April 6 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

A teacher appreciates it when a former student comes up and says, “I still remember what you taught me thirty years ago!” The author of Psalm 71 remembers what God taught him when he was a young child. He says in verse 17, “O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.” What he was taught stuck in his mind throughout his whole life. Obviously the Lord did not teach him directly or through some special revelation. The psalmist was taught through what he learned from the Scriptures and from what he experienced. Experience taught him this: no matter how severe the trials, there is no unrighteousness or malicious intent in God.

In the Old Testament a child’s education was geared toward learning about God’s redemptive deeds. Even the initial learning of the letters of the alphabet was understood as a religious act. Parents, and fathers in particular, had a God-given duty to instruct their children concerning the saving acts of God. A child learned to pray and praise in the family circle.

The Lord used the first five books of the Bible to teach the psalmist to pay attention to His deeds. The calling of Abraham, the events in the lives of Isaac and Jacob, the plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea and the provision of food and water in the desert taught the psalmist that the Lord is a strong refuge and fortress for His people. These deeds reveal the Lord’s salvation and deliverance. Israel’s deliverance from Egypt and their protection on the way to Canaan pointed ahead to the promised Messiah. God’s glorious deeds of deliverance and liberation are always connected to redemption in Christ.

Modern technology allows us to have a wealth of Biblical knowledge at our fingertips. That is such a blessing and gift made available to us by the Lord. May this privilege draw us closer to God, because every gift we receive comes with its own responsibility. Our knowledge of God needs to be developed and nurtured from our youth so that the praise of God flavours our conversations and our outlook on life. To our dying day God’s praise is to be on our lips. Invariably, the more we come to know the wonderful works of the Lord, the more we will see how the Lord is a strong refuge. We can turn to Him at all times.