Every year that passes is an opportunity to marvel at God’s faithfulness. You see, every year, God takes care of us and proves His great love to us in many different ways. The older we become, the more stories we have to tell of His goodness and faithfulness to us. It is our responsibility to pass these stories on to the children in our lives so that they, too, can marvel at the faithfulness of God and learn to trust Him to be faithful to them in the future.
The writer of Psalm 71 was committed to sharing about God’s faithfulness to him with everyone around him. In this passage of Scripture, he wrote, “O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from my childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. No wonder I am always praising you! My life is an example to many, because you have been my strength and protection" (verse 7). The psalmist recognized how God had provided and taken care of him throughout his life. According to him, his life pointed anyone around him to God's faithfulness and goodness. God had taken care of him, time and time again, and proved His faithfulness. The psalmist continued writing, “I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words” (verse 15). Because of God’s goodness and power, the psalmist told everyone around him about what God had done. Several verses later, he pleaded with the Lord, “Now that I am old and gray, I do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me” (verse 18). He recognized the importance of telling the next generation of sons and daughters about God’s righteousness, goodness, and faithfulness.
Like the psalmist, we, too, have a responsibility to share with the children in our lives about God's goodness and faithfulness to us. As the older generation, we get to tell the next generation about God and how faithful and good He has been to us. We get to recount stories of how He provided for us and took care of us. He has been faithful to you time and time again. It is time to share those stories of His faithfulness to the children in your life.
Take time today to share two or three stories of how God has been faithful to you and your family with the children in your life. Share with them how God has been good and faithful, even in times that were not good. Encourage them that because God has been faithful in the past, they can trust Him to be faithful in the future.
O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
don’t let me be disgraced.
2 Save me and rescue me,
for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me,
and set me free.
3 Be my rock of safety
where I can always hide.
Give the order to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 My God, rescue me from the power of the wicked,
from the clutches of cruel oppressors.
5 O Lord, you alone are my hope.
I’ve trusted you, O Lord, from childhood.
6 Yes, you have been with me from birth;
from my mother’s womb you have cared for me.
No wonder I am always praising you!
7 My life is an example to many,
because you have been my strength and protection.
8 That is why I can never stop praising you;
I declare your glory all day long.
9 And now, in my old age, don’t set me aside.
Don’t abandon me when my strength is failing.
10 For my enemies are whispering against me.
They are plotting together to kill me.
11 They say, “God has abandoned him.
Let’s go and get him,
for no one will help him now.”
12 O God, don’t stay away.
My God, please hurry to help me.
13 Bring disgrace and destruction on my accusers.
Humiliate and shame those who want to harm me.
14 But I will keep on hoping for your help;
I will praise you more and more.
15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
All day long I will proclaim your saving power,
though I am not skilled with words.
16 I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.
I will tell everyone that you alone are just.
17 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood,
and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do.
18 Now that I am old and gray,
do not abandon me, O God.
Let me proclaim your power to this new generation,
your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done such wonderful things.
Who can compare with you, O God?
20 You have allowed me to suffer much hardship,
but you will restore me to life again
and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
21 You will restore me to even greater honor
and comfort me once again.
22 Then I will praise you with music on the harp,
because you are faithful to your promises, O my God.
I will sing praises to you with a lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 I will shout for joy and sing your praises,
for you have ransomed me.
