"He blessed Joseph, and said,'The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'" -Genesis 48.15-16
Jacob is nearing the end of his life, and as he is wrapping up his affairs he blesses his son and grandson. And as he does this he passes the legacy on to his son and grandsons. He blesses Joseph and points him to the God his father and grandfather served. He tells Joseph how God has taken care of him all his life. And as he blesses his grandsons, he challenges them to live up to the family name.
This is now the fourth, and fifth, generations of the family. They have followed God, or tried to, and each generation has strived to follow Him. And Jacob wants to his son and grandsons to continue in the legacy. He has seen how God has provided for him and kept the promises that were made to Abraham and passed down. He wants his family to continue the covenant with God. The family has been far from perfect, but they have striven to follow God.
Men, what are you passing down to the next generations of your family? Some of us don't come from a Godly heritage, for some of us we are the first ones to follow, the Abraham's who begin a journey of faith. Some of us are Isaac's, others are Jacobs. And some of us may even fall in the fourth and fifth generations or beyond. But whatever legacy you've inherited, the legacy you leave is up to you. What legacy are you passing down?
Are you striving after God? Are you seeking to know and trust Him, and teaching your children to love and trust Him as well? Are you the patriarch, the beginning of a faithful line? Are you one of many to walk faithfully before God? No matter where you find yourself, no matter what you have been given, pass down a blessed legacy.
For some of us it means a lot of redemptive work, but it takes a man to bring redemption. And with this redemption comes a blessed legacy, one that you can proudly hand down to your son, and grandson. Leave a blessed legacy.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Showing posts with label Legacy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Legacy. Show all posts
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
What Could Have Been
"Now these are the records of the generations of Esau (that is, Edom). Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Oholibamah the daughter of Anah and the granddaughter of Zibeon the Hivite; also Basemath, Ishmael’s daughter, the sister of Nebaioth. Adah bore Eliphaz to Esau, and Basemath bore Reuel, and Oholibamah bore Jeush and Jalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau who were born to him in the land of Canaan. Then Esau took his wives and his sons and his daughters and all his household, and his livestock and all his cattle and all his goods which he had acquired in the land of Canaan, and went to another land away from his brother Jacob. For their property had become too great for them to live together, and the land where they sojourned could not sustain them because of their livestock. So Esau lived in the hill country of Seir; Esau is Edom." -Genesis 36.1-8
Genesis 36 gives the account of Isaac's other son. His family became a great nation, so great that he moved east because he and his brother were both heads of large families and the land could not support all that they had. The brothers part ways, on better terms this time, but the family of Israel takes center stage. We find references to Edom throughout the Old Testament, but this is not the story of the Edomites. But really, it could have been.
Jacob tricked Esau out of his birth right, and then stole his blessing. He stepped in and took over the covenant. He became Israel, and the Bible tells the story of his children. But Jacob was the youngest. Everything he received was meant for his older brother. And you have to wonder, what would have been?
Men, in our lives there are things that could have happened. For one reason or another they didn't unfold that way. I mentioned some of the things that my family history involves in a recent post, and all of those events have led me to where I am now. There have been times I've wondered what life would be like if it wasn't for that initial abandonment and adultery. I wonder if my family could have been like Israel, one with a story worth telling that changes the world. But with everything that's happened, I feel more like the Edomites, lost in the shuffle, and fading into the background in insignificance.
Before we act, let's think about what the long term consequences could be. Let's think about all that we could be giving up, and all that we could be costing our family in the future. Will your actions help bring about a great story that changes the world? Or will they cause your family to sink into obscurity? Do you want them to look back and wonder what could have been? Or to proudly share the story of what was, and is?
You play a huge part in what happens, will it be what is, or what could have been?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Genesis 36 gives the account of Isaac's other son. His family became a great nation, so great that he moved east because he and his brother were both heads of large families and the land could not support all that they had. The brothers part ways, on better terms this time, but the family of Israel takes center stage. We find references to Edom throughout the Old Testament, but this is not the story of the Edomites. But really, it could have been.
Jacob tricked Esau out of his birth right, and then stole his blessing. He stepped in and took over the covenant. He became Israel, and the Bible tells the story of his children. But Jacob was the youngest. Everything he received was meant for his older brother. And you have to wonder, what would have been?
Men, in our lives there are things that could have happened. For one reason or another they didn't unfold that way. I mentioned some of the things that my family history involves in a recent post, and all of those events have led me to where I am now. There have been times I've wondered what life would be like if it wasn't for that initial abandonment and adultery. I wonder if my family could have been like Israel, one with a story worth telling that changes the world. But with everything that's happened, I feel more like the Edomites, lost in the shuffle, and fading into the background in insignificance.
Before we act, let's think about what the long term consequences could be. Let's think about all that we could be giving up, and all that we could be costing our family in the future. Will your actions help bring about a great story that changes the world? Or will they cause your family to sink into obscurity? Do you want them to look back and wonder what could have been? Or to proudly share the story of what was, and is?
