Be Still And Know

Psalm 78.2-4 NLT "I will teach you hidden lessons from our past — stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us. We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders." In a speech in the House of Commons in 1948, Winston Churchill paraphrased Santayana when he said “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” This was precisely the concern of Asaph in this particular psalm. In this long psalm he reflected on five centuries of the life of the people of God. Time and again they had disobeyed God, but he had consistently responded with love and forgiveness. Asaph was concerned that future generations should be reminded of their history, and of the gracious way in which God had provided for his people. Teaching the next generation about God always needs to be a priority for the church. I often find that the approach to children’s and youth work is incredibly pa