minister to have to know Him for themselves. The kids I work with have to make their own choices. I can teach. I can pray. I can model it. I can point them toward Jesus every chance I get. But eventually they take the test.

     I'm incredibly thankful for the pastors, mentors, teachers, and people God has placed in my life. I've needed them. I still need people who can teach me, encourage me, and tell me when I'm wrong. But I can't live on their faith either. I have to know Him. Not just know church or Scripture. Not just know what my pastor or mentor says. I need my own relationship with Jesus.

    That's what I want for the generations coming behind me too. Not just, “My mom believed.” Not, “Pastor Mandy taught me.”

I want them to say “I know Him.”

    So I'll keep giving them the study notes.

I'll keep teaching.

I'll keep praying.

I'll keep showing them where to look.

Then when their test comes, I pray they don't have to depend on remembering what I would do.They know Him well enough to know where to turn for themselves.

Love Pastor Mandy 

Daily reading 2 Chronicles 22-24

MandiesDandies / Ark of Hope