DAY SEVEN — AN INHERITANCE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Leave Them Springs, Not Just Memories
Scripture: Joshua 15:13–19; Judges 1:12–15; Psalm 78:4–7
Key Scripture — Joshua 15:19 (NKJV)
“Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.”
Walking with Caleb
Caleb's story does not end with an old warrior standing upon his mountain.
There is another scene, quieter but deeply significant.
In Joshua 15, we read about Othniel, Achsah and the inheritance associated with Caleb's family.
Achsah approaches her father and asks for springs of water because the land she has received is in the south country.
Caleb grants her the upper and lower springs.
It is a remarkable picture.
The man who spent decades holding on to the promise of God is now part of a story in which the next generation receives land and the resources necessary to flourish.
There is something here that we must not miss.
Caleb's faithfulness was not simply about his personal achievement.
His story continued beyond him.
That is one of the great responsibilities of spiritual maturity.
We are not called merely to accumulate experiences, knowledge, influence or possessions.
We are called to pass on what is good, true and life-giving.
Psalm 78 speaks of telling the coming generation about the works of the Lord so that they too might set their hope in God.
And this is where Caleb's story speaks powerfully to The Gathering.
We are not trying to build something that depends upon one personality, one generation or one particular expression of ministry.
We desire to see people rooted in Scripture, formed in the character of Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit and equipped to follow Him faithfully.
The measure of our fruitfulness is not simply what happens during our own lifetime.
It is also what we faithfully entrust to those who follow.
The prophetic challenge
There is a question I believe every generation of believers must face.
Are we preparing the next generation to walk with God, or merely expecting them to preserve what we have built?
Our traditions may carry wisdom, but they must never replace the living truth of Scripture.
Our experiences may be valuable, but the next generation must know the Lord for themselves.
Our responsibility is not to manufacture spiritual dependence upon us.
It is to point people towards Jesus Christ.
Caleb received his inheritance. Achsah asked for springs.
And perhaps that is an image worth carrying into our own lives.
Do not simply leave the next generation a piece of dry ground.
Give them the Word. Teach them to pray. Demonstrate the character of Christ. Make room for their growth, their questions and their calling.
Leave them springs from which they can draw long after we have gone.
Walking it out
Identify one person from another generation whom you can encourage, pray for or invest in.
Share something of God's faithfulness, but also make time to listen to their story.
Prayer and declaration
Father, thank You for those who have gone before us and faithfully carried Your Word. Help us to be good stewards of what we have received. Deliver us from the desire to build monuments to ourselves, and teach us to raise up people who know and follow Jesus.
May the generations that follow us inherit more than our memories. May they inherit a living testimony of Your faithfulness.
Amen Amen
Gordon Whyte
The Gathering
