reat things He did for them (42-56).
The purpose of the Psalm is expressed in verse 7. “That they would put their trust in
God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands.” The key point is
that the present generation (that’s us) and future generations be warned of the danger
of forgetting God’s faithfulness in the past. Looking back we are encouraged to trust God and obey Him. God plans for that to happen through families.
Look at how many generations are mentioned:
•Our fore-fathers (vs 5)
•Our fathers (vs 3)
•Our selves
(vs 4 we are our father’s children) • Our children (vs 6) • Our children’s children (the unborn vs 6) As the present generation, we stand at the centre of a long line in God’s history. Like the runners in a relay race, we dare not drop the baton. We are responsible to pass God’s truth onto our own children and to future generations.
This will only happen successfully if family life is strong and healthy. So we see again the fundamental place that family holds in God’s plan for history. Family flows from the character of God. When we relate together as husbands and wives and as parents and children we model or image His character. This is how He planned for the truths of God and His dealing with people to be communicated from one generation to the next.
Our family may not meet God’s expectations but the Psalm is written to encourage not to crush us. God stands with arms out stretched and ready to help us.
“Rend your hearts not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
For He is gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in love,
And He relents from sending calamity
Who knows? He may turn and have pity
And leave behind a blessing.
He will repay you for the years the locusts
have eaten” (Joel 2:13,14,25)
Take courage, God is for your family. Whoever you are and whatever your family may be like, God calls you to turn to Him, to trust Him and to take action with Him.
You may think you are unimportant and can do very little but God loves to do a lot with very little. Think of the boy whose five loaves and two fish fed 5 000 people. So take your stand and in your own way, say with Joshua “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).
God is for your family.
“Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing. He will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten”.
Post published in: News