Day 23: The next generation is watching you

Psalm 145:1-6 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty — and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell of the power of your awesome works — and I will proclaim your great deeds.

Do you know that your words and deeds are being watched and learnt by the next generation?

Whether it is intentional or not, they will be influenced by us.

I remember once I was invited to preach at a church. While I was worshipping at the back of the auditorium, I saw a mother and a pair of twins. The kids were about three years old, worshipping with their mother in the auditorium. When the mother raised her hands, the kids raised their hands. When the mother knelt, the kids looked at each other and began to kneel too.

Although they didn’t understand fully, they were impacted by their mother’s posture of praising God.

King David reminded his people and future generations in Psalm 145 that this generation should proclaim the works of God to the next generation.

“I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendour of your majesty – and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They tell the power of your awesome works – and I will proclaim your great deeds.” (Psalm 145:1-6)

In the entire psalm, the act of “professing” is repeated five times – “tell”, “proclaim” and “celebrate”. David wants all that he and his people tell to be about God’s character, God’s deeds and God’s grace!

If we don’t do this, the next generation will forget who God is, what He has done, and their relationship with Him.

This generation should proclaim the works of God to the next generation.

What one generation neglects, the next generation will reject.

As parents, we should know that our ignorance will become a role model for our children’s wilfulness.

If the next generation doesn’t know God, our churches will face ageing and extinction.

This generation needs to be deliberate and willing to invest in the next generation!

David’s message in Psalm 145

David tells us that one generation must tell the next about:

1. The Character of God

David praises the Lord because He is worthy, He is great, and He deserves to be praised and worshipped.

How you revere God and praise Him can be observed by the people around you. Teach the next generation to know God’s character! He is holy, righteous, and merciful. We can only understand God’s will by knowing Him.

2. The Deeds of God

Your experiences and testimonies are references for the next generation to understand how God saves and how He performs miracles, so you need to “speak of the glorious splendour of the Lord’s majesty and meditate on His wonderful works”. (Psalm 145:5)

More than just knowing about Him intellectually, the next generation needs to experience the great works of God.

I remember frequently sharing about God’s wonderful works with my family. Sometimes they would be excited, but sometimes they would be unimpressed if they have not had the personal experience. I remember keeping them in my prayers, hoping that they, too, would come to experience God’s wonderful works.

If the next generation doesn’t know God, our churches will face ageing and extinction.

One day, my youngest daughter shared that she experienced a miracle from God during a family altar. It happened when she was with her friends, and it suddenly started raining.

She remembered there was once a pastor who prayed for the weather with great faith, and the rain stopped after a short while. And so she did the same, and the rain actually stopped! Even her friends who didn’t know God were amazed.

Let the next generation know that our God is a God of miracles!

3. The Grace of God

“The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14)

Grace means undeserved favour. King David himself experienced the mercy and grace of God, so he understood that God’s heart is not to condemn but to forgive.

We must realise that the next generation will face trials and setbacks. A pastor once said: “Do not let your mistakes become missed opportunities.”

The next generation must experience God’s love and grace. Don’t miss out on God’s wonderful plan because of certain mistakes. May God bless you.

Let us pray together：

Dear Lord, we praise You and we declare Your works, so that the next generation can tell, proclaim and celebrate Your great and wonderful deeds.

Teach our next generation to also receive Your grace and blessings.

All these we pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

/ Reflect

Has God revealed His character, deeds and grace to you in a personal way? How will you share this with others?
Do you have Gen Z or Gen Alpha children, nephews/nieces, students or church youths? In what ways can you sow Gospel seeds in this next generation?

/ Pray

Pray for God to raise up youths who will faithfully bear His cross and boldly take His Gospel message to their peers.
Pray for individuals and the Church to have a collective burden for the next generation. Ask to be equipped with the passion, conviction and faithfulness to share our faith, disciple new believers and shepherd His flock to grow deep and wide in their knowledge of the Word.
Pray for youths who seek to please God rather than please their peers. Pray that they will be convicted of God’s ultimate authority rather than the world’s fickleness. Ask for them to personally experience the joy of the Lord and His peace that passes all understanding, so that they yearn for Christ above all else.