How Can We Reach A New Generation For God? - Christian Perspectives
In this Psalm the writer shared with us the very heart of God. The Lord commanded His people to share the truths of the past and the miracles that He performed. That is how each generation would know the Lord. In the same way we can reach a new generation for God.
Each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. Psalms 78:7
This Psalm begins with O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying. Then he goes on to say that God will teach us hidden lessons from our past. Then look at what the next verse says.
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
It looks to me that we, your and my generation, need to pay attention to what God wants us to know. We also must listen to His instructions and open our ears to what He is saying. This must happen for two reasons.
The first is obvious. We must have and maintain a relationship with the Lord. That’s done by reading His Word and allowing it to speak to us as we live in its obedience. Then the second one has to do with other generations. Verses 5 and 6 tells us:
He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children, so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children. Psalm 78:5-6
Reach a Generation
If our mandate is to pass God’s message on to each generation Then are we taking that command seriously? Sometimes I think we give up on passing the truths of the gospel to other generations. We feel that they don’t care, they are rebellious, and they refuse to believe in God.
This Psalm lists things that the people were guilty of. Things like: “they rebelled against the Lord”, “they did their own thing”, “they refused to trust him”, along with other downfalls.
But God never gave up on them. It says in verse 38, He was merciful and forgave their sins and did not destroy them. He goes on to say this in verse 71.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—God’s own people. Psalm 78:71
How Does This Effect Us?
Now, what does that have to do with us? That is a good question and here’s the answer. Jesus is our Savior and he was born in the linage of David.
- David was a shepherd, Jesus is our Good Shepherd.
- Jesus is the heart of God. while David was a man after God’s own heart,
- David was the king of Israel, Jesus is the King of kings.
When you accept Jesus into your life then you become a child of the Lord. These are the things we are being told to pass on to other generations. When we reach a new generation for God, then listen to what the next verse says.
Then they will not be like their ancestors—stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God. Psalm 78:8
That sounds like it is worth reaching the next generation or for that matter any generation.
Lord, help us to obey your commands and never forget your miracles. Continue to remind us of the importance and urgency of passing your truths on to other generations.
Here is a related post from another Psalm that talks about how God will rescue the godly. It is called Being Wicked is not a Good Idea.
Read more on evangelism at this post called How To Reach Lost People For The Kingdom Of God.
Read all of Psalm 78 here.
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