Psalm 145:4 – A Thought For The Unmarried

“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4

I have the above verse up on our living room wall for it is one of many prayers of mine for our family. I was reminded of the verse this morning…

We have our lil’ buddy, Luke, with us for a few days – we always enjoy it when he comes to Nanna’s and Poppa’s house! This morning, he and Aunt Bethany were having a little conversation about “rainstorms”. Luke told her that he was afraid of the thunder…but then he quickly added “But God will take care of us”. He then told her his “w” verse he had learned – “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Psalm 56:3 Well now, when Aunt Bethany heard that, she had to tell him how Nana had taught her that very same verse when she was a little girl!

What took place at our house this morning was just an example of God’s plan for Christian families – that one generation would pass on their faith in God to the next generation…and that that generation would in turn pass on their faith to the next generation…and so on…and so on.

Just recently, we received a phone call from a very excited lil’ buddy. As I said, “Hello”, that little voice on the other end said something like, “Hey Nana…I got SAVED tonight!” Can I tell you how that thrilled this Nana’s heart? I went on to tell our Clay that Nana had been praying for him!

Again, that is God’s plan for families and if we are saved, it should be our earnest prayer – faith passed on from one generation to the next…to the next…to the next, etc.

You know, there are many reasons why the Bible instructs Christians not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” II Corinthians 6:14 

The above verse speaks of lack of fellowship as a reason not to marry an unbeliever, but in Nehemiah, we read of another reason to avoid an unequal yoke:

“In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.” Nehemiah 13:23,24

The children of the Jews who had married heathen wives were not being brought up to speak the Jews’ language. A portion of Matthew Henry’s comments on this passage serves as a good reminder to Christians who are considering marriage:

“If either parent be ungodly, corrupt nature will incline the children to take after that one; which is a strong reason why Christians should not be unequally yoked.” ~ Matthew Henry

Did you see that? When a Christian marries an unbeliever…if that unbelieving spouse doesn’t repent, get saved, and begin living for the Lord, the natural inclination of the children of that union will be to follow after the ungodly parent. What a heartbreak for the godly parent!

If you, as an unmarried believer, are reading this and your utmost desire is to have a Christian home and pass your faith on to your children, please be careful! Please be prayerful! If it is God’s will for you to marry, He is able to give you a mate with whom you can teach and train the next generation according to GOD’S WORD! Be patient. Wait on God. Trust Him.

“Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath 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, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.” Psalm 78:1-7