Devotion.al

Tag: legacy

  • Yet We Live

    Psalm 22, Genesis 28:10–22, Luke 20:27-39

    Jacob’s vision encouraged and assured him that God was real, and God had something planned for him. What the vision didn’t do was say everything was going to be easy, and that he (and his ) would always be safe. Even when God says, “…I will bring you back…” certain assurances are missing, such as how long or when. While the vision has aspects of , there really is a lot left completely open.

    While the is made to Jacob, by extension the promise is also to his descendants. God promises to Jacob that his offspring will have the land and that God would not leave until that occurred. In other words, while the promise was immediate, the fulfillment and God’s was far in the .

    This now and future aspect is very important when we come to ‘ words. Jesus is strongly implying that the concept of past, present, and future aren’t quite as we think. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob were all buried. Scripture even tells of them specifically being buried. They were dead! Jesus turns that upside down and says that everybody (even those who have died) are living from God’s perspective. We measure our days. When we think of , our legacy is what outlives us. According to Jesus, our legacy cannot outlive us!

    It seems to be contradictory. We know we die, yet God says we live. We know people in our lives who have died, yet for God, they live!

    1) We all leave a legacy. Will the legacy you leave give , or is it something else?

    2) Throughout scripture, there is a tension of now and not yet. Why is that important in regards to legacy?

    3) There is a tendency in many circles that a good with God means that we will always be healthy, wealthy, long-lived, and safe. Scripture never delivers that message. Why, then, do you think that so many Christians hold on to this belief?

  • A Father’s Legacy

    Psalm 89, Matthew 1:6–25, Matthew 2:19–23, Luke 2:41–52

    David: the man (somehow) after God’s own . Imagine passing that down as your legacy. Even more, how about passing it down for you. We “love” famous people. We “love” famous stories. Fame is fabulous. When we pass on stories, which (we ) are full of the legacy of our faith, we have this desire for immortality. It is this seed in us that seeks to break past the barriers of this . Even those whose full trust is in Jesus Christ have a bit of this in them. Children are one part of our legacy (whether biological or adopted or nurtured). Our story is another. However, are you willing to die to yourself?

    Today is the traditional day set aside for Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Yes, that Jesus. That person who lived a life of and , who died on a cross to bridge the divide between man and God, and rose again to show that there is life after this one for those who trust in him. Joseph is the father of that Jesus. The church talks about Joseph briefly during Advent and Christmas. The churches in America might talk about Joseph on Father’s Day. Maybe. That’s about it. Joseph pretty much is a side character to us. Which makes sense, to a point. The Bible is God’s story for and to us. With Jesus being the Messiah and God, it makes sense that Joseph doesn’t quite get the limelight. Rightfully, Mary gets a whole lot of focus (some do take that overboard). Despite the message of our society, it really does take two.

    Sadly, we really don’t know much about Joseph. Some church traditions (not all) teach that Joseph was an older man who died early in Jesus’ life. That is not a rock solid fact. There are plenty of reasons why even a young man, barely older than Mary, would die before Jesus started his ministry. Does it matter when Joseph died? Not really. We can be pretty sure that he died before Jesus’ ministry began, but that’s it. So, why talk about Joseph, other than just it being “his” day on the church calendar?

    Joseph’s legacy is the Savior of the World. Every time we say Jesus’ in praise, thanks, and , we are also declaring Joseph’s legacy. We don’t think of Joseph that way, but Joseph’s legacy is , even now here on Earth. In fact, we think very little of the quiet legacies. If you have the chance, read Buck Jacobs’ short story, “The Janitor and the CEO.” Basically, the CEO was all sorts of flashy, and the janitor wasn’t. The janitor, however, had a welcoming committee in Heaven. So, perhaps instead of having a Paul kind of legacy (or Peter, Timothy, Jude, John, Mark, Luke), you could have a Joseph kind of legacy.

    1) Think of the legacy you are passing on. Is it all about you? Is it about God? Really, what is it about?

