“We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, His power and the wonders He has done.” Psalm 78:4
Don’t you just love old books? Recently, I was cleaning my basement and spied some old books lying on a table. I puzzled over how they got there, then remembered my granddaughters had been searching my book selves looking for reading material to occupy their time while at “grandma’s house.” They are voracious readers and forgot to return them to the shelf. Tattered books with dusty covers and old English words tell a family history and the story is often on the flyleaf. Who did these books belong to?
The first book was given to my mother in 1925 for attendance at Sunday school when she was nine years old. It was a story about a Huguenot Potter, Bernhard Palissy, who became famous for his outstanding ceramics. He was a devoted Christian and suffered for his faith. He was subsequently arrested and died in the Bastille. Today, 500 years later, some of his ceramics are in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The story is wonderful, even with its old English language, it contains a story of faith under fire.
The second book was one I received for attendance in Sunday school when I was nine years old. It was a story that took place in 1910, long before the advent of cell phones and video games. It was about a young lady who went on a three week “cruise” to Morocco and back home to England. I can’t imagine a 9 year old understanding the old English, but both books are precious to me. Another of my treasures is a book my grandmother earned for perfect attendance in Sunday school in 1892! It’s an old “Moody and Sankey Hymnbook”. Its pages are frayed and the binding is beyond repair, but it tells a story. On the flyleaf, is written her name and under it her father’s name. My great-grandfather was the children’s leader and a circuit preacher in Wales! When I think of the spiritual heritage being passed down to my children and their children, I can only praise the Lord for His goodness!
Our children are a precious resource. They are the church leaders of tomorrow and therefore, our top priority should be to teach them the works and words of God. Children love stories! Share with them God’s mighty deeds recorded in the Bible. Share with them men and women whom God used mightily throughout history. Share with them personal stories of how God answered prayer in your life. Let them see the impact God has on your faith in everyday struggles and trials. Most of all, share with them what God has done in sending His Son Jesus to bring us salvation. It is their heritage! Don’t hide it from them!
We need to teach them not only God’s works (what He has done), but also the Word of God (what He has said). Most importantly, they learn to trust Him and put Him first in their lives. Children learn faith from people who practice faith. “He commanded our forefathers to teach their children, (His statutes and commandments) so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children,” Psalm 78:6. I wonder if my grandmother prayed for the future generations “yet to be born?” I know she did, as did my mother and I love to see my children teaching their children the ways of God. We have a responsibility to “pass the torch” to the next generation, not only of our grandchildren but to all children we know and love!
Your friend, Jean