My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart! Wake up, lyre and harp! I will wake the dawn with my song. I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is higher than the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. Psalm 108:1-5
This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth. Lamentations 3:21-27
But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more. My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness and of Your salvation all day long; for I do not know the sum of them. I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. O God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me, until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to all who are to come. For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? Psalm 71:14-19
Today's thoughts from today's verses:
The first Psalm today spoke of putting confidence in God. The concluding passages above are wonderful expressions of what it means to put confidence in God. Our church campus has an extraordinary facility with some pretty special provisions for our young people. There is always an inherent danger that comes with having great resources. The very resources that are meant to enhance the work of the kingdom can become a significant obstacle if they become to us the object of our confidence. Our confidence must be in God and God alone. As we go forward utilizing our wonderful facility, we need a Divine diligence that allows us to keep providing a climate of faith (confidence in God) for our young people.
The following words from the introduction bear repeating: “As the young people of our church experience a climate of faith that comes to them from the older generation, they will best be able to embrace a life of faith. Faith is all about genuinely experiencing a love relationship with God. When we seek the Lord consistently, connect with Him intimately, experience an outflow of life that comes from our love relationship with Him, and then share it with each other and the world, our young people will see the reality of our faith.” Without this, our lives and our facility will more and more become an empty shell, but with a genuine climate of faith filling up our facility like the “Shekinah Glory” of old, we will mightily bless succeeding generations in the best possible way.
Today's prayer response from today's thoughts:
Lord, I pray for the families of our church. May we equip them in ways that allow them to thoroughly fulfill the central role they have in preparing the next generation to live fully for you. May the ministries of our church to our young people supplement this work of our parents and not be a substitute for it. May all of us put our trust and confidence in you and you alone. For myself, Lord, I ask that you use me in any way you desire for blessing the next generation in the best possible ways. Amen!
