Isaiah 49:14-16 NKJV
“But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.”
Malachi 3:16 NKJV
“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.”
The word legacy is defined as something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past . It is said that a generation occurs every 28 years, and that the best of us are remembered for 100 years or so, and then we are ancient history. If something is not left beyond a tomb stone, a picture, or a couple of dollars, whatever it was that a person lived for is soon forgotten. Over the past few months, I have been assisting others in the creation of legacies that they could leave for their families using such conventional tools as insurance, annuities, wills, and trusts. Passing on a legacy from one generation to another is both a noble and honorable endeavor.
The Psalmist wrote; “and we will tell them to the next generation. We won’t keep secret the glorious deeds and the mighty miracles of the Lord” (Psalms 78:4 CEV). Moses declared, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 NKJV).
But the Bible also has some great stories of people leaving Godly legacies that go beyond the natural. Isaiah shares a comparison between God’s love for his people and a mother’s love for her child. When the people complained about God abandoning them, Isaiah responds with two rhetorical questions; “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb?” Even if she did, Isaiah concludes, the Lord surely will not forget them. “I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” The Lord treasures them so much that He has inscribed their names on the palms of His hands. Out of His hand comes a legacy.
Malachi reinforces this idea of an everlasting legacy. He speaks of those who truly respected and honored the Lord, those who had spoken among themselves of the words of instruction the Lord had shared with them. “And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.” Malachi says that God, because of their faithfulness, would establish their legacy and write their names in His book of remembrance.
It is honorable to leave a legacy for future generations, but God promises that our faithfulness creates a legacy in His kingdom that goes beyond earthly generations into the everlasting. While we are building and creating legacies for our future generations, let’s not forget that faithfulness establishes the eternal legacies built for us out of His hands.
Be Blessed +++
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at both Goodwill and The Greater Universal Baptist Churches in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company for Church Financial &. Strategic Consulting, and hosts “Matters of Faith – The Radio Show” on Soul 1 Radio, Mondays 8:00 – 10:00 PM. Listen by phone” at 626-226-1448. Follow us on Facebook at “Matters of Faith” on Facebook and Twitter. Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith; The Book TODAY at Book Blues online.
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