    2) We often compare ourselves to others. Do you find yourself comparing your legacy to those of others?

    3) Often we look at the legacy we passed on to others, but neglect those who are now in our circle. Are there people in your relational circle that you haven’t been looking at as bearers of your legacy?

    FD) Have you ever wanted to be, or still want to be, famous? Why?

  • A Mighty Legacy

    Psalm 105, Exodus 33:1–6

    Have you ever known people that no matter how much you might , like, or even love them, that spending a large amount of time with them would result in personal injury? It could be a parent, aunt, uncle, cousin, or sibling. In families, a lot of is stored and maintained, meaning that gathers while good on many levels, can be stressful or even hurtful. If your family gatherings do not have this, give praise to God and all the family members who have made sure to pass on such a blessed and loving . be told, however, most families are not so blessed. Moses’ extended family was a trial for Moses, but not just Moses.

    God had relational limits. Think on that for a moment. There is a limit. The stubborn Israelites wouldn’t make it, for they kept testing God. And, perhaps, that is the point. When someone repeatedly rebels against God, there is a limit. Yet, there is something hidden in plain . God says that God will not go with them, for they would end up not making it. It was not that God did not love them, nor that they were no longer the people he called. They had put a limit on their relationship with God. God accepted that. It could be more for Moses’ information than anything else. Moses wanted God right there. His relationship with God was good. “Let’s go together!” God knew that the Israelites just wouldn’t be able to do it.

    One of the beauties of Scripture is its honesty. God’s chosen people really did not have the best relationship with God. There wasn’t a cover-up. Let’s see: they struggled mightily with God; they rebelled directly against God; they opposed his chosen leaders; they lifted up other gods over God; they killed God’s prophets; they didn’t believe God a lot. Despite that, they faithfully passed on God’s from generation to generation. While still struggling with God, they still believed that God was faithful. They recognized the gap between themselves and God…and trusted God. That is a mighty legacy to pass on.

    1) Sometimes when we tell a story, it’s not flattering to ourselves. Can you think of a story someone shared that delivered a good message but put them in a bad light?

    2) Often we give people either too much, or too little leeway in our relationship with them. Can you think of a relationship you have like that? What can you do to balance that out in a God-honoring way?

    3) Pain (emotional and ) and (material and otherwise) are often part of a story of significance. Can you think of something like that which is part of your story?

    FD) The story of our life fits inside of God’s story. What does your story tell about God?

  • Legacy of Faith

    Psalm 27, Genesis 13:14-18, Philippians 3:2-12

    David was no saint insofar as not always being a good example to follow: thuggery, adultery, murder, failure to lead and/or protect his family. On the other hand, David wrote God-inspired psalms, designed the Great Temple, outline the rules and families for (who did what), and was—by and large—a follower of and champion for God. When we read Psalm 27, we see a person’s heart open to God. In the psalm, David declares that God is pretty much everything. David’s statement regarding his parents abandoning him (something that would be especially painful and cruel in a family driven culture), but that God would still be there is also an identifying thing. David was declaring that without his family, his would still be found in God. It was a legacy to pass on, but as noted earlier, David didn’t do so well with his family. Other than Solomon, we know nothing about the faith of David’s children, and Solomon’s faith became troubled as he got older. Is it David’s fault that his legacy was not passed on well? To some degree it was. However, at some point, those who follow have to keep nourishing the of faith they were given.

    While even most non- folks recognize Adam and Eve, and Noah (who are important characters), from a religious standpoint none may be more important than Abram (Abraham). In this passage, Abram gives Lot the choice of direction. Lot chooses what seems to be the better land. Yet, after he made that choice, God tells Abram that his offspring will equal the amount of in the world. Is that an overstatement? Perhaps, however, we have to look at how the Israelites viewed it as a promise fulfilled. They would know. Then look and Christianity, a child faith of Abraham. They (we) are also the progeny of Abram. Abram’s legacy of faith has been passed down to us. And it is the legacy of faith that truly matters.