You play a huge part in what happens, will it be what is, or what could have been?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Monday, February 24, 2014
Like Father, Like Son
"So Isaac lived in Gerar. When the men of the place asked about his wife, he said, 'She is my sister,' for he was afraid to say, 'my wife,' thinking, 'the men of the place might kill me on account of Rebekah, for she is beautiful.'" -Genesis 26.6-7
Another famine takes place, and Isaac is moving so his family will survive. His initial plan is to head to Egypt, but God tells him not to, and makes the promise to him that He made to Abraham. I will give you this land, I will multiply you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your descendants.
So Isaac goes to Gerar, to King Abimelech. And once there we find Isaac in the same situation as his father, he passes his wife off as his sister to save his own skin. The sin of the father has been picked up by the son, and we see him following in his footsteps in an aspect of life he'd have been better off without.
Men, our actions speak so much louder than our words. The things our children watch us do will speak so much louder than the lessons we try and teach them. I'm reminded of the country song, "I've Been Watching You." It begins with a four year old saying a four letter word, and the dad asking, "Where'd you learn to talk like that?" To which the son replies, "He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool. I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you and eat all my food and grow as tall as you are. We got cowboy boots and camo pants, yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad. I wanna do everything you do, so I've been watching you."
That's the reality of it, our children watch everything we do, and learn by what we do. And just as the negative traits we hate about ourselves are seen, the good ones can be as well. Verse two of the song goes like this.
We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said Lord please help me help my stupid self
Then this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son's Scooby Doo nightlight
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend
And I said son now where'd you learn to pray like that
He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama's hand
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you
With God's help we can pass down the good traits and not the bad ones. Our children can watch us overcome the sins in our own life and see that it is possible to over come them and live righteously. They'll see their father do battle against evil and win. They'll see that his life is about something bigger than himself, and they'll want to be part of that as well. And you'll see like father, like son in a whole new light.
Which image are you going to pass down? What do you want your son to be like?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Another famine takes place, and Isaac is moving so his family will survive. His initial plan is to head to Egypt, but God tells him not to, and makes the promise to him that He made to Abraham. I will give you this land, I will multiply you, all the nations of the earth will be blessed by your descendants.
So Isaac goes to Gerar, to King Abimelech. And once there we find Isaac in the same situation as his father, he passes his wife off as his sister to save his own skin. The sin of the father has been picked up by the son, and we see him following in his footsteps in an aspect of life he'd have been better off without.
Men, our actions speak so much louder than our words. The things our children watch us do will speak so much louder than the lessons we try and teach them. I'm reminded of the country song, "I've Been Watching You." It begins with a four year old saying a four letter word, and the dad asking, "Where'd you learn to talk like that?" To which the son replies, "He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool. I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you and eat all my food and grow as tall as you are. We got cowboy boots and camo pants, yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad. I wanna do everything you do, so I've been watching you."
That's the reality of it, our children watch everything we do, and learn by what we do. And just as the negative traits we hate about ourselves are seen, the good ones can be as well. Verse two of the song goes like this.
We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said Lord please help me help my stupid self
Then this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son's Scooby Doo nightlight
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend
And I said son now where'd you learn to pray like that
He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama's hand
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you
With God's help we can pass down the good traits and not the bad ones. Our children can watch us overcome the sins in our own life and see that it is possible to over come them and live righteously. They'll see their father do battle against evil and win. They'll see that his life is about something bigger than himself, and they'll want to be part of that as well. And you'll see like father, like son in a whole new light.
Which image are you going to pass down? What do you want your son to be like?
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
The Way of the Wild Heart, Chapter 14: Sage, part 1
We come now to the final stage of our earthly journey. In the opening pages of this chapter John says he will be brief because this stage he has not lived yet. I've found as I've moved through this book the last few chapters have been more difficult to write on, and I feel it is for that same reason. I have occupied the office of a King, but haven't fully lived that stage yet. For this final stage of the Sage, age and experience have not brought me to this point yet, and so as I write I'm guessing what will come out is the desire of my heart in the one I'm searching for, and what I hope to be someday, as well as a challenge for all men who are reaching this stage.
One thing I want to point out right from the start is this quote "An important reminder that mentors and fathers need not be physically present, nor even still living." John talks about his process of writing, and how one of the inspirations he drew upon for this book was author Norman Maclean, who died in 1990. He drew from his style and says that "I sat at his feet." This past weekend my pastor finished a series on the life of David and talked about leaving a legacy. One thing he mentioned was journaling. You record your thoughts and revelations in your own hand writing and your children and grandchildren are able to learn from you still. Since I've really started blogging a lot, my journaling has dropped to almost non-existent, but I really want to change that. Yes, these posts to contain my heart and insights, but there is something incredibly personal about your own hand writing.
