I’ve developed a longtime habit of reading a psalm every day upon awakening.
These beautiful lyrics in Scripture cover the gamut of human emotions, lifting praise to God amid all types of circumstances.
I was recently struck by a certain psalm’s timely message for us as life-affirming people.
We know that God sees each image-bearer as precious, and that He does not value one person above another on the basis of age, race, gender, physical condition, born or preborn status, and so on.
Further, we understand that God is omniscient and omnipresent. He dwells outside of time. This means He knows and loves each human being He create—even before they exist!
Listen to the words of the prophets:
“Before I created you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I set you apart; I made you a prophet to the nations.”—Jeremiah 1:5
The Hebrew term for “know” in this verse is “yada,” which indicates intimate knowledge.
With this thought in mind—that God intimately understands and loves every human being He makes—let’s look at Psalm 78.
“My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth. I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past—things we have heard and known and that our ancestors have passed down to us.
We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed...he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children so that a future generation—children yet to be born—might know.
They were to rise and tell their children so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep his commands.” –Psalm 78:1-8.
This particular psalm is not written by King David, but by Asaph the musician and worship leader. Asaph reminds God’s people to pass on their knowledge of the Lord to their children.
Not just the children they already have, but children yet to be born.
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Future generations.
Let’s think about this in light of our current situation.
Pregnancy help centers started actively serving women facing unplanned pregnancies not long after Roe v. Wade passed in 1973, which was almost fifty years ago.
This means that basically, two generations have grappled with legalized abortion in one way or another.
When our life-affirming work started, women’s rights were coming to the forefront of discussion. Abortion advocates promised women freedom by means of abortion.
A whole generation bought into the argument that an unborn child was merely a “clump of tissue.”
Eventually, ultrasound silenced that argument, so abortion advocates switched tactics.
While still billing the issue as one of women’s rights, they marketed abortion as a “parenting decision.”
They also began publicizing the testimonies of celebrities who claim to wear a past abortion as a badge of honor and a steppingstone to success.
One generation was led to believe a preborn child was nothing but lump of cells; another is being sold the lie that destroying their preborn children will help them be good mothers or further their career goals.
Lies may change, and laws may change, but truth remains the same: God creates and loves every image-bearer, and His law forbids their destruction.
This is the truth we must uphold from one generation to the next.
We must teach our children (including our spiritual children), so that future generations—no matter what arguments they may encounter—will stand strong in the truth of who God is and how much He values us.
We must exercise wisdom and graciousness as we face opposition, however vitriolic.
We must patiently continue to reach out to women and couples facing unplanned pregnancies to help them gain the hope and help they need.
We don’t know what the next generation may face as far as pro-abortion tactics or legal details regarding abortion.
What we do know is the next generation needs to be equipped with truth and love to continue standing in the gap for the most vulnerable people among us—God’s preborn children.
Let’s be a generation who is aware of other generations and who keeps legacy in mind.
Let’s seamlessly pass the baton to the next life-affirming generation.
