Walking Through the Shadow of Death The Blessing

Walking Through the Shadow of Death

The Blessing

A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children

What will I leave behind for those who mean the most to me?

Will it be trifles and trinkets for them to squabble over? God forbid. 

If we are to leave a worthwhile legacy

If our children are to be our shining crown

If we are to leave them with a blessing what would that look like?

 

The Blessing

It looked like a page out of the Bible.

Like Isaac from his death bed blessed his sons

and Jacob also gathered his sons

at the end of his life to bless them.

 

My sister in law, Judy, told the doctor

she was looking forward to seeing her

daughters and their families from the

Carolinas who were coming to see her in two weeks.

The doctor looked at her and said,

 “I am sorry I am not sure you

 will be here in two weeks.”

The pancreatic cancer had

spread to the stomach and liver.

Judy’s children and grandchildren left

their homes in the Carolinas immediately

for Florida to be with her.

 

 Judy had a goal…

To speak with each one of them one on one.

It was like the patriarchs who blessed

their children on their death bed.

Judy shared with each one how much she loved

them, what she loved about them and her concerns.

As parents, Sandy and I, made our

home around God and His Word.

Raising our children was a life of teaching them

the Truth of God’s Word and talking about how

God’s Word played out in our everyday lives.

By example, the Word of God,

became more than theory.

The Truth was fleshed out.

It is our joy to see our children

lead their children in the Truth.

Sandy and I made a lot of mistakes

in the raising of our children.

Now we have grandchildren and we are more

equipped to help them grow into their full potential.

There is a reason they are called grandchildren.

They as our children are an extension of us.

They are our greatest accomplishment…

  Children's children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

Proverbs 17:6

It is not the material things we give our children

nor the material things we leave after we are

gone that shows our love or success.

 It is the Truth we have imparted in them.

 The Truth is the only thing that gives freedom…

Truth spoken and seen by example in love.

There is no greater joy than to see your

children and grandchildren walking in the Truth.

 

I have no greater joy than to hear

that my children are walking in the truth.

3 John 4

As parents, Sandy and I, would remind our

children of the stories where God and the

Truth of His Word had played out in our lives.

Proverbs 13:22 says in part…

 A good man leaves an inheritance

 for his children's children.

What will I leave behind for

those who mean the most to me?

Will it be trifles and trinkets for them to squabble over?

God forbid.

 

If we are to leave a worthwhile legacy

If our children are to be our shining crown

If we are to leave them with a blessing…

 What would that look like?

First, that they would learn to love the Lord they God

with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength

Mark 12:30

If my descendants learn to love God above all,

everything else will fall into place.

Second, that they would live extraordinary

lives to the glory of Jesus, the King.

Our families are all of humble birth,

but we are all of noble re-birth.

“…Jesus Christ, …prince of the kings

 of the earth …hath made us kings.”

Revelation 1:5-6  

Our Father is High King of Heaven, and that

makes nobility and godliness our family tradition.

We can be normal, average, even regular,

but we cannot be ordinary.

Our children’s children will be our crown

as they love God and keep His commandments.

Sandy and I blessing our children with…

Example of Love

 Of all the gifts God has given us,

the greatest is Love, it never fails.

Teach them the Truth

Remember the Truth only hurts when it needs to.

“Truth without love is brutality

and love without truth is hypocrisy”

God’s presence

 Make it a regular practice to point

out God’s presence and faithfulness.

Remembering the past

Remind our children of God’s provision

and blessings in our lives.

Recognize the way God has wired each child and help

them to see their God given potential through

the personal style and gifting He has given them.

Encouragement

God don’t make no junk.

Use ever accomplishment and every failure as

an opportunity to express confidence in our children.

  

Safe haven

 Always be available to comfort and give security.

Morality matters

Be discerning it is not enough to have knowledge

and understanding, or be emotionally attached.

Godly wisdom solves all issues, wisdom from

above comes from heaven to earth through prayer.

Inheritance

 It is the treasures stored in heaven that matter.

    

It is a wonderful thing if we are given the time

before we die to give our children a blessing.

But the greater blessing comes

day by day as we live life together.

Scripture Reading

3 John 2-4 NIV

2 Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. 3 It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Proverbs 13:22 NIV

22 A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children,

Proverbs 17:6 NIV

6 Children's children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

Genesis 49:1-2 NIV

1 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: "Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.

2 "Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to your father Israel.