Leave a Legacy; Extend Blessing

Today's Reading: Genesis 25-26, Psalms 6, Luke 10

Genesis 26:4-5
I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

Genesis 26:24
And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham's sake.”

Personalize it Method (Rick Warren's 40 Days in the Word):

Jeff, do you see how I blessed Isaac and how he inherited the covenant I made with his father?  I may not have an individual covenant with you Jeff, but you do have opportunity to leave a legacy that will bless your children and their's after them.  See that Abraham's legacy was created by his obedience to my voice my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Jeff, the only legacy that will be lasting and bring true blessing upon your house is one of faithful obedience in every way that I might speak to you.  Do you know how difficult this was for Abraham?  Look at the level of obedience and faith I took him to...

Genesis 22:9-18
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

Jeff, Abraham had the faith to understand that I would still make him a father of many nations even while he was prepared to sacrifice his only son of Sarah.  This clearly required that He completely surrender to my will rather than his own and he did so without comprehension of what I could be accomplishing with him.

Jeff, your children and their children can be blessed by your surrender to my will and calling in your life.  Do you know yet what is that calling, that obedience?  Yes, it starts and even finishes with surrender, but in that- there is work to do.

Luke 10:2
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

You recall the story of Peter becoming a fisher of men a few days ago Jeff.  You know that I am calling you to be a fisher of men and that there is a harvest.  You recall from a couple days ago that I am asking you to bind yourself to other men on the path that you might all arrive, proven, at the destination to My glory.  You see that the devil's only victory can be delaying conversion of my children and minimizing their experience with Me before heaven.  Jeff, you know that judgement comes to the unrepentant...

Luke 10:12
I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Luke 10:16
“The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

So Jeff, step out into the field and with the others around you, bring in the harvest.  Your nets will be full, but fear not that the boat would sink, for as I delivered Peter and the others to shore with the boats and the fish, so shall I do to you and all my children that faithfully work the field.  Understand that you shall not rejoice in conquering the enemy in this way as you labor but only give thanks that I chose you as my vessel and that I have called you into my inheritance...

Luke 10:18-20
And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

It is not you who will perform any work in the another's heart, I will do this.  Simply be faithful and enjoy me.

Luke 10:22
All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Luke 10:41-42
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Application:
Today I am to watch the field and time my labor
Today I am to enjoy that my surrender to the Lord will bless my family
Today I am to focus on the Lord and my relationship with Him...not just labor
Today I am to leave all results and impact and the filling of the nets up to the Lord

Prayer:
Thanks you Lord for the blessings that come, even in this life, from surrendering to you.  Please do bless my family and cause me to spend the remainder of my days building this legacy for them to be blessed under.  Please let me not, however, focus on this legacy as the prize but rather, let me keep focused on You as the only prize.  Please prepare the hearts of those men whom you are calling me to band together with Lord that we might guard each other's hearts and may together arrive, proven, having confirmed our calling.

In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!
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