
“For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.." Genesis 18:19 (KJV)
This is the verse that spoke to me through my devotions today. As I was reading (actually listening to biblegateway.com on my husband's phone while riding the exercise bike...okay back to the main reason I am writing, sorry I love tangents) The first thing I noted was that this is the Lord is speaking here about Abraham. To recap: this is the time that the Lord appeared with 2 others to Abraham to remind him of the son that was promised to him. If you recall, Sarai was in the tent ease dropping and laughed when the Lord said she was going to have a child, and then lied when He confronted her about it. (She had her set of issues too :)) Anyway, what does the Lord say here about Abraham?
1. He knows Abraham. Stop there. God knows us. Everything about us. From the number of hairs on our heads, to every thought we are about to speak and all the words we've ever said. The Lord God knows us. And with that knowledge He says, "
2. What does He know? This is where my heart was touched. He knows that Abraham would command or direct (NIV) his children and his family and the generations to come in the ways of the Lord.
"Can that be said of me and my husband?"
"Does God KNOW that we will pass down a godly Legacy?"
I really was moved by this.
Isn't this your desire today? or wouldn't you like this heart to be what God sees in you? I am sure you do. What greater thing could we give our children and their children then to understand and know the Lord?
3. What did God know Abraham was going to do for his heritage?
A. To encourage them to KEEP the Way of the LORD. What is the way of the Lord?
It's a Beautiful thing. It's Pure, Lovely, Wise, True,Good, having a Fear God, Keep His Commandments, On and on.
B. "To do righteous".(NKJV) Don't you love it when your children just do the right thing? It makes me so happy to see that they are getting it and living it out themselves. As parents, we have a life long pursue of encouraging our children to live righteously as well, as learning to do it better ourselves to be a godly example for them. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 1:4
C. "To do Justice".(NKJV) "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8 Justice is one of my daughter's favorite clothing stores. She gets so excited if she wears a shirt with the Justice label. I thought, wow! If she could get excited about wearing God's clothing of Justice, Mercy, and Humility how excited I would be for her (and less expensive for my pocket book :))
4. Result? A Promise Fulfilled. God knew that Abraham was going to do all these things and the result for Abraham was a son (at 100 years of age). God was going to fulfill for him what He had promised. Take heart (wrote this and then I saw the verse actually had take courage in it, awesome)
"So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said."Acts 27:25
Are we BELIEVING God to do all that He promises for us to do?
Are we BEING those that He can look down and say, "I know they will keep my ways and direct their legacy to do also."
I encourage you to keep passing down, directing, commanding your families in the ways of the Lord. This legacy has eternal value.
We are known by God.
This is the verse that spoke to me through my devotions today. As I was reading (actually listening to biblegateway.com on my husband's phone while riding the exercise bike...okay back to the main reason I am writing, sorry I love tangents) The first thing I noted was that this is the Lord is speaking here about Abraham. To recap: this is the time that the Lord appeared with 2 others to Abraham to remind him of the son that was promised to him. If you recall, Sarai was in the tent ease dropping and laughed when the Lord said she was going to have a child, and then lied when He confronted her about it. (She had her set of issues too :)) Anyway, what does the Lord say here about Abraham?
1. He knows Abraham. Stop there. God knows us. Everything about us. From the number of hairs on our heads, to every thought we are about to speak and all the words we've ever said. The Lord God knows us. And with that knowledge He says, "
2. What does He know? This is where my heart was touched. He knows that Abraham would command or direct (NIV) his children and his family and the generations to come in the ways of the Lord.
"Can that be said of me and my husband?"
"Does God KNOW that we will pass down a godly Legacy?"
I really was moved by this.
Isn't this your desire today? or wouldn't you like this heart to be what God sees in you? I am sure you do. What greater thing could we give our children and their children then to understand and know the Lord?
3. What did God know Abraham was going to do for his heritage?
A. To encourage them to KEEP the Way of the LORD. What is the way of the Lord?
It's a Beautiful thing. It's Pure, Lovely, Wise, True,Good, having a Fear God, Keep His Commandments, On and on.
B. "To do righteous".(NKJV) Don't you love it when your children just do the right thing? It makes me so happy to see that they are getting it and living it out themselves. As parents, we have a life long pursue of encouraging our children to live righteously as well, as learning to do it better ourselves to be a godly example for them. "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 1:4
C. "To do Justice".(NKJV) "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8 Justice is one of my daughter's favorite clothing stores. She gets so excited if she wears a shirt with the Justice label. I thought, wow! If she could get excited about wearing God's clothing of Justice, Mercy, and Humility how excited I would be for her (and less expensive for my pocket book :))
4. Result? A Promise Fulfilled. God knew that Abraham was going to do all these things and the result for Abraham was a son (at 100 years of age). God was going to fulfill for him what He had promised. Take heart (wrote this and then I saw the verse actually had take courage in it, awesome)
"So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said."Acts 27:25
Are we BELIEVING God to do all that He promises for us to do?
Are we BEING those that He can look down and say, "I know they will keep my ways and direct their legacy to do also."
I encourage you to keep passing down, directing, commanding your families in the ways of the Lord. This legacy has eternal value.
We are known by God.