Divine Design

“Tell the next generation the praiseworthy
deeds of the Lord.”
Psalm 78:4 (NIV)

School begins in our local district this week, but last week’s beach trip with our granddaughters provided plenty of teaching and learning opportunities, both for them and for me.

Sandcastles leveled by the rising tide were opportunities to remember Jesus’ words of wisdom, “the wise man builds his house upon the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

Sand crabs, seashells, and even the dreaded jellyfish reminded us of the beauty and diversity of God’s creation. (Psalm 93:3-4)

Time spent leisurely walking along the seashore were teachable moments to contrast the bigness of God with our own frailty. (Psalm 8:1, 3-4) 

A quick thunderstorm brought to my mind the Psalmist’s words, “The God of Glory thunders.” Psalm 29:3 (NIV)

Clear blue skies and glorious beach sunsets reminded me of Psalm 19:1: “The heavens declare the glory of God.”  

Of course, not every vacation moment was meant for teaching. Some moments were just for enjoying some of life’s simple pleasures:

• Swinging on the porch,

• Eating ice cream

• Playing Scattergories

• Swimming in the surf

• Walking along the beach

• Taking golf cart rides

• Watching a favorite movie

My most important takeaway from our family trip was simply this: Spending time with them led to opportunities for pointing them to Him.

God’s Divine Design for the effective transfer of truth one generation to another is that we would be both intentional AND relational in communicating the truth of God’s Word. Intentional means that we get the message out of our mouths and relational means that we earn the right to be heard. Truth is most effectively transferred in the context of everyday conversations nurtured at the heart level of relationships. Grasping that concept gives new meaning to everyday, ordinary, and often mundane tasks.

Read the Gospels and you’ll find Jesus using everyday illustrations- salt, light, bread, fish, and mustard seeds- to teach the essential truths of the Kingdom of God. We should be following Jesus’ example and using everyday tasks as tools to communicate eternal truths. Some every day tasks that could provide teaching opportunities include:

• Packing lunches with sandwiches becomes an opportunity to remind our children (and ourselves!) that Jesus is the Bread of Life.

• A cold drink of water reminds us that Jesus is the living water.

• Planting flowers or gardening becomes an opportunity to talk about kingdom principles such as mustard seed faith or sowing and reaping.

• A thunderstorm reminds us that Jesus said, "Peace! Be still!" to the wind and the waves.

• A lamp light reminds us to let our own light shine for God's glory.

There are dozens of examples from every day living that can be used to practically teach our children and grandchildren, and indeed remind ourselves, Who God is and What He has done. God’s command to parents and grandparents is crystal clear: teach the next generation! (Deuteronomy 6:6-8)

So who are we teaching? How well are we transferring truth from one generation to the next? Have we earned the right to be heard with our children and grandchildren? Are we investing in the next generation by listening well, asking good (and sometimes hard) questions, and developing strong relationships with those most dear to our hearts?

This school year look for opportunities to point them to Him for their good and God’s glory. It’s God’s Divine Design for teaching and training the next generation!