Forever Faithful 10-Day DevotionalSýnishorn

Passing Down the Promise

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. -Psalm 145:4

A legacy of faith exists in my family. My paternal grandfather kept his family active in church. Visiting my dad’s relatives in Randallstown, Maryland, I found evidence of the passed-down faith.

Uncle Henry still played saxophone at the family church. Walking around the cemetery behind the church later, we read the aged headstones of other family members. My father had become a pastor, my siblings and I work in ministry, and we’ve raised our kids to honor God.

The Black experience is rooted in and tied to faith in Christ Jesus that has been shared from generation to generation. Each generation is created in God’s image: you, me, and our ancestors (Genesis 1:27). That includes innumerable Black people and people of color.

The African man who carried our Savior’s cross down the Via Dolorosa, Simon of Cyrene (Luke 23:26).

The Africans present when the church began (Acts 2:5–11).

The Ethiopian eunuch whom Philip witnessed to and baptized surely passed down his experience and testimony to fellow Africans and others (8:26–40).

In fact, some early church fathers such as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine were Africans who left writings still honored and studied in seminaries worldwide.

Passing down the promises of our faith is an honored way of life practiced by Black individuals and families. Speak of God, teach the truth of the Bible, and live as an example: this passes God’s faithful promises to our children.

Sharon Norris Elliott

What are three ways to “pass down” the faith in God’s promises to your family and community?

God, help me to internalize the importance of bequeathing my faith in You to the next generation.