I am delighted when I find someone in the Bible with whom I can identify. Recently it is Othniel.

The Old Testament tells us that Othniel was the first judge in Israel. The Lord raised him up to deliver Israel from Mesopotamia. There is not much said about him in the Bible. But a little research reveals that originally he was not part of Israel but a Kenite from the tribe of Moses’ father-in-law. Because the Kenites helped Judah enter the Promised Land, they were assimilated into the tribe of Judah. Othniel was an outsider!

Have you ever felt like an outsider? I have ….. many times.

My first experience of being fully accepted by a group was when I married my husband. He was from a very large, extended Christian family. Even though I was teased a lot, I felt their love. My second experience of belonging was when I was adopted as a child of God into His family because I chose to believe in the work, word and ways of God’s Son. Unfortunately, I did not always feel one with these family members.

Perhaps I was not completely comfortable because I had not been raised in a Christian home and my spiritual training was from many sources because our family moved a lot with my husband’s work. On the other hand, churches do have cliques that are difficult to break into and there are factions that have been long established in a church that convey founders rights.

Coming from these circumstances and being introduced to Othniel, the outsider whom God placed into the family of His chosen people and then used mightily in a unique way, gives me great affirmation that outsiders can be used of God to accomplish His purposes. But there is a warning that comes with learning of Othniel’s life and death.

Othniel ruled as a judge of Israel for forty years. During this time, Israel was at peace. But after his death, Israel turned back to doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

All of our adult children and their mates love and serve the Lord and they are training their children to do the same. But what will happen to our future generations when we die? Will our descendants be faithful and stand against Christian persecution that we now see growing or will they turn their backs on God? The latter is not a comforting thought. So I have been thinking of precautionary measures that can be taken. Following are my ideas. Please contribute your own.

Pray that our descendants will love and serve the Lord with their whole heart, mind, soul and strength.  Keep our own relationship with the Lord joyful, lively and real so that our relatives desire to do the same. Spend time with relatives or keep in touch. Get to know their friends and use what God shows you to also pray for them. Expose relatives to biographies of Christians who remained faithful to God despite persecution.

Help with the last suggestion by contributing titles that meet the criteria. My offering is Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas.