Daily Bread_March 5, 2013

Title:  The Counsel That David Gave to the Next Generation

Text:

Psalm 34:11-16 (ESV)
¹¹ Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Observation:

I love the encouragement that I receive from reading a Psalm a day. I started this practice over 40 years ago. I was in attendance at a church gathering in Saint Louis, Missouri, and Billy Graham was the keynote speaker.

The thing that I took away from that meeting and put into practice was his testimony of reading one Proverb, and five Psalms a day. This practice enabled him to read through the Proverbs and the Psalms monthly. He said he read the Proverbs for wisdom, and the Psalms for encouragement and inspiration.

Now, to the encouragement I received from reading today's Psalm.

The passion of David's heart is the passion of my heart; he wanted the next generation to know the Lord, and to trust Him. The prayers of my heart are that my generation will know God, and know his power, and that the next generation will know God, and know his power.

I heard this message many years ago in a tape I purchased. It is this; the first generation of believers knows God and knows his power. But, the second generation knows God, but does not know his power. The third generation does not know God, and does not know his power. This truth informed my parenting. Every generation has to know God for themselves. God does not have any grandchildren.

Prayer:

Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you that your eyes see our needs, and that your ears hear our prayers. Father, I thank you that your face smiles upon your people, and that you are always near to those who stay close to you.

Father, may we never forget that when the praises go up, the blessings come down. Lord, you are the source of our strength. Praise the Lord! Amen.

--

Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

My blog: Sharing the Word of God Daily:

 http://herbcotton.blogspot.com/