Declaring it! Why Generational Faith Matters

A little commendation from the next generation. :) Can you see Jesus in this little heart?

Session 5 – From Generation to Generation

Psalm 145 is beautiful and declarative. And I love any thing declarative, it’s true. Read with me below, verses 1-9:

I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.

Find the word "commend" and highlight that verse in your Bible if you have it open, and are so willing. 

This is an amazing work of the church on earth - the work of every congregation and every family, and every individual. Passing down the faith from generation to generation.

Don’t miss the significance of the verse, though. We talk all the time about passing on the faith, or handing down the faith, but this passage tells us HOW. We commend the faith from our generation to the next. Wait, no we commend the faith to another generation. 

It doesn’t matter the generation. We aren’t married to sharing with those younger than us, or even those in the same life stage as us. We can share with those younger, and older, and all the places in between. But we do it by commending the faith. Talking highly of the faith.

Isn’t it a great Faith, after all? Isn’t it exactly what the Psalm tells us?

How has God shown Himself in your life? How have you seen, literally seen, His Greatness? What mighty acts has He done in your generation, your lifetime? What splendor do you see around you, created and sustained by Our Great God? When has He been slow to anger in your life? Where have you seen and heard and senses His abounding Love and Mercy?

This is how we can proclaim His Name to every generation. Declare it.

My friend, Sarah, just recently published a novel called Penelope’s Hope. In it, the main character, Penelope, has a conversation with her friend, Violet. Violet exclaims to her, out of the natural disposition of her heart something like, “God is good, is He not?”

Penelope’s response is not unlike that of the hurting world around us, “I can not speak for God’s goodness, Violet, for I have seen but precious little of it.”

Can you hear the hurt, the struggle? This is the story of so many. We are taught by the world to look for goodness in what seems good, feels good, looks good. Sometimes God works in those very things, but sometimes, very often times, He works in the struggle, in the pain, in the weaving of mercy where it would not otherwise be found.

Let’s declare it, friends. Let’s boldly proclaim to a world in need where we can see God’s goodness, God’s mercy, God’s abounding forgiveness and love. Let’s do it gently, for the world may feel they have seen precious little of it.

Point out in conversations the Hope you are anchored in. Give a hug and remind someone of his or her value. Give a tiny piece of your story and share how God has been and done and worked and loved in your life, in your walk.

We have seen what is precious, not a precious little bit. Proclaim it girls. Commend away!

Discussion questions – Which verse stands out to you the most in the reading from Psalm 145? What are some ideas or ways we can individually and corporately commend the faith from generation to generation?