The next generation
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. Psalm 145:4
In this psalm, David makes it clear that absolutely everyone and everything need to join together in praising God. We tend to think of worship as being something which people do when they go to church. David, however, saw it on a much bigger scale. For him, God is so great and majestic that no one should be left out of the celebrations. But he didn’t merely think about those who are alive in his own day. He was concerned about the generations to come as well.
This psalm contains words from Exodus 34:6, in which the Lord describes himself as “The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.” If those words sound familiar, it’s because this is the fifth psalm to refer to them. When God described himself in this way to Moses on Mount Sinai, he also said he would “lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations” (v7). God was deeply concerned about the future, and I believe he wants us to be as well.
Premier is committed to supporting the next generation of believers, and does so through premiernexgen.com. If you are unfamiliar with it, I would encourage you to go online and see the wide range of resources that have been developed to support young people, their parents, carers, grandparents and youth leaders. It’s well worth a look.
When I visit a church, one of the things I love to do is ask all those who became a Christian before the age of 20 to stand. On every single occasion, it’s the majority of the congregation. Often, it’s more than 90 per cent. I rest my case! The Church needs all of us to give our best effort to sharing the good news of Jesus with the next generation.
QUESTION
What more could you do to encourage the next generation to find new life in Jesus?
PRAYER
Lord God, I thank you that you are merciful and forgiving and that your love never fails. Help me to share this good news with the next generation. Amen