And so as we journey through life, let us keep records. My favorite Bible is a wide margin NASB, I'm still working on filling the margins. I saw a couple of years ago that someone made a loose leaf Bible, one that went into a three ring binder, also with wide margins. I think this would be a phenomenal thing because the pages could easily be copied for each of your children. They could see what spoke to your heart, and how you grew through the years of your journey with God. Let them see a living, growing relationship with God, and let them have the record of it. A Godly legacy carries on even after we are gone.
And so as we begin to explore the Sage we must remember that we aren't done working and journeying until we are dead. As long as we still have breath, we still have a job to do. This idea is one we have lost in our current American culture. Retirement for many signifies time to take it easy and enjoy the remaining years. I heard on the radio a couple of months ago a man's ambitions for his retirement. He planned to move someplace warm, wake up, eat breakfast, go out and golf nine holes, come in for lunch and a nap, then after waking up go out and golf another nine holes before dinner and bed. That was the ambition he was seeking. "This is the point at which most men retire to Sun City, spend their days at bingo or in front of the History Channel." The thought of that makes me cringe.
That is not my ambition, honestly I find the thought of it quite boring. I don't want to just fade into obscurity, living off of society (which I probably won't be able to do anyway). I want my life to matter right up to the end. I want to finish well, and leave a legacy worthy of a Man of God. "This is the heart of the Sage - to make his greatest contribution with the last years of his life."
In his final book, published after his death, Mclean says this in the preface, "The problem of self-identity is not just a problem for the young. It is a problem all the time. Perhaps the problem. It should haunt old age, and when it no longer does it should tell you that you are dead... While the oxygen lasts, there are still new things to love, especially if compassion is a form of love." Think about that. Again, as long as we are still breathing, we have a job to do. In the beginning God formed man from the dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He then placed man in a garden to tend it. He was given life so that he might take care of creation (Genesis 2.7-9, 15-17). He had breath and a job to do, and that is still the case today. As long as we are still breathing we have a job to do.
Retirement is not the time to take it easy, but to invest. It is the time to be the Sage to younger men. No matter how old you are, you still have a job to do, finish well.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
One thing I want to point out right from the start is this quote "An important reminder that mentors and fathers need not be physically present, nor even still living." John talks about his process of writing, and how one of the inspirations he drew upon for this book was author Norman Maclean, who died in 1990. He drew from his style and says that "I sat at his feet." This past weekend my pastor finished a series on the life of David and talked about leaving a legacy. One thing he mentioned was journaling. You record your thoughts and revelations in your own hand writing and your children and grandchildren are able to learn from you still. Since I've really started blogging a lot, my journaling has dropped to almost non-existent, but I really want to change that. Yes, these posts to contain my heart and insights, but there is something incredibly personal about your own hand writing.
And so as we journey through life, let us keep records. My favorite Bible is a wide margin NASB, I'm still working on filling the margins. I saw a couple of years ago that someone made a loose leaf Bible, one that went into a three ring binder, also with wide margins. I think this would be a phenomenal thing because the pages could easily be copied for each of your children. They could see what spoke to your heart, and how you grew through the years of your journey with God. Let them see a living, growing relationship with God, and let them have the record of it. A Godly legacy carries on even after we are gone.
And so as we begin to explore the Sage we must remember that we aren't done working and journeying until we are dead. As long as we still have breath, we still have a job to do. This idea is one we have lost in our current American culture. Retirement for many signifies time to take it easy and enjoy the remaining years. I heard on the radio a couple of months ago a man's ambitions for his retirement. He planned to move someplace warm, wake up, eat breakfast, go out and golf nine holes, come in for lunch and a nap, then after waking up go out and golf another nine holes before dinner and bed. That was the ambition he was seeking. "This is the point at which most men retire to Sun City, spend their days at bingo or in front of the History Channel." The thought of that makes me cringe.
That is not my ambition, honestly I find the thought of it quite boring. I don't want to just fade into obscurity, living off of society (which I probably won't be able to do anyway). I want my life to matter right up to the end. I want to finish well, and leave a legacy worthy of a Man of God. "This is the heart of the Sage - to make his greatest contribution with the last years of his life."
In his final book, published after his death, Mclean says this in the preface, "The problem of self-identity is not just a problem for the young. It is a problem all the time. Perhaps the problem. It should haunt old age, and when it no longer does it should tell you that you are dead... While the oxygen lasts, there are still new things to love, especially if compassion is a form of love." Think about that. Again, as long as we are still breathing, we have a job to do. In the beginning God formed man from the dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He then placed man in a garden to tend it. He was given life so that he might take care of creation (Genesis 2.7-9, 15-17). He had breath and a job to do, and that is still the case today. As long as we are still breathing we have a job to do.
Retirement is not the time to take it easy, but to invest. It is the time to be the Sage to younger men. No matter how old you are, you still have a job to do, finish well.
"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
To God alone be the Glory!
Strength and Honor
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