    , until his conversion, had received a legacy of duties, tasks, rituals, that did not , or at least no full life. While Christians may be quick to accuse the Jews of lifeless rituals that they though saved them, many of those same rituals developed a deep and ground faith in God. It all really depended on the individual and what they did with the flame of faith pass on to them.

    1) Who passed on the flame of faith to you? What are you doing to make sure that the flame of faith you pass on will be as strong or stronger?

    2) Paul states that he cares more about knowing Jesus (God) than doing stuff, and relying on stuff. Can you say the same of yourself?

    3) The beauty of David’s life is that it is honest. David’s life was not perfect, just as yours or mine are not. Why does acknowledging not having a perfect life important when passing on the faith?

    FD) Did you know that you have a responsibility to accept faith and nourish (feed) it?

  • People Dynamics

    Exodus 6:1–13, Psalm 37:1–24, 1 Corinthians 3:18–4:5

    “I want you to walk up to your estranged family (who just so happens to be the world at the moment) and tell them to release their biggest labor force.” Hmm. We are so accustomed to Moses’ story that we often will miss pieces of the story. Everyone in your family gets along, right? Even the distant cousins, right? Of course not! Sometimes the biggest and longest lasting fights and painful relationships are within families. When the family is a family of power and influence (such as Egypt was), the significance of family relationships or battles becomes much larger than just interpersonal relationships. On top of that, Moses was only an adopted child, and he was adopted from the Hebrews he’s being sent to lead out of Egypt. No pressure. What crazy person would dare oppose one of the most (if not the most) powerful militaries in the world? Who’d (basically) walk up to the to basically thumb his nose at him? No one. It’s just not !

    Moses’ reality was that he would have to oppose his powerful adoptive family who wouldn’t be happy with him. He’d also have the tension within his extended biological family, many of whom wouldn’t him because he was from Pharaoh’s house and he had run away years ago. This just wasn’t a good place to be. When in the middle of these two tensions, we have to give Moses credit, he kept a balanced head, no matter much either “side” would have driven him crazy.

    When we deal with opposing tensions we can all have a tendency to lose it a bit. We can lose our temper, our positivity, our humor. We often end up fighting ourselves first. While we may not be currently upset or caught between evildoers, as the psalmist is concerned about, the agitation is often the same. We can be caught between two “goods”, two “bads”, and even between a good and a bad. Where we turn when in a place of tension, tells us where our is focused. If we turn to work, , , drugs, and such, we can soften the tension for time, but only put it off. Our families often receive the brunt of our tension, but they generally cannot deal with it either. That leaves us with God, who can handle it all. Or, at least that is how it should be. Instead, we often try to hand off our decisions, responsibilities, or consequences to , especially those we perceive as smarter, wiser, or more powerful than ourselves. That is the wisdom of the world.

    We are often reminded of the craziness, futility, and just plain wrongness that pervades humanity, yet for some reason, we insist on its wisdom. We look around the world wondering what’s wrong. The world around us is the expression of human wisdom. It is not that God’s wisdom is not there, but human “wisdom” is so common it seems as if God’s wisdom is not there. This is why Paul says the (worldly) wise should become fools. For when they see their human wisdom as foolishness, they can finally become aware of God’s wisdom. And this brings us back to Moses. According to the world, he was a fool. He was in awe of (often “feared” is used) God, which is the beginning of true wisdom.

    1) is often viewed as foolishness by many. Why give up the good stuff? What is the Godly wisdom of giving up the “good” stuff?

    2) It is often easy to “know” the story of Bible characters. What happens if you put yourself in their place? Does that change your of them and their story?

    3) Wisdom and knowledge can be passed on. We focus a lot on wordly wisdom, as we want our legacy (children, grandchildren, etc.) to be successful in this world. However, worldly wisdom is often at odds with God’s wisdom. How have you dealt with that? How can you help others deal with it?

    FD) Who do you ask for guidance when you have 2 good (or bad) decisions to choose from?

