During my “growing-up years,” our family verse was Matthew 6:33 – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” This is an awesome verse at the conclusion of a passage reminding us that we don’t need to worry about what we will wear, what we will eat, or what we will drink! We are commanded, yes commanded, to seek His kingdom above everything else, and all these things WILL be provided by Him!

At the time of my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary (ten years ago!), they added the following verse to their “family verses” for the “second half” of their journey together:

“Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.” – Psalm 71:18 [NLT]

I recently heard them recite this together after their morning Bible reading, and soon after that, I found myself without employment and its related evening activities – additional time that needed to be used wisely. It was the memory of hearing this verse that prompted the recent publication of a few ebooks – with more to come!

My parents are now in their 80’s. (Lest you think I’m being a horrid daughter by sharing their ages, they are quite fine with it – they’ve worked hard and earned every gray hair they have – – – many of which I’m sure came from me!) Though they used to travel and speak in churches around the country – and around the world – primarily through the ministry of family conferences, and also representing a Christian camp, they are not able to travel much anymore. However, they continue to desire first and foremost to continue to have a ministry to others, sharing Who God is, the salvation from sin that He provides, and what He is continuing to teach them as they learn more of Him.

Enter: Psalm 71:18.

Change, just for the sake of change, or just for the sake of not doing it “the old way,” seems to me to be just a lot of work, and a spinning of the wheels without forward momentum. However, change that utilizes new methods that are now available, or that is being done for the sake of greater outreach – without changing the foundational message – is wise, and allows us to move forward!

This “new generation” (as the NLT calls them in Psalm 71:18) is a technologically-savvy generation. Therefore, we who are becoming or are already “old and gray” need to recognize that we may need to make some changes in order to reach them with the Gospel of Christ, always remembering that the Good News itself never changes!

Therefore, I view ebooks and websites and blogs as one way to allow ministry to others to continue, even if the authors can’t share the information face-to-face at this time. It is a way to reach “this new generation” as well as “all who come after me!”

So I am thrilled to tell you that between the three books we gave away yesterday, we were able to provide over 800 free downloads! This so far exceeded my expectations (I humbly confess that my “high” expectation was approximately 50 books!!!), that I am praying that God will provide material to get into circulation so that we can continue to share His Word with those who may not otherwise be reached. My prayer is that these books will not only be used to share the Gospel, but will also help to disciple believers to continue learning in their journey of faith and to seek His kingdom FIRST! Please pray with me about this as I join the Psalmist in asking God to help us “reach this new generation” with wonderful truths from His Word!

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