Heritage: February 6, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2014.

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:

When we think of the word heritage we think of our parents. God has blessed us both with a family heritage of forefathers who loved the Lord. Dottie was raised by a widowed mother that was totally committed to raise her three daughters to love and serve the Lord that she so loved.

Ken comes from a heritage of a grandfather who was a minister and a father that was used by God in many ministries. At the young age of 46 God decided to take his father home. Everyone that knew Ken’s 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 for 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. It made us realize how blessed we were to have the heritage of loving Christian parents.

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 56 years since the death of my (Ken) father we have raised our six children giving them a portion of the rich heritage we were given. We have reminded them through the years of the rich heritage we have in our heavenly Father. We have an eternity in heaven to look forward to if we honor and serve our Lord. We have shared with our children the heritage they have in their forefathers and mothers. God has blessed us with so many examples, all that we can learn from.

Now our six children are raising our twenty grandchildren with the same spiritual emphasis on godly family living. They are being trained as we trained them and our parents trained us.

The psalmist David in Psalm 61:5 reminds us of the benefits God has given us, including life eternal with Him. God has also given us the heritage of those who fear His name. Just think what that means. We have the heritage of Abraham, Joshua, David and all those heroes of the faith that we read about almost daily in His Word.

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 grandchildren 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 James 1:5.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to 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.