  • The Why of Right

    Psalm 18:21-36, Deuteronomy 6:16–25, Hebrews 2:1–10

    Sometimes the greatest we leave is the little things we do. Where we were not shown , we show love to . Where people did not build up, we build up. We may never see any of these little steps, but if we are to follow God, letting him guide us, a Godly legacy comes naturally. When it becomes a Godly habit, we don’t have to ponder long to answer of why we do things.

    In Deuteronomy, we really are reading the legacy that Moses seeks to pass on, not just to his children, or his immediate tribe, but to the entire people called Israel. Imagine having such a potential legacy. The self-imposed pressure would be huge. Yet, the purpose of a legacy is not to bear the entirety of the burden yourself, but to share it. It is shared with the leaders with whom you work, it also is shouldered by the ones to whom it is passed.

    Moses wants to make sure that it is not just the leaders or priests that bear the burden. The next generation (and the generations that follow) is the goal of passing on a legacy. Moses wants the parents to understand their place in passing on the legacy of God. The parents, leaders, and priests all have their place in passing on the legacy that they have received. It is not just passing it on, however, that makes it successful. Just passing on information is just that. It is out what was passed on that makes the legacy successful. Just as with the Psalm, there is a result that comes with the successful passing, God’s preservation and looking out for them.

    Right and True information and living is the expression of a legacy. The author of Hebrews, even after such a short time of Christianity, is already concerned in his writing that the Right and True information is being lost. The author of Hebrews would be already well aware of the memory loss that Israel experienced after escaping Egypt. The author reinforces the importance of the right information being passed along. Often this gets confused, too. People often turn to “right” without “right” belief (and vice-versa). When the “right” action is done it loses its long-term effectiveness and purposed when divorced from the why. Doing “good” things, for example, doesn’t earn one’s way to Heaven.

    1) What “right” thing(s) have you done without knowing the “right” reason(s)?

    2) With whom do you work (or have worked) to make sure that you pass on a legacy having?

    3) Why is it good for us to what legacy we are passing on and why?

    FD) Why is important to know why we do things?

  • Legacy of Enemies

    Psalm 35:11–28, Exodus 35:1–29, Acts 10:9–23

    Sometimes the greatest evidence that we are doing well is those that oppose us. Another way of perhaps saying that is that the measure of one’s is the quality of one’s enemies. Some scholars have claimed that part of the reason why David had so many power struggles was the jealousy of that we don’t read about.

    Whether it was the counselors of Saul or (later) David’s son Absalom, some scholars believe that there must have been more than Saul and Absalom in the picture. Many times there are those that we are no looking at that are truly the ones guiding things…the power behind the throne, so to speak. We could think of such people positively, as there were and are many counselors who believe their greatest success is the successful leader. On the other hand, there are those who hide behind the leader, using the leader as a distraction from themselves, so as to hide their deeds in the shadows.

    These last ones are in the same as those about whom David laments. David has cared for them. Lamented for them. Prayed for them. How did they repay the care? By piling on when David was down. Not only did they mock him, but they also made it worse by saying bad things about him. They celebrated his misery and misfortune, they who had benefitted from his love and care. As David looked forward, he relied on God to see him through it all. David’s legacy was at stake, and his was to turn to God. David, like all people, wanted personal success, yet understood that his true legacy relied upon the of God.

    Moses understood that everything relied upon God. While in the desert, God called upon the Israelites to to something greater than themselves. Through Moses, God called upon the Israelites to give from their hearts so as to make a to their God, a symbolic reminder that their God was among them. If you’ve ever read the list of items required to make the tabernacle, it’s easy to see how monumental that list was. It also speaks to where the hearts of the Israelites were at that moment. They had escaped slavery with much of the Egyptian wealth. For the most part (there are always exceptions) they freely gave of this newfound wealth to the creation of this temple, rather than hoarding it. Instead of holding on to what would make them individually rich, they gave to something that made them collectively richer than material goods. Yet, if they had just piled all of that stuff at Moses’ feet, nothing would have happened. Instead, people of skill (particular skills of varying types) were required. God just so happened to have blessed some people with those very skills. Out of the collective goodwill, in addition to skills of certain people, and through the leadership of Moses, something greater than they could have imagined came into being. How could a bunch of slaves tasked only to make bricks make something as intricate and amazing as the tabernacle? Through God.

