Be Faithful to Remember God’s Truth

Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. Psalms 78:1-3

Yesterday we began talking about passing on the faith to our children.  It is our responsibility as parents to pass this on to our children.  It is not the responsibility of the church.  The church and the parents must work together. 

The verses above are talking about an active, eager and responsive listening which results in learning and obedience.  It tells its listeners to put forth some effort.  “Don’t just sit there.  Stretch out your ears towards me, lean forward in your chairs and catch every word. Don’t miss a syllable!”  Ancient wisdom is about to be shared and only the open ear will hear it; only the open heart will understand it. It will seem too simple to the fool; He will miss its import. But hidden in the words of this Psalm are keys to life and blessing.

The parent that realizes the responsibility to teach will be faced with the responsibility of working out his own theology and doctrine.  Before we can teach we have to learn.  Before we can speak we have to listen.

1.    There are a lot of dangers in a young person’s life today that their parents know little about which leaves the child vulnerable. 

2.    None are eternally dangerous like failure to know God.

3.    Would you take the time to learn about something your child needed to know to survive?

This is a life or death situation for your child.  It is eternal life or death.  Make sure you listen and learn.  Be sure you are watching for the dangers that can creep up in your children’s lives.  Satan is waiting to snatch them up and he has plenty of tools.  Equip your child so that they are “Satan-proof”.

Be Faithful to Share God’s Truth - We will not conceal them from their children,
But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and
His wondrous works that He has done. Psalms 78:4

How do we hide the things of God from the next generation?

·      We hide the things of God by not teaching them.  Failing to positively, purposefully, and systematically teach the Word of God to our young hides something they need desperately.  That's why Sunday Bible Study, youth activities, children's church, and all of the other kid's ministries are so important. These supplement what kids from Christian families get at home and provide what a lot of kids get nowhere else.

·      We hide the works of God by not recalling them. (Testimonies) Our young need to hear how the Lord has rescued us in the face of temptation. We must not God’s answer to prayer. We must tell them about his guidance and faithfulness to us in the defining moments of our lives. To hide the works of God from the next generation is to deprive them of something vital.

·      We hide things of God by our hypocrisy. Our teaching matters and our example is critical; but so is our honesty. Our young need to know that we struggle, that life is not always easy, and that sometimes we fail. They need to hear our testimony that, even in those hard times, God is good, faithful, and gracious. They need to learn about the compassion of God and not just his commandments. They need to know that our God is a God of second chances, even third and fourth chances.

Share God’s truth with your child.  Don’t hide what God has done for you.  They need to see His works in your life and how He has been faithful to you. 

Scripture to Claim:

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15