Psalm 119:97-104 (KJV)
97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
We cannot afford to drop the baton as it is passed to the next generation. Raymond Woodward said at Because of The Times 2011, "We are in desperate need of leaders who will pass the baton while they still have strength to cheer."
True success is not achieved unless there is a successor to continue succeeding. This principle is not first found in leadership books or conferences, but rather in the Bible. Moses got the children of Israel through wilderness; Joshua led them into the Promised Land. Elijah anointed and appointed Elisha who received a double portion of his spirit. Jesus anointed twelve to carry on the gospel of the kingdom and they in turn appointed others to follow them.
This is the way it is supposed to work, and if it does not, then we have failed and our success will be nothing more than a flash in the pan.
David speaks three different times of having "understanding" in this thirteenth stanza of Psalm 119. Two of those times it is in reference to understanding more than his teachers and elders. This is not a slap in their face, nor is it to say that we can disregard our teachers or elders contribution. However, if they are irreplaceable, what happens when they die? Does the dream die with them?
If the church is to get better, more powerful, and see greater things, then we must pass the baton successfully. This requires teaching and trusting.
Joshua led the children of Israel into the Promised Land. He and Caleb and that first generation were conquerors. They constantly and consistently possessed their promise! Victory after victory is recorded as they claimed what God had promised them.
The elders represent the second generation. These elders are identified as maintainers. There were no new victories won, and no new lands conquered. They just maintained what the previous generation had achieved. This brought up a third generation that didn't know God or His works. Read it - it's in Judges 2:10. This third generation falls away from God's will and serves false gods.
If we do not teach our children diligently, then we will see a third generation rise that doesn't know God or yet His works. This is the magnitude of my blog today. We could only be one generation away from extinction if we do not experience fresh victories!
Are we satisfied to read about prayer meetings and God's provision in the past? Has the American Dream effectively replaced our Apostolic Vision? Do we believe that miracles are reserved for stories from the Bible or only in foreign fields? GOD FORBID!
I am grateful for every elder and teacher I've had (and still have). Those I still have, I pray for them daily and seek their counsel often. However, I cannot rely on their prayer life to get me through. I cannot rejoice at the accounts of their victories and rejoice in their faith without also seeing my own. I too must possess a steadfast, immovable, always abounding faith and passion to see my generation experience the glory of God. I must effectively pass this on to my son and daughter. Otherwise, I am not a true success.
Unfortunately, I've noticed some who depart from this precious faith proclaiming a new found liberty in Christ. However, this new liberty requires less discipline, obedience, and sacrifice than previous generations gave. It is obvious, then, that this is not a doctrine that parallels the truth. The fact is that I must give MORE than my elders and teachers gave. This is not to imply that I would be somehow better by doing more. Instead, the fact is that we are living a world whose moral fabric continues to unravel. Sin abounds more and more today. What once was hidden in coded messages in music is now blatantly spoken in modern lyrics.
I'm eternally grateful for every elder and teach who has walked this blameless way before me. I too must also walk it faithfully. It will require of me absolute discipline, ultimate obedience, and complete sacrifice. I'm willing make the commitment to accept the baton from those handing it to me, and I'm willing to invest in the succeeding generation and one day pass it to them as well.
And the way I will successfully accept the baton and pass it on is found in David's words, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (vs 97, 101-103)
