The Heritage of the Godly

“You have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.” (Psalm 61:5b)

What were your great grandparents like?  Were they poor or rich?  Hard working or lazy? Godly or ungodly? It is possible that you do not know and even passible that you do not care or have not given the matter much thought.  You may not even know much about your grandparents.  In our day, we are all about the present: present comfort; present convenience; present pleasures; present happiness.

Another, perhaps more intriguing question is: “What will our children and great grandchildren be like?”  Will they be thrifty and hard working?  Conservative or liberal?  Will they be God-fearing? We had no choice in the matter of our forefathers.  They are ours whether we like it or not.  But what about our descendants? Do we have anything to say about them? David said, “You have given the heritage of those who fear your name.” How did he receive such an inheritance? He received it because his forefathers lived with the next generation in view. David’s great grandfather was Boaz, his grandfather Obed, and his father Jesse. This short account admittedly creates unanswered questions, but it also does something else: It challenges us to leave a godly inheritance. It challenges us to live with the next generation in view. You may not have come from godly or Christian ancestors, but by God’s grace, you can be one. You can be the beginning of a godly heritage.

This blog will not always address the issue of trans-generational Christianity so directly.  But I trust it will be a challenge to live in such a way as to leave a godly heritage.

That the generation to come might know Christ,

Charles Cavanaugh