Leading The Way - Devotional for May 2
May 2, 2026
Equipping the Next Generation
By Michael A. Youssef, Ph.D.
In Judges 6, the Israelites had done evil in the eyes of the Lord—and so God used the Midianites to chastise them. Judges 6:3, 5 says,
Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples invaded the country. . . . It was impossible to count them or their camels; they invaded the land to ravage it.
Israel was harassed; their future was threatened. Their hope was shattered, but all they could do was run and hide, pretending that nobody could find them. It took seven years before they started humbling themselves before God (see Judges 6:1-2, 6).
The Midianites are here in our culture, in our society, and they are plundering this nation. Many times, we, as parents and adults, fail to set the example for the next generation, and that is why they are running and hiding from the Midianites of their time. But like with Gideon, before God will deliver us from the menace of the Midianites in our midst, He must deliver us from our faithlessness. We must welcome God’s provision of faith and revival as we cry out in confession and repentance. Then we will cling to Him and rest in His strength.
Our future generation is our greatest asset; we must not squander it like Israel did again and again in the book of Judges. If we do not equip the future generation with the Word of God by modeling lives of faithful obedience, they will do what Israel did. When the heat is on, they will run and hide hopelessly in the mountains. They will never stand up, trust God, or receive the blessing of faith in Him.
We must repent and seek the Lord, modeling for them what it means to stand up and be counted.
Prayer: God, forgive us for the poor example we have set for the next generation. I pray that my generation would humble itself before You before it’s too late. Help us show our children what it means to stand up for Truth instead of being overrun by our culture. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).
Learn more in Dr. Michael A. Youssef’s sermon Beware of Spiritual Amnesia, Mighty Warriors by Faith: LISTEN NOW
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Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.
