SOAP 10/29/2015; Psalm 78:4

Today's reading: Job 20; Mark 3, 4*

S) "⁴ We will not conceal them from their children,
But tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done."

Psalm 78:4 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read Psalm 78

O) This Psalm is a brief history lesson, from about Exodus through the reign of David. The fact that it was a song is not really a surprise, since that is a very effective method of memorization. This verse immediately jumped off the page, though, because of the word "conceal" that was used in the first line. There are many verses throughout the Bible, that instruct God's people to teach their children about God. For the most part, they failed that command. In fact, that basic failure can be seen throughout the O.T., almost immediately following Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While it is very common that the Bible commands us to teach our children about the character of God, including His mighty works, this verse struck me as a little peculiar, as it sets the tone for the rest of the Psalm, which highlights the many failings of God's people. Part of the praise that the Lord deserves, certainly includes His grace and mercy toward His children. In reality, though, we cannot really share those aspects of God (His lovingkindness, compassion, patience, mercy, and grace) without being completely honest about the many failures of His people.

A) Certainly, teaching my kids about all the ways God has blessed me, personally, is easy. It's also pretty easy to teach them from the Bible directly. It is much harder, though, to resist the urge to conceal the mistakes of my past from my children. There are a lot of words that I can use to rationalize this, but in the end, it really is concealment. I'm not saying I should confess my every sin to my kids, but certainly as their understanding of the world matures, I must be honest about my sins and how I handled them, if I ever hope for them to handle their own failures well, at all. If I cannot model my own confession and repentance to them, then they are left with hypothetical practices that are difficult for them to actualize. I will not conceal my sins from my children, but will tell them about my failures and why I praise the LORD through them.

P) Father, Your grace and mercy, in view of my wretched actions, are the greatest cause for praise and worship that I have. That cuts to the very root of Your love, that You sent Jesus Christ to die for me, in the midst of my sins. The fact that I continue to sin, and grieve the Holy Spirit with my failures, and that You continue to show me mercy and grace as I confess and repent, is all the more reason for me to worship and praise You. Help me to be wise and discerning, but bold and humble, as I share with my kids the depths of Your love for me, so they will learn that same lovingkindness, compassion, grace, and mercy is there for them as well, because of the gospel. Be glorified in my life, in my obedience and in my sins, as I testify to Your goodness. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.