Daily Bible Verse

So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands. – Psalm 78:7 (NLT)

Yesterday we talked about passing our faith on to those around us. Like a note, passed to a friend, our faith is meant to pass on ideas about God to others. Today we’re looking at the reason why we do this. Why should we tell others about our faith in God?

The answer is in Psalm 78:7. Because we want our friends, family, and those around us to set their hope on God. God can be our hope in times of trouble.

But here’s the hard truth. In times of trouble, it’s really easy to forget that God is our hope. It’s easy to focus on the bad things going on in our lives, and forget that we have God and His help. That’s why today’s verse says that we’re to not forget His miracles and commands.

You never know who is watching you as you go through a difficult season. Your faith in God often inspires others to faith simply by you staying firm in what you believe. A person of faith always keeps their eyes God as the answer and reminds themselves of His past miracles.

So when you or someone you know is going through something difficult, remember what God has done in the past. Instead of putting all your focus on the problem, remind yourself of how God has come through. As you do that, you’ll inspire faith in those around you, and stay encouraged until you come through the trial.

so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. – Psalm 78:6 (NIV)

I remember passing notes to one of my best friends at school. If we had different classes, we would fold up notes and try to slip them to each other in the hallway or put them in each other’s locker. It was a lot of fun passing on notes. We filled them with fun doodles and thoughts of what was going on. Passing notes became a fun part of each day.

Passing notes to a friend reminds me of today’s verse. Our faith is something that should be passed to others also. And you might think, I don’t really think I know enough about the Bible to tell my friends about it. Or you might say, I’m not that good at defending what I believe. It’s easy to find some excuse to stay silent about what you believe about God.

But the truth is, we’re not really given an excuse for silence in the Bible. Instead we’re encouraged to pass our faith along to the next generation.

How can you do that? Maybe it’s by encouraging a younger sibling. You could pray with them if they have a tough day. Perhaps at church you could find some friends or younger kids that attend and tell them what God has done for you. And this doesn’t have to be a huge rehearsed sermon. It can be something simple in conversation. For example, you could say, guess what? Last week I prayed that I would do well on my math test. And God helped me stay at peace while I took it. I got an “A” on it. Basic things like that will help encourage those around you to place their faith in God too.

So today, pray and ask God if there are ways that you can be proactive in passing your faith to those around you so that they too can place their faith in God.

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. – Psalm 78:4 (NIV)

I remember a certain day at school when one of my teachers spent most of the afternoon lecturing the class for something they had done wrong. Thankfully, I hadn’t participated in the wrongdoing, and so I got to sit back and watch many of them getting in trouble, all the while knowing the lecture and subsequent punishment did not apply to me.

It can be easy to read the Bible with a similar mindset. When reading, you might see a passage like today’s and think, I’m not a parent, so I don’t need to even read or think about what this verse is telling me, and we skip over it without giving it any thought.

And it’s true that you’re probably not a parent yet. But one day you might be. And verses like these can help you when you are. Also, you’re probably influencing younger people around you. Maybe you have a little brother or sister. Or perhaps there are some younger kids that you babysit or see at church. This verse could apply to your relationship with them too.

Whether you realize it or not, you have a responsibility to take the gospel to the next generation. And telling the next generation about what God has done can start for you now. Take your little brother or sister for example, there are probably things you could be doing to encourage your little brother or sister in their faith. Maybe they have doubts about God that you could help them through. Perhaps you could just be a good example to them by making good choices and living for righteousness.

If you’re open to it, God can prompt you and show you a way that you can begin showing His goodness to the next generation. So don’t wait. God can use you today to help the next generation learn more about the goodness of God. Start by asking God how, and be open to being used by Him to help others know Him more.