Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live”.
DAILY READING – 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:16; 2 Kings 19; Nahum 1
In 1874 the New York State Prison Board noticed that six members of the same family were in prison at the same time. The board suspected it had something to do with their family history, and decided to research back a few generations. They traced the family line back to an ancestor born in 1720, a man considered lazy, godless, an alcoholic with a reputation as the town troublemaker. He married a woman who was much like himself, and together they had six daughters and two sons. The report looked at approximately 1,200 descendants of this couple who were alive by 1874, and what they found was that: • 310 were homeless, • 160 were prostitutes,• 180 suffered from drug or alcohol abuse, 150 were criminals who spent time in prison, including seven for murder. The report found that not one had made a significant contribution to society, rather the State of New York had spent $1.5 million overtime to care for this line of descendants.
In contrast, another family heritage was studied, of the family of the famous preacher Jonathan Edwards, who lived about the same time. He was a deeply religious man, who married a deeply religious woman named Sarah, and together they had 11 children. The research discovered that of approximately 1,400 of their descendants who were alive by 1874: • 13 were college presidents.• 65 were college professors. • 100 were attorneys.• 32 were state judges.• 85 were authors of classic books.• 66 were physicians.• 80 held political offices, including three state governors.• 3 were state senators.• 1 became vice president of the United States.
Indeed studies have shown that families tend to reproduce their own culture for generations. This confirms what the Bible says in Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live”.
The choice we make to serve God, can indeed affect our descendants.
About 50 years after David’s death, Abijah great-grandson of King David, wasn’t faithful to God’s law. However in 1 Kings 15 God showed him mercy because of His relationship with his great-grandfather David. Again 250 years later, another of David’s descendants, King Hezekiah, lay dying. The king fervently prayed to God and in 2 Kings 20 God sent the prophet Isaiah with a message to let him know God will add 15 more years to him and bring deliverance to the nation for the sake of His servant David.
How David served God, had a powerful influence and impact on his descendants for generations. Exodus 20:6 says that God shows love and mercy to a thousand generations of those who obey Him.
The truth is that we are affected by issues from our family line. Some of the blessings we enjoy today is as a result of how our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and others in our family history sacrificed and honored God. Some people may come in at the end of the movie and see the glory, but they didn’t see the start of the story, what sacrifices our parents made. In the same way, the seeds you sow today in serving God are also setting up your children for success.
It doesn’t matter the kind of family lineage you may have come from, as believers in Christ we have a heritage of blessing. And as you decide to serve God wholeheartedly, you are setting a pattern that will bless not only you and your children, but also your descendants in generations from now.
PRAYER: Lord I thank You for your blessings that are upon my life, Please help me to serve You even better today, so that my family and generations to come will continually be blessed in Jesus Name.
Winning quote:
“Everything that has a glorious end usually has a humble beginning”
Wordbite 222
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK OPEN HEAVENS]