Psalm 78:1-33

“We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the LORD, about his power and his mighty wonders.” (Psalm 78:4, NLT)

Psalm 78 consists of parables or short stories of what the LORD did for His people, beginning with the Red Sea crossing. Asaph’s purpose was to pass down the history of God’s mighty deeds to future generations.

“Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.” (Psalm 78:8, NLT)

The psalmist hoped that future generations would learn from the failures of their ancestors who were stubborn, rebellious, and whose hearts were not loyal to God. I cannot help but recall Samuel’s ominous words to King Saul:

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23, NKJV)

This psalm highlights the importance of passing down lessons of faith to the next generation. I cannot think of any better investment than teaching our children and grandchildren about Jesus and the other stories of the Bible. Of course, only God can bring them to Christ, but we can bring Christ to them in hope that God will grant them saving faith and genuine repentance.

Over the years, some of the greatest times Cindy and I have had in ministry have been going to camps and other events where we have poured into our children, youth and young adults. We show them how God blesses our lives when we seek Him first and dedicate ourselves to doing His will. We help them avoid the pitfalls of sin and the deceitfulness of the world. We equip them to stand against the devices of Satan. We help them discover their gifts and calling and to joyfully serve Christ in the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit.

“So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.” (Psalm 78:7, NLT)

Asaph knew that the best way to make the message stick was through storytelling. He shared the great works of the LORD in saving His people from harm. He also recalled the people’s unfaithfulness. He did this so that the next generation would not forget about God, nor neglect His commandments, but would renew their hope in Him.

Would you pray with me that God gives us more opportunities to share His stories and our testimonies with the next generation? Would you personally invest in young adults, youth or children? What could be more important than this?