I haven't written much about the various psalms that are a part of the daily Bible reading schedule we are using at Woodland Hills, but it is really enjoyable to have various psalms interspersed in the reading schedule. They are a great change of pace from the narrative sections we are currently reading in Genesis and Mark, and as we get further into the year, the schedule often synchronizes the readings with the narratives (especially in the life of David).
I was really struck by one phrase in today's psalm: "One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts" (Psalm 145:4). Every generation has a responsibility to pass on a rich spiritual legacy to the next, and central to that task is teaching. Each generation must teach - "commend" - "declare" - to the next who God is and what He has done. You can sense the urgency of this task in Moses' farewell speech to Israel, Joshua's farewell address to Israel, and Paul's letters to Timothy.
This is not just a responsibility, however. Psalm 145:4 says that one generation "shall" pass on the message of God's greatness to the next. In other words, it is assumed that each generation will be so awed and moved by the mighty acts of God that it shall - of course! - tell the next generation about them.
Some of you may have stories in your family that have been passed down about the great exploits of your ancestors. You don't share those stories with your children because you have to. You share them because you want to, because that link in the chain of family history was so special all future generations should know about what they did. And that is the way we should feel about the stories in our spiritual family. We have a great Father, who does great and marvelous things, and how can we do any less but to declare that to those who come after us.
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