According to verse six, this passage from Psalm 119 is directed at young people. Believers of any age can benefit from following its wisdom, however, and every church could benefit from being more intentional about including young people. (Are young people a priority or a wish? Are ministries designed for young people, or are young people expected to accept what’s already in place?)

When a church closes, we may bemoan that it failed to attract enough young people to stay open, but the truth is that it failed to attract anyone. Some good news is that a church doesn’t necessarily need young people to thrive. Some other news—possibly good or bad, depending on your congregation—is that young people crave authenticity and can see through superficiality. A congregation whose members are living, as Psalm 119 describes in verses ten through sixteen, will attract people: young, old, and everywhere in between.