Tag: legacy

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Honoring a Parent’s Legacy

2 Chron 2-3, 1 Kings 5-6  Solomon has been anointed king over Israel, and just as we might do, he began to plan how to honor his father’s wishes to build a magnificent temple. His father had planned and organized the materials and now Solomon just had to execute the plan. Solomon calls on his father’s dear friend, Hiram to help with the execution of the building. We all need a true friend who will stand in the gap for us and guide us in our endeavors. Hiram knew David well and he now gets to meet and help David’s son. He gave God praise for David for raising a wise son who has a discerning and keen heart to accomplish the task. Do others see that our parents have raised us to have these characteristics?  

 The temple was to be out of the ordinary; in fact, it was to be spectacular. All was to be covered in gold and the inner court would hold the cherubim images, not to be worshiped, but to be a reminder of God’s glory. Humbly Solomon knew that nothing in the heavens or earth would come close to who God is yet as part of David’s legacy he would fulfill that vision of a temple where people could come to worship. In the NT Paul reminds us that a physical temple is not what God requires, but a temple of a person and their heart; therefore be ye holy as God is holy.

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Planning Ahead

be wise

Prov 13:22a Inheritances

A good person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren, so says the Proverbs writer. In Prov 17:6, the Proverbs writer says that grandchildren are like a crown to the elderly. A crown is something that adorns the head as a symbol of honor and respect. Grandchildren are our crown that we wear proudly to show the world and others of our love for them and our joy at being their grandparent.

What am I leaving for my grandchild? Is it riches? Is it honor? What is it? Today’s children have so much materially but what about the spiritual riches we are leaving them? Are we leaving them with wisdom about God and His love for them? Are we leaving them the gift of discernment that will guide them step by step?

Today stop and ponder what gift you are planning for your children’s children. Then plan and follow through on that plan so that you are being a wise executor of your will for when God calls you home.

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Genealogy and Legacy

1Chron 7-10 What would you want others to record about your life when you pass from this earth? We all want others to recall our good deeds offered to humanity. But, sometimes, like some Al Capone, Jesse James, and Charles Manson, the record is sad, and we only remember their evil ways. King Saul falls into that latter category.

After the Chronicler recorded the genealogy of the tribes, he closes this section by saying:   “So Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord and did not obey the Lord’s instructions; he even tried to conjure up underworld spirits. He did not seek the Lord’s guidance, so the Lord killed him and transferred the kingdom to David son of Jesse.”[1 Chron 10:13-14]

Saul was a man who started out well but ended disastrously and with dishonor. One author noted: “Having a great past does not guarantee a good future.” Unfortunately, this happens when we leave God out of the equation.

 What legacy are you leaving for others?

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“What legacy are you leaving?”

What is your legacy?

2Chron 33 If someone would open your life’s diary what would they read? Would it be like the life of King Manasseh who had a godly father in King Hezekiah or would it read that you rebelled and refused God’s ways…until…

The Chronicler records these words: the annals record all of King Manasseh’s sins and unfaithful acts along with the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah poles and idols. Even though God spoke to him, he refused to listen. So, God disciplined Manasseh with hooks in his nose, bronze chains, and extradition to a foreign land where he languished in a prison cell with cold gruel, day-old bread, and water. It was then that his senses were awakened and he “realized that the Lord is the true God” and repented. [2Chron 33:13] It was because of the mercy of God that he was released and returned to his kingdom. God’s mercy is overflowing!

God has placed this event in His Word to remind us that it begins with a heart that is humbled but also that sin produces consequences not just for us but also for family and children. Manasseh may have repented but the damage was long-lasting. His son Amon followed in his footsteps of an unrepentant lifestyle and his life ended in an assassination.  

Generations come and go and we can learn much from the ancestral record. Hezekiah: godly. Manasseh: ungodly but repentant. Amon: ungodly to the end.

What would your diary say about your life?

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What will people remember?

What will people remember about you

2 Chron 2-3, 1Kings 5-6 There is a church in a city in Florida that has sat for years untended and unfinished. Whoever was in charge did not seek peace, and today the courts are in control with no resolution. Recalling that image and the backstory is so unlike the story before us today.

David’s life and all he had done sent a powerful message to King Hiram of Tyre. Although a pagan king, he noted that the God of Israel was the God of the heavens. David’s life had left a powerful message that those who seek the Lord will be blessed and be a blessing to others. Although David was a man of war, he sought peace with his people and those nations surrounding him. James’ words come to mind: “And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” [Jam 3:18]. That is the backstory of how God prepared for the new Temple and how God opened the doors of heaven to bless Solomon with materials and men to build it.

