The Heritage of Those Who Fear God’s Name
Over the years I’ve written quite a bit about heritage. Several years ago I wrote about the amazing names in my family tree according to my grandfather’s years of research. Not long after that, I wrote about the link between faithful Jews and believers in the Messiah. And just last year I wrote about the wonderful generations of faithful men and women who paved the way for who I am today.
Sunday morning, Scott England read part of Psalm 61, and a couple of verses stuck out in my head:
I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
Psalm 61:4-5 (NIV, emphasis mine)
The author of Hebrews talks about the “great cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us. Have you ever thought about those powerful people of the Bible, those inspiring martyrs, those heroes of the early church, the unsung volunteers who never did what they did for personal glory, and even your grandma who prayed for you every night? If you’re a believer in Jesus, that’s your heritage!
Now, let’s look at the flip side of that thought: your faithfulness means that you’re the heritage for future generations. That could mean your kids or grandkids, some kid in a country half the world away who accepts Christ next week, or somebody centuries from now who follows the Lord.
I don’t know about you, but the idea of the heritage of those who fear God’s name both inspires me and makes me want to keep on my toes.
Photo by niko photos on Unsplash