Heritage: January 17, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 2012

HERITAGE

DEFINITION:

Something inherited; to receive as a possession; legacy; anything handed down from an ancestor.

SCRIPTURE:

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.” Psalm 127:3

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Fifty four years ago today we were having dinner in our house with fellow missionaries in Seoul Korea. The doorbell rang and a telegram was delivered. I (Ken) opened the envelope with the telegram and read it quietly and then announced to all that my father had had a heart attack and not doing well. He was in the hospital in Los Angeles close to the airport, the telegram read, because he was getting on an airplane when the heart attack happened.

It was no more than 15 minutes later and the telephone rang. It was Bob Pierce calling and he said quietly and caringly words such as, “Ken your father is in heaven.” At the young age of 46 God had decided to take him home. Everyone that knew my father would say that he left for us a wonderful heritage.

We are reminded that the Hebrew word for heritage is NACHAL. This Hebrew word has several interesting definitions. One is to receive as a possession or to acquire as used in Proverbs 3:35: “The wise should inherit glory.” NACHAL is also used in Psalm 119:111, “Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever.”

In the verse we have chosen to write above we are reminded that children are a heritage (NACHAL) from God. When Ken’s father died, we were in Korea working on establishing orphanages to house abandoned GI babies and orphans, who were living on the streets. Ken’s father had challenged us both to spend some time on the mission field working to help children because they were, and still are, a wonderful heritage from God.

Today we look back on our heritage. We both had loving and caring parents that trained us in the Word of God leading us to know Jesus as our personal Savior. Both of our parents involved us in church, Sunday school and missions so that are hearts would be sensitive to those in need. We look back on the heritage that our parents left us and we thank God for this wonderful blessing.

Now for 54 years since the death of my (Ken) father we have raised our six children giving them hopefully a portion of the rich heritage we were given. Now our six children are raising our twenty grand-children with the same spiritual emphasis on godly family living as we trained them and our parents trained us.

God told Moses in Exodus 6:8, “I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage.” The Psalmist said in Psalm 61:5, “You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.” Today we as a family benefit from the heritage that our parents left for us. It is our prayer that we will leave for our grand-children and their children a rich heritage that God can use to bring them into a productive relationship with Him. What kind of heritage are you leaving for those that love you?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Hebrews 11:6.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

PRAYER:

Help me to build daily on my heritage by honoring You in all I do. May I not take lightly the heritage that You have given me. Thank You for my children. Guide me as I lead them and teach them from God’s Word how to love and serve You.