    This amazing event that helped to define a people for generations also captured the hearts of the people, and not in a good way. They had become so ingrained with the outward appearance that when God did a new thing, they were still blind. People important to the seemingly insignificant were so blinded by the wrong legacy that they could not see the that was never hidden by God. It had been wrapped so tightly and so much by human will and tradition, that God’s love could not be seen through it all. When Peter had his vision, he too was still captured by the traditions passed down. It was not that God’s law was wrong or ever invalid it was just that the deeper (and Truer) truth could not be seen. God is love. Peter had to have an experience that challenged the legacy he had been handed that God was a God of (rigid) Law. Peter had to have an experience that showed God meant what he said to Abraham, “you will be a father to the nations.”

    1) Legacy is important and must be part of how we frame our lives. However, we must be careful to hand off a good legacy. How can we work to make sure we leave a good legacy?

    2) What makes a legacy good or bad? What makes a legacy live- or not?

    3) What are your thoughts about what legacy you will leave behind?

    FD) What family traditions were (or are being) passed down to you?

  • Catching What

    Psalm 99, Deuteronomy 11:1–25, Malachi 4:1–6

    Truth and story cannot truly be caught. They must be taught. And it doesn’t there. Teaching may often have the appearance of catching, and if the teacher is truly skilled, the hearer/learner will not realize that they have been taught as they have already internalized both truth and story. Actions and words have to be repeated over and over until they become programmed. Yet, the and the Israelites often stopped there. Empty words and empty actions are empty of all value and relationship.

    It isn’t until the connection is made to the heart that words and actions (i.e., Truth, story, ritual, etc.) truly begin to reflect what the intent is, and begin the journey of relationship. A great (yet sad) example is The Lord’s Prayer. Most long-time Christians can repeat the prayer. Yet, how many are not affected in their hearts when they say the words. Far too many.

    During his long farewell , Moses talks about binding the words to hands and heads. The Israelites turned that into both an art form and a boasting form. By the time of , the words bound on heads and hands (called phylacteries) became a source of bragging rights with their size. That missed the entire point. Moses talks about writing the words of God on the doorposts of houses or city gates. Christians today have scripture and “inspirational” quotes on their walls and even their phones. Many Christians vocally advocate for the 10 Commandments in courtrooms. How many of them, however, actually read—let alone follow—those words?

    Moses words were followed in a way they weren’t intended. These guidelines or suggestions were treated as rules. Moses’ whole point was to do whatever it takes to make sure that God was put first and never forgotten. Moses wanted the people to live and breathe the and the stories not to earn God’s , but because God had already poured his favor out! Moses intended for a way of life to develop that people would be formed by God, and not by man.

    His concern wasn’t so much for the generation who had grown up in the wilderness following the cloud of God. They had watched their parents—who had disobeyed and opposed God—die in the desert. Their very lives from the cloud to six-days-a-week of mana was based on God. It was their children and grandchildren (their and his ) that Moses was concerned about. The parents had had God so ingrained in their practices that they could easily take it for granted (or, honestly, forget). They had to teach and form their children to prevent drifting away from God.

    There is the famous “Pot Roast Story” of a mother teaching her daughter how to prepare pot roast. When the mom cut the ends off the roast, the daughter asked why. The mother really didn’t know and responded with, “that’s the way my mom did it.” The story goes on, and it ends with the daughter finally asking Great-Grandma the reason. The ? “Because it didn’t fit into the oven.”

    1) No matter who we are, we are always teaching. What are you teaching others about following Jesus?

    2) You cannot force someone to connect heart with . You can nurture it, however. How and who can you nurture to be more like Christ?

    3) Is there some or church ritual that you always wondered why? If so, how can you find an answer?

    FD) What are some family rituals that your family has? What do they tell you about your family?