Silence: Find a quiet place, remove potential distractions, clear your mind of other thoughts, and ask God to speak to you as you read and contemplate this passage:
Reflective Reading: Read Psalm 78:1-7 thoughtfully:
1 My people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
Meditation: Reflect on this song used for worship in the temple – and its expressed concern, not for the worshipper, but for the next generation of worshippers. What is God speaking to you through this exchange? What is the Psalmist’s challenge to the Israelites?
Oration: From your reading and prayer, verbalize or write in the space below your response to what God is speaking to you from this passage:
Contemplation: Over the next day, contemplate this passage and what God is saying to you. Think on these topics:
- Reflect back on our church’s commitment to young people as we undertook the addition of the gym and youth teaching space – is your commitment to the ‘next generation’ as strong now as it was then?
- Pray for the leaders of our youth – that they may help our youth see and understand ‘the praiseworthy deeds of our Lord, His power, and the wonders He has done’.
- Pray for our church’s ‘next generation’.
- What actions might this passage be directing you to begin?
Leave a Reply