In a dimly lit room late at night, a father sits on the side of the bed, reading a storybook to his child. The child listens enthusiastically, absorbing every word, and slowly getting to know the wider world through that familiar voice. This activity is not just an attempt to put the child to sleep. It is a process of instilling values, building imagination, and introducing knowledge. Through stories, the child learns to understand the world, and through his father's presence, he learns about love and trust.
Psalm 145:1-7 describes the process of passing on faith in a similar vein. The psalmist begins with a personal commitment, "I will exalt you, O my God, O King." The faith that is passed on is always rooted in a lived faith. Before faith is passed on to the next generation, it must first become a tangible praise in daily life. The praise uttered "every day" (verse 2) shows a consistent relationship, not an occasional faith, but a faith that is continuously nurtured. From that personal relationship, the psalmist moves on to the intergenerational dimension, “Descendants after descendants will boast of your works ” (verse 4). Faith is passed on through stories of God's works, His great, marvelous and just deeds. Like a parent who reads a story attentively, faith is passed on not by force, but by earnest and engaged living. Furthermore, in verse 7, the psalmist emphasizes the content of the inheritance of faith: not just rules or doctrines, but God's benevolence and justice. Thus, what stays in the child's memory is not just the story, but the love that accompanied it.
Friends of the Bible, what story of faith are we sharing today? Passing on faith often happens not through big things, but through simple and consistent daily life. It comes in short family prayers, simple conversations at the dinner table, testimonies of God's faithfulness in the midst of adversity, and life attitudes that reflect His goodness and justice. In the midst of an ever-changing and uncertain world, faith endures when it is nurtured in small, faithful habits, day after day, until the next generation knows God not just from our stories, but from the lives we live.
