Not only can a grandparent offer inspiration to their grandchildren by living with authentic faith, but they can also sharing insights with their grandchildren about what they could become for God.
Has anyone ever shared with you what they believed you could become with God’s help? That’s what Jacob shared with his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh in his final days on this earth. Like Jacob, I encourage grandparents to share these kinds of insights with their grandchildren.
In Genesis 48, Jacob expressed sincere faith when speaking with Joseph and blessing his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh. How did he do that? He shared his testimony with his grandchildren; and my goodness, did Jacob have a testimony to share! Along with sharing his testimony, Jacob also laid his hands on these two grandsons and expressed what God had revealed to him about their future.
Verse 14 states that Jacob was guiding his hands wittingly. If you study what that phrase means in the original Hebrew, that phrase speaks of discernment and insight (Key Word Study Bible). As a grandparent, I want you to consider what insight has God given you about your grandchildren. How have you observed God working in their life? Have you shared that with them? Don’t think of it as one conversation; but an ongoing conversation as you have opportunity. When you sense God working in your grandchild’s life, talk it over with their parents so you’re on the same page, then speak into your grandchild’s life what you see God doing for them, in them, and through them.
For example, how has God gifted your grandchildren? What inclinations do they have that you can encourage them to develop? God gave them those gifts and inclination – and He wants you as a grandparent to emphasize those gifts and inclinations! You and God should be reading from the same playbook and encouraging your grandchildren to run the plays God has planned for them. Sometimes a grandparent sees what God is doing in their grandchildren before the parents do.
You and God should be reading from the same playbook and encouraging your grandchildren to run the plays God has planned for them.
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That’s how it was for Joseph after all. If you continue reading in Genesis 48, you’ll read in verse 17 that Joseph was displeased because of how Jacob placed his hands on Ephraim and Manasseh’s heads. Why the displeasure? Jacob was about to extend a greater blessing to Ephraim (the younger of the two) than Manasseh! This wasn’t culturally expected! The greater blessing should be going to Manasseh, right!? No, because Jacob had insight into God’s plan for his grandchildren that Joseph did not possess and at this moment found detestable! However, Jacob confirmed to Joseph that God’s plan for these two boys was better than Joseph’s expectations. In fact, the writer of Hebrews under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit described Jacob’s action as being done by faith.
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. – Hebrews 11:21
You know something, it is an act of faith to share spiritual insight with your grandchildren. But like Jacob, you should speak to them by faith about what they could become for Jesus. Give them a vision to live up to. Are you and God calling from the same playbook?
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