A goal for the new year: Extend God’s praise to the next generation

By Dean Collins

As we end the year I have a couple of questions for you. What will you remember ‬‬from this last year? And better, what would your children remember and repeat to anyone in the future about how you conducted yourself this year?

I’m assuming you had your share of ups and downs, good days and less good days, wins and at times extraordinary losses. A wide range of positives and negatives happened around you and to you this year. So it would be completely human that your emotions had some range as well. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact there is probably some good in that. Trying to hide how we feel may be appropriate sometimes but not at all times.

Voluntary praise

Psalm 145 is a good psalm for us to consider as we close a year—and begin one. The psalm has a cascading impact. It begins with an individual declaration: “I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.” 

The psalmist isn’t looking for anyone else to lead the praises. King David understood what we must all understand; God orchestrated all things behind us and has a plan for all things ahead of us. Each of us must make a decision about God and about self. Am I the master of the ship and king of my world, or is my Creator in charge? The answer will determine who is praised. 

To extol is to praise enthusiastically. As a leader and even as a king, David made the choice to declare the praise of God over self and over all things.

Cascading praise

Likewise, the cascading impact of our praise to God results in one generation commending God and his works to the next. In verses 4,6, and 7 we see the shift from a generational leader’s individual praise to the praise of the next generation they have influenced. “They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds.” If you want to see your children and grandchildren, your coworkers and friends praise God as king, the praise begins with you. The rest will follow as they hear your devotion to God expressed.

In the middle of this psalm David makes declarations about the Lord.

“The Lord is gracious and merciful”
” . . (he is) slow to anger
“ . . . (he is ) abounding in love
“The Lord is good to all”
“And his mercy is over all that he has made”

The generation behind us watches to see if we live as though this is true. They see what we experience. They see the good days and the bad days. And they watch to see if, through it all, our faith is sure and steadfast, trusting in the goodness and mercy of God.

Unstifled praise

Consider the gut-wrenching experience of Job’s overwhelming tragedy. We listen as friends say horrible things to Job. We watch as he experiences family loss and endures his spouse nagging him to curse God and die. Yet what is Job’s powerful response? “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.”

Job will struggle, but he will not allow his faith to collapse or his praise to be stifled. Generations of believers since then have taken courage from his reaction. And even in our difficult days, the next generation is watching how we respond to God.

Continued praise

Finally, this psalm’s impact grows to include the community of all God’s followers. It begins with verse 10 where David declares, “All your works shall give thanks to you and all your saints shall bless you!”

What began with David influenced the next generation and the next and continues even to you and me as we read this passage today.

So what will we remember from this year? We will remember some good days. Many will remember significant losses. But I suspect as I have watched you go through your challenges and you have watched mine, we realize that God is faithful. He has carried us through. No matter what we face or remember as we close this year and anticipate the next, we will declare that our Redeemer lives and at the last he will still stand.

So we will praise him. We will praise him with enthusiasm. And when we do, the next generation will remember well how we lived. How we choose to praise determines the path of the generations that follow.

Your time with God’s Word
Psalm‬ ‭145:1-21‬; Job‬ ‭19:25-27‬ ‭ESV

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash

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