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Listen while you read: "Saviour Teach Me Day By Day"1 (Lyrics) |
Psalm 145:4 – One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. (NIV)
A generation is defined as the length of time when children are ready to take the place of their parents, often 30 years. So in my life of 83 years, I have seen three generations in the world — three generations of memories. Each generation has emphasized different things, developed different interests, and done things differently, but all of them tried to fit into a modern world.
As I look back over my life, I see a very different world today than my childhood world in Bermuda. I have many memories that certainly tell of God's mighty acts in my life. My childhood put a rock of faith in my soul that has given me the basis for my faith today. One such memory, which has stayed with me through the years, is of my dad sharing the gospel stories with children by way of a puppet show. As a deaconess, I used puppets often, and the children loved them. When I was ordained as a minister, I continued to hold children's church once a month with puppet shows depicting Bible stories. Here, many biblical truths were being passed on from generation to generation. Are we still finding new ways today to share Bible stories?
Jesus' mother, Mary, sang years ago, "His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation." (Luke 1:50 NIV) She knew that this baby of hers was special and would affect all people from generation to generation. She sang it, Scripture tells us.
As a child, my family gathered around the piano and sang joyfully of our Lord Whom we all loved. Singing strengthened our faith so that we could share it with oncoming generations. Our friends listened to our songs, and our love for Jesus touched their hearts. It isn't just a memory but a truth, as many in my family have sincerely worshipped God through the ages.
We need to put our faith to music, in new ways for a new generation, as has been done over the centuries, and sing Jesus' praises joyfully. Music attracts people to the faith, and gives us a way to share it with others.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we don't all sing Your praises, but as we listen, our souls are stirred in praise and love. May our hearts find an effective way to share our faith with oncoming generations. May our faith story take wings as we sing our love of Jesus. Thank You for loving us, Lord. Amen.
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Amen.
Another soul stirring message Iris. Keep writing.
Since I am now a great-grandma, I can appreciate how the Lord has worked throughout the generations. Thanks for sharing. Blessings.
Dear Iris Ford: This was truly blessed and I thank you for writing and sending it out to share with us on line. God Bless You!
What a wonderful idea and memory, Iris.
Certainly an excellent way to hold a child’s attention too, while sharing God’s message.
Thank you for warm memories.
Thank you for putting down your thought and research.
Be blessed this day and every day.
And yes, seeing generations in love with Jesus warms my heart too.
Blessings.
Good Morning, Iris: You know, I have this game I play when I read the devotionals. I don’t look first to see who wrote it. I try to guess who it is. With you, I’m gratified to say I know when it’s you – I love the feeling of thinking ‘This has got to be Iris’. It gratifies me in so many ways – starting with what you’re writing.
Memories are so wonderful and especially to be cherished as we are moving on.
Singing praises to God is something most Christians take as their right her in Canada even to the point of taking it for granted. However, such a practice has recently been banned in a City Square in Toronto where some folks were singing praises to Jesus.
What has happened to Freedom of religion and its expression in a public square? I hope it is not just a sign of what is to come.
Let us hold fast to the expression of our faith like a precious jewel.
I remember meeting you many times over the years and I remember you were a speaker at a ladies retreat. I remember I was in awe of your knowledge. I had not been raised in a Christian family so sort of didn’t know the ropes sort to speak.
Dear Iris,
I enjoyed your devotional. I attended a gathering of women in Toronto recently. The gathering was started with a praise group with songs that were totally unfamiliar to me and it was loud. I was not particularly attracted to some of the songs because there was a lot of repetition in the lyrics. This was a young crowd of women in their late 20’s, 30’s and early 40’s. They knew all of these songs. They didn’t come from the conventional churches of my youth but they had faith in Jesus and God. They had to be there for 7:30 in the morning, some even with small babies with them. It was awesome. I belong to a conventional church with the older generation slowly disappearing so this was an awakening of the faith in the younger generations. It was great to see all of these young believers. Your devotional helped me to understand that we will have to change our music to suit the up and coming generations in order to communicate faith with them. Thanks.