Deuteronomy 34:5 (ESV)
“So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.”
We like to see how things turn out. When we invest our time, energy, and heart into something, we want to know that it made a difference. We want to see the answer to the prayer, the fruit of the effort, and the reason we kept going when it would have been easier to quit.
But some of the most important things we do will have an impact that reaches beyond what we can see today. That is especially true when we invest in the next generation. We can teach, encourage, pray, and set an example. Yet we cannot see all the ways God may use those ordinary moments in the years ahead.
Deuteronomy 34 brings us to the end of Moses’ life. He climbs Mount Nebo, where the Lord shows him the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After years of leading Israel through the wilderness, Moses sees the land his people will enter. But he will not cross into it himself. His earthly life ends there.
We need to understand that part of the story honestly. Moses was prevented from entering the land because of his earlier disobedience. This passage reminds us that obedience matters, even for someone God has used greatly. His years of service did not remove his responsibility to honor the Lord. We should allow that truth to examine our own hearts.
At the same time, Scripture identifies Moses as the servant of the Lord. His failure was real, but God had also worked powerfully through his life. He had taught the people, delivered God’s commands, and prepared Joshua for leadership. As his life ended, the work God was doing among His people would continue.
That makes me think about the responsibilities God has given me.
One of the instructions we find early in Scripture is to be fruitful and multiply. Children are a gift, and raising them comes with a serious responsibility. I also recognize that marriage and parenthood are not everyone’s story. The opportunity to influence the next generation reaches beyond having children of our own.
When I think about my own priorities, my first objective is to be faithful to God. Second, I want to be faithful to my bride, Erica. Third, I want to teach my children, the next generation, how to walk faithfully with the Lord. Those responsibilities deserve my attention in the everyday decisions that shape our home.
I love pastoring our church. I care deeply about the people God has entrusted to us and the work He has called us to do. And I genuinely desire for my children to have a real, authentic relationship with the Creator who made them. I want them to know Him personally, trust His Word, and learn to follow Him.
That desire makes the ordinary moments at home matter. Our children hear what we teach, but they also see how we live. They watch how we treat our spouse, respond to frustration, handle disappointment, and speak about other people. They see whether our faith shapes our decisions when nobody from church is around.
That can feel like a lot of responsibility. We know our weaknesses. We can remember conversations we handled poorly or moments when our example fell short. Being faithful includes taking those failures seriously. Sometimes one of the most valuable things we can teach our children is how to admit sin, ask forgiveness, and turn back to the Lord.
We are also limited in what we can accomplish. We can teach our children the truth, but we cannot make their response for them. We can encourage them to pray, but we cannot manufacture a relationship with God in their hearts. That should keep us prayerful as we continue loving them and pointing them toward Jesus.
If you do not have children, you still have opportunities to make an impact in the next generation. You may be an aunt, an uncle, a teacher, a neighbor, or someone serving in the church. Your willingness to listen, encourage, and demonstrate a faithful life can matter deeply to someone younger than you.
Think about the people who helped shape your faith. Some may have taught you directly. Others may have simply made time for you, answered your questions, or shown you what following Jesus looked like through a difficult season. They may never have realized how much their example meant. You may have that kind of influence in someone else’s life.
Moses’ story reminds us that our involvement has limits. Israel mourned his death, and Joshua would lead them forward. God’s faithfulness continued beyond the life of one leader. We can take our responsibilities seriously while trusting that God’s work reaches further than our own ability, understanding, or years.
Our hope ultimately rests in Jesus Christ. Moses was a great servant, but he was also a sinner who needed God’s mercy. Jesus obeyed the Father perfectly, died for our sins, and rose again. Through faith in Him, we receive forgiveness and new life. He is the Savior we need and the Savior we want the next generation to know.
Today, consider someone younger whom God has placed in your life. Give them your attention. Pray for them. Let them see what trusting Jesus looks like in an ordinary day. You may never see the full impact of your faithfulness, but you can entrust that outcome to God.
Prayer
Father, help me be faithful with the people and responsibilities You have entrusted to me. Let my love for You shape the way I live at home and in every other part of my life. Help me teach the next generation through both my words and my example. When I fail, give me humility to repent. When I cannot see results, help me keep loving, praying, and trusting You. Above all, may those who come after us know Jesus personally and walk faithfully with Him. In Jesus’ name, amen.