Slideshow image

I’m pretty sure most parents want their children to be better off than they were when they were growing up. Those same parents work long hours and make sacrifices so that they can meet their children’s needs and wants. Dad’s will have tea parties with daughters and moms will throw baseballs with their sons. Not something these parents would do on their own otherwise.

We try to send our kids to the best schools so they can get a good education. We may even get involved with the PTA. Why do we do all these things? Because of love of course. Love makes us do some of the craziest stuff and somehow, we find joy in it.

As followers of Christ, we know that every one of our children is a gift from the Lord. So, we treat them as such. We do this not only while we are here on earth, but we also prepare for them after we go home. The bottom line is we invest in those we love and cherish.

In my devotions, I was in Psalm 102. It speaks of someone being afflicted and seeking the Lord. Now, toward the end of the text, the writer begins to reflect upon God's greatness and all He has done for His people. In verse 18 the writer makes this statement, “Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord.” Notice that the writer is not just thinking about himself at this point. He has a desire for future generations to recognize God and worship Him.

This should awaken us to the need for not just our children and grandchildren, but for any child that walks through the doors of the church. As you get ready to walk into the doors by the gym to the children’s area, if you look up at the brick in the center of the entryway you will see the second part of verse 18. “That a people not yet created may praise the Lord.” That was the purpose and the goal of all those who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice at Old Town Hill. This must always be the heart of the church.

This speaks of children and those who haven’t even been born yet. What an awesome call to prepare for those who only the Lord knows and has yet to be brought into this world. Many challenges come with this. We can become very comfortable with our preferences to the point of stagnation if we are not careful and alert.

The battle for the next generation is not in the schoolhouse but in the churchhouse. So, let us continue to give and sacrifice so that those who have yet to be created may come to praise the Lord. The Lord has given them to us as if they were our own children.