August 20th - Psalm 71:17-18

Psalm 71:17-18 O God, you have taught me from my earliest childhood, and I constantly tell others about the wonderful things you do. Now that I am old and grey, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. Over the years, I have heard a number of people say they felt that in their ideal life, they would do whatever they wanted. Then, on their death bed, they would commit their life to God and receive eternal life. In this way, they figured, they would get the best of both worlds. King David would have completely disagreed with them! For him, the whole of life was made more special and precious through knowing God. He saw his life, from beginning to end, as an opportunity to proclaim how great God was and, in so doing, to ensure that future generations would also worship God. Succession planning is an integral part of any effective organisation. If there are no plans for the future, there is every possibility that the organisation will fail and have no future. This is as true of the Church as any other group. Sadly, many churches these days have no children and young people attending. However, every single church needs to be continually praying for children and young people and seeking to encourage them. I remember one particular church that was almost exclusively composed of retired people. They recognised that they were not in a position to welcome younger people, so they showed their commitment to the future by giving gifts to support a youth worker in another church. I thought that was a beautiful and creative response. Rather than just bemoaning the lack of children and young people in their church, they did something positive to enable such ministry to take place. Whatever we do, we need to keep our eyes on the next generation. Through prayer and our giving, we can help to prepare the ground for the future of the Church. Is there anything more exciting than seeing young people praising God and sharing their lives with him? Question In what ways could you do more to help children and young people to meet God? Prayer Lord God, I thank you for the blessing of knowing you. Help me to keep proclaiming how great you are. Amen