There is a life lesson here for us. God uses men to do the work, but first, He prepares the heart. We may not be the one who sees the fruit of our work, but others do. What message will my life leave for those who will follow me?

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Leaving a Legacy

leaving a legacy

1Chron 26-29; Ps 127 As David closed his reign and set Solomon to begin, he had one more thing to do: prepare the gifts out of “his” treasury to finance the building of the temple. David said: “Now, to show my commitment to the temple of my God, I donate my personal treasure of gold and silver to the temple of my God, in addition to all that I have already supplied for this holy temple.” [1Chron 29:3] What a legacy and example to Solomon and the nation of Israel! The lesson is this; our passing should leave a lesson to those who will be the recipients of our earthly goods. Our example should follow this principle: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” [Mat 6:21]  Also, from 2Cor 9:6-8, “Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver.”

Nowhere in scripture does God command what David chose to do; he chose to do this because he was a man after God’s own heart. David was passionate about God and his work. His heart was sold out to God. He willingly chose to donate all of his earthly holdings to the work of the Lord. The question is this:

What will leave as picture of our heart’s passion?

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A Legacy

Parents play a key role in the lives of their children. The impact is generational and profound. What will you leave your child/children? Although my parents were fairly committed to church-going it was my SS teachers that impacted me the most. You may be the same. I was also in Pioneer Girls who challenged me to learn verses. I don’t remember where or when I memorized Psalm 119:105 but it was the first verse I memorized and has held true all of my life even as I am now in my “senior” years. You too may have learned a verse that has held true all your life as I did. Psalm 78 reminds us that we are to pass on to the next generation God’s Word and the principles of godly living.

2chron 17 Jehoshaphat2a

2Chron 17-19 “A Historical Record.”  Asa may have not been the perfect king but it seems he did one thing right; he raised a godly son who took his place. While each of us is responsible for our own spiritual path and our choice to follow God or not but our parents have much to do with our path. Jehoshaphat seems to have chosen this path directly or indirectly because his father at some point lived a righteous life, for the most part. The scriptures don’t tell us about Jehoshaphat’s heart so we have to look at his fruit. “a tree is known by its fruit.”[Matt 12]

Jehoshaphat was known for: fortifying his kingdom, cleansing the land of idolatry, and sending out priests and Levites to teach the people throughout his kingdom. Because of this the land was free of war and was blessed by God.

We are again reminded of these verses: “Train a child in the way that he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”[Prov 22:6] and “We will tell the next generation about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, about his strength and the amazing things he has done… so that the next generation, children yet to be born, might know about them.” [Ps 78]

To whom are you passing on your legacy? 

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Finishing Well

legacy-enterlinedesign-gen-48aGenesis 48 “Consider the Legacy You Leave Behind”

Jacob has not always been faithful to God throughout his life. He has schemed and lived a life that was less than honorable but in the end, he realizes this truth: even “If we are unfaithful, he (God) remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.” And so Jacob rehearses before Joseph, and perhaps his other sons, the faithfulness of God. In essence, he has taken the time to reveal his life to them and show them how the hand of God has been upon him. He now wants to share that with those he leaves behind. Jacob is a man who wants to finish well and that should be our goal as well.

What do you do when you realize you are about to die?  You get right with God, you spend time with loved ones and you share your faith with others. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16 reveals this in spades. Lazarus apparently lived a righteous life and dying he was found to be in paradise with Abraham. In contrast, the rich man did not and found himself in torments. He called to Abraham to send him help and barring that to send someone back to tell his brothers what he wished he had told them when he was alive. May we learn from him to not waste the moments we have today.

Keith Krell notes “Begin to pass on your faith to those you love most.”

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What is Your Legacy?

Hebrews 11 legacy.2. jpgThis past Sunday, being Father’s Day, there were scores of FB posts with pictures of many who have “gone on before us.” It was notable that few if any noted the words we hear in Hebrews 11 “his faith he still speaks, though he is dead.” Many remarked how sweet the father had been, how he spent time with them etc. But, where was the affirmation of their faith? Note that Abel had no descendants and no one to recall his works and deeds but it was his faith alone that spoke for him and speaks for him now because vs 6 ‘God rewards those who seek him.” This was Abel’s legacy as he sought the favor and blessing from God recognizing that he was a sinner in need of cleansing.

Moving on we read that Enoch pleased God; Abraham was obedient and submitted to God. Even in her barrenness Sarah is commended for her trust in God. The Hebrews author did not mention her use of Hagar but only her trust in God. This one trait of trusting God alone is echoed in the life of Moses’ parents. Again it is Rahab’s faith in a God whom she had not seen but yet believed as Peter said centuries later.

Stop and ponder what people will say about you after you are gone and your image has faded from their memories. Will it be your works or your faith?

 

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