A Blessed Legacy
"Blessed shall be the fruit of your body and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock."
Deuteronomy 28: 4
Amplified Bible
EXPLORATION
"A Blessed Legacy"
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"Your virtue may raise you above the glory of being king. The sort of honour that goes down to our children with real luster is derived from our deeds and qualities, not from power or titles."
Marquis of Pecara
What "blessed legacy" will my life leave to those I love?
"Work and build, my (daughters), and build a monument to love, joy, to human worth, to faith we kept for you, my (daughter), for you.
"If We Die"
January, 1953
INSPIRATION
"The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage."
Psalm 16: 5, 6
King James Version
Every evening after supper, I call my mother, who lives two hours away, just to check on her and to touch-base regarding the day's activities.
Several weeks ago, after I had laid out for her all the duties that confronted me, she must have thought I needed a motherly pep talk.
"You know Dorothy," she began, "God has always taken care of our family." Then she proceeded to point out events that had happened to my dad and her when God had come to their rescue. Then she shared stories about her own parents, missionaries, who put a "mission launch" on the Orinoco River where my grandpa, a doctor, took time out from his busy practice to spend several weeks each year treating people for medical problems up and down the river.
But then, Mother went back even one generation further and shared a story about my great grandfather who also served Jesus in small villages in Bolivia, Peru and Chile. One day when my great-grandfather was in Bolivia, he was invited to a village by a family who wanted to study the Bible. As he approached the house, a group of thugs descended upon him trying to rob him and do him bodily harm. All of a sudden, the thieves fell back and took off down the road. My great-grandfather was surprised and asked the people who witnessed this sudden turn-of-events, "What happened?" The gentleman at the home said, "Oh, they must have been frightened by those soldiers who were surrounding you!" As my great-grandfather looked around, he didn't see any soldiers – but they'd been there, heaven-sent at just the right moment.
What an encouragement it is to me to know, and be reminded, that the same God who was with my great-grandparents and grandparents and parents – is the same God I can rely on to be with me, everyday of my life.
In Deuteronomy chapters 4 and 11, Moses repeatedly tells the children of Israel to "instruct and teach" your children. I am especially fond of these words in Deuteronomy 11: 18-20,(K.J.V), "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes. And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates."
If we go to our text for today, Deuteronomy 28: 4, "Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy beasts, the increase of your cattle and the young of your flock," we find a direct link which goes from generation to generation. The Hebrew translation in our text for the word "fruit" is "bough." I love it! The branches that are attached to the trunk of the tree, that is rooted in adoration for God, who holds a place of distinction in our life, are blessed!
This means if we, as we learned yesterday, adore our Father and make His word and will supreme in our lives, everything we touch will be surrounded by the heavenly presence that envelopes our lives. Our children will be covered with the presence and so will everything we own.
Several weeks ago, my niece, Bethanie, asked me whether she could help me do something at Transformation Garden. I was touched, for the legacy I want to leave those I love is one that incorporates the comforting presence of our heavenly Father. Money can't do that. Possessions can't either. Last night, Bethanie called again. She now enters all the prayer requests at Transformation Garden.
"Effie," she said, "I'm praying Nelda and her husband will get back together. I just know it's going to happen. I'm praying for a miracle." She was literally bubbling over. One of the prayer requests really touched her. And now she has the spark – and the fire of God's presence is being passed on to another generation.
As Moses told God's children, "Blessed shall be your fruit." The bough of the tree that is rooted in God's supremacy will be strong and fruitful.
When my great-grandparents died, they didn't have anything to leave their children. They'd given their all to God. But four generations later, my great-grandpa left me a legacy and an inheritance better than anything money could buy – he left me the confidence to know that when I need God's help, He'll send His heavenly soldiers to surround me if need be! PRAISE GOD!
"There are surely lives which display very few of the signs of success until very later, or after life is over. There are lives of great significance which go unrecognized by peers for a very long time, there are those who achieve nothing for themselves but leave a legacy for others who come after, there are lives sacrificed for causes."
Sonya Rudikoff
AFFIRMATION
"You came, Lord Jesus Christ, to teach us the way of life which God requires; make us receptive to your word, and help us to obey; whatever it may cost, that our lives may bear much fruit; to the glory of Your Name."
New Lectionary
Your friend
Dorothy Valcárcel, Author
When A Woman Meets Jesus
Available May 2009
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