Category Archives: Legacy

Bible, Blessing, Legacy, Purpose, Scripture

BLESSINGS EVERYBODY

GALATIANS 3:8

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.’”

I often sign off on my emails by simply saying “Blessings!” It is meant to be a way to say I am thinking about you and praying for you. I am asking the Lord’s blessing on that person(s). We say “Bless you” when someone sneezes. Here in the South, we say quite often “Bless their heart.” Blessing, blessing, blessing! But what does that really mean?

In the last part of today’s verse, Paul is quoting from Genesis 12:3 where God is talking to Abram (soon to be Abraham). It says, “‘And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’” Because of Abraham’s faith, God used him to bless all mankind. Just take a look at Matthew 1 sometime and see how the lineage of Jesus starts out.

APPLICATION

It’s interesting to me that the word used here in Galatians 3:8 for “blessed” is only used twice in the New Testament – here and in Acts 3:25. The Greek word used here comes from the word eulogeo, where we get our English word “eulogy.” It means to speak well of someone. So, when you say, “bless you,” you are really speaking well of them.

But let’s be clear about something. You cannot really bless anyone. We are just a conduit of God’s blessing. We extend His blessings to them. Just as Abraham was a conduit of blessing to the world through his offspring, we are a vessel used by God to bless other people. We have to be willing to be used though. That’s the hard part.

1 Peter 3:8-9 talks about this. “8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble; 9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.” That’s a pretty good motivation for extending blessings, don’t you think?

The next time you “bless” someone after they sneeze, think about this verse. The next time you “bless” your food, think about this verse. We should be ready and willing to bless others whom we cross paths with every day. So…blessings!

I bless Your name, O Lord. I lift You up and praise Your name.

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Bible, Child Rearing, Children, Eternity, Family, Legacy, Memorials, Scripture

ERASED FROM SIGHT

ZECHARIAH 9:1

“The pronouncement of the word of the LORD is against the land of Hadrach, with Damascus as its resting place (for the eyes of mankind, especially of all the tribes of Israel, are toward the LORD),”

I attended a small, private school in Meigs, GA from grade 5 through high school. I spent a lot of time at that school between classes, dances and sports events. So many memories. But the school is gone – demolished. If you drove by the previous site of that school today, you would not see the buildings. They are gone. I know it existed, but people in the future will have to rely on other evidence if they want to find it.

Hadrach is one such city. It does not exist today. It is gone, wiped off the face of the earth by an invading power. It was a city in a godless land. It suffered the judgment of God because of that. They were idolaters who scoffed at the very idea of one God. They were proud and rebellious. We could learn a lot from their fate, couldn’t we?

APPLICATION

What in the world does this verse mean for us today? Oh, listen. I believe the Lord has given me a word on this. Our legacy in Christ is only as good as the next generation. We must be about putting down landmarks to the fourth and fifth generation. As parents, we invest in the lives of our children and teach them God’s truth. We coach and mentor them into a saving knowledge of Jesus. We also invest in our grandchildren, praying for them and teaching them every chance we get.

If we are so fortunate to see our great grandchildren, we need to do the same. For many of us, that will never happen. But we can begin to pray for them now. Pray daily for your future generations. Pray God will be so large in their lives that people will ask where they got their faith. Hopefully, they will point back to the previous generations of believers who stood the test of time.

Legacies are made one block at a time. Legacies take time. I pray my legacy is not that I was a great man. I pray my legacy is that I was a great man of God. I want any greatness to be attributed to Him. As I pray for my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, I am praying for them to be faithful and true and to lead many to Christ.

Oh, Lord, bless me to the fourth and fifth generations. I pray their inheritance from me is from You.

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