We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD. Psalm 78:4
As Nadia prepared to graduate from college in her early twenties, she had difficulty finding affordable housing near her new job. At the same time, Judith - age sixty-four - was considering moving out of her family home as it was too large for just herself. Both women turned into a home-sharing agency that matches young renters with "less-young" people willing to share their homes. Their arrangement has endured for more than three years and is beneffiting both in more than just economic ways - Social interaction, practical help with household chores, and the transmission of wisdom.
Intergenerational living provides the opportunity to pass on the invaluable knowledge that's acquired through living, not through an internet search. God has long charged his people to transmit His wisdom to successful generations. The psalmist Asaph recounts his resolve to share "things our ancestors have told us" with the next generation so "they in turn tell their children (PSALM 78:3, 6). As a result, the younger people were likely to "put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep His commands" (V. 7).
When we put ourselves in situations where we can learn from a godly person from another generation and we're willing to share the wisdom God has enabled us to accrue, we become a conduit for His truth to reach into the hearts and minds of more people.
A maskil[a] of Asaph.
1 My people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable;
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known,
things our ancestors have told us.
4 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.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach their children,
6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.
7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.
8 They would not be like their ancestors—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.
INSIGHT
- Who has God used to give you wisdom for living?
- How can you invest your life's learning into another?
Psalm 78:1–8 opens with a call to listen and learn from the past, urging God’s people to pass down His teachings to future generations. The psalmist, Asaph, stresses the importance of remembering God’s mighty deeds and covenantal faithfulness so that children yet to be born will know, trust, and obey Him (vv. 5–7). He warns against becoming like their ancestors—stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful (v. 8). This passage underscores the responsibility of each generation to teach the next about God’s works, encouraging a legacy of faith, obedience, and hope in the Lord.
PRAYER
Thank you, God, for using me to share Your wisdom with others. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: PSALM 78:1-8 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: PSALMS 68-69; ROMANS 8:1-21
