My wife and I are in New York City watching our granddaughter while her parents get away for a few days. Wrangling an almost two-year old keeps us moving, but we are grateful for the time with this little girl.

Thankfully, parks and small playgrounds dot the city. The weather is beautiful, so kids fill the swings and climbing structures. We’re enjoying a nice tour of the local play areas.

Churches and synagogues also exist block after block. Some simply serve as historical sites, but others welcome congregants for worship in a variety of languages. Not everyone here is religious, of course. But many follow their faith and encourage their children to do so as well.

The combo of kids and churches reminds me of a line written in 1,000 BC by King David: Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.

Three thousand years ago the Scriptures predicted generation after generation following the one true God. Parents teaching children, and grandparents encouraging grandchildren guarantees the endurance of the way. It’s tempting to believe genuine faith is fading, but reality looks different. We can believe the Bible when we read of future generations carrying the torch.

Who knows which children on the playgrounds of New York will someday lead churches or cross borders as missionaries? How many will love their neighbor and teach their children the lessons of the Bible? Let’s take David at his word, and rest assured that generations who follow us will also follow the Lord.

Psalm 22 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski