Lenten Devotional...March 8

"For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come."

(Psalm 71:5,18)

We often speak of faith as a journey, comparing it to a course traveled where pathways are navigated by the power of the Holy Spirit. This journey encompasses various stages and experiences of life. In our text today, the Psalmist speaks of the confidence he has had in the Lord since his youth, and of his hope to continue faithful to the Lord even when he is "old and gray." He is confident in God's faithfulness to him, and hopeful that he will remain faithful to God.

There is great discussion today about the future of the church. Current studies speak of declining trends in attendance and involvement across denominational lines. There are many theories about this decline. Some believe the answer is better programming that will attract younger believers. Others speak of the style and emphasis of worship as key, while still others point to the need for more relational leadership. These and other strategies have some merit indeed, and yet, though we may package the gospel message in various ways, it is still the story of the Creator God whose love for his creation, motivated by love, compels him to continue reaching out to sinners like you and me. For the Psalmists it was the story of a God who had honored covenantal commitments to their fathers, and their fathers before them, and their fathers before them. This faithfulness was not just a history lesson, but the continuing fulfillment of God's promise. The writer of our text today bridges the gaps created by the differing stages of his life by recalling the faithfulness of God, committing himself to share that story with coming generations.

The future of the church will not be secured by changing worship styles, more progressive and relevant strategies, or more highly trained leaders alone. Discovering, as the Psalmist believed, that our confidence is in the God of creation, recognizing past blessing and anticipating future opportunity, we can and must pass along the good news that God is our hope...yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Prayer: Almighty God, from generation to generation you continue faithful. In our youth and in our old age, may we be faithful to share the glorious good news of "your mighty acts to all who are to come." Amen.

Jim Abernathy