Judges 8:33-34 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side:
What a terrible thought! Gideon was used greatly of God to deliver and then lead the nation of Israel. But notice this verse about what happens after Gideon dies.
“As soon as.” Gideon was dead the children of Israel turned from God to a false God, they forgot their true God. They forgot the God who had delivered them and given them all of their blessings.
This causes me to question myself as a dad, husband, and pastor. First, Gideon was greatly used. Secondly, as long as he was alive they served the one true God.
But somewhere he failed to teach them to make the right decisions when he wasn’t there. He dies. They do not even wait a little while. The horrible words are, “as soon as!”
What am I doing. My family serves God while I am here. They have all stayed faithful. They have not gone after other gods. But the question that comes is, what will they do “as soon as” I am gone.
I have been used of God to not just tell them what to do but to show them the how and why? Do they love God and obey Him because it is in their hearts or is it because of their love and respect for me.
I want them to love God on their own. I want to so pray, lead, share, teach, etc that they will want to serve God from the heart.
What will happen “as soon as” you die? What will your children, the people from your ministry do?
