“Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth.” (Psalm 112:1-2, NKJV)
It was our regularly scheduled first Sunday night of the month singing service. It’s always uplifting with a theme selected by the one designated to arrange the songs to be led … the Scriptures to be read … even the order of prayers connected with the different aspects of the service.
Interspersed with the men were a number of our teenagers and younger men of the congregation. And I was particularly struck by the teenagers.
As we grow older I suppose we become more reflective about life … our own … as well as those we love and cherish. I wondered, how will they turn out … will they be faithful … strong in the Lord … or will they walk away from He who is “… the Way, the Truth, and the Life”?
The question that came to my mind at that moment is one that each of us really needs to pause and reflect on: Am I living on a daily basis in such a way that all of my family would want to walk in my footsteps? Do they see me delight greatly in His commandments?
The fact is … parent, grandparent, or not … we all have influence. And others are watching us … many times it’s the eyes of our young.
My friends, we all need to be encouragers!
- Are they seeing an example that we set before their young eyes of what it means to serve God?
- Are they encouraged by our conversations with them about how great, wonderful, and trustworthy our God is and how valuable it is to have available for all problems in life, a God-breathed Book that makes known who He is … and what He expects of us as His people?
- They also need something else … they need our daily prayers … prayers that specifically name those we love and care for … that He will be the most important One in their lives and the lives of their own families.
When we have quit the walks of men, will the life we lived be a positive influence upon each of the members of our family? Did we live in a way that says as the old hymn exclaims,
“Some build their hope on the ever-drifting sand, Some on their fame or their treasure or their land. Mine’s on the Rock that forever shall stand, Jesus, the Rock of Ages.” (Song: There Stands A Rock)
Back to the singing night service … I quietly said a prayer for each of those young men … for those teenagers … for my own grandsons: ‘Lord, please watch over them and protect them and help them to increase in their faith as they learn the inestimable value of building their lives on the “Rock of Ages.’”
The choices that we make every day do count and they mean something … whether for good or for evil. Our choices will affect future generations. Are we talking about perfection? Nope! Only One lived a perfect life and He died on the Cross for our sins.
When we pass the baton of faith, will the next generation be wiser than ours? Will they be mighty on the earth? I pray it will be so. We cannot make up their minds for them … we can’t make their decisions for them! But, my friends and brethren, we can influence their choices through earnest prayers and guarded guidance and sincere expressed love.
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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