Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
That the generation to come might know them,
The children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments; - Psalm 78.4-7
Mary and I have been involved with children and youth ministries for a long, long time. We were doing things like children’s church even before we were married. That means that we have been working with children for more than forty years.
There is a reason we do that that runs all through the word of God. Jesus lets us know how important children are for one thing. One day He and the disciples had a typically busy day for them and everyone was tired. But then a bunch of children appeared and they wanted to see Jesus. ‘Send them away’ the disciples said. But Jesu spoke up and said ‘let those little children come to me. Don’t keep them away because heaven is filled with people like them.’
In Deuteronomy fathers are told to teach God’s word all day long and everywhere they go. They are told to be diligent in their teaching.
And here we are told the importance of not keeping God’s word from the next generation so that they can go on and pass it on to the next generation. And that they may pass it on to their children. We pass on the truths so that our children will pass on the truth to the next. And on and on and on. That is the only way that any of us have the hope that we do.
Our ministries to children are vital. They are Biblical. They are not a waste. We must carry them on.
Why?
So that our children might set their hope in God
So that they will not forget the works of God
So that they will keep His commandments
Let us not leave our kids out when it comes to ministry.
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