READING: Genesis 28:6-30:24
It’s hard for me to believe, but three days ago I entered the 7th decade of my life. To be frank, I would be lying if I said this birthday has not made me think some. I’m in better shape than I’ve been in years, and I want to make sure I maximize my efforts for His glory and for the good of others. I want my legacy to point to Christ. That’s why one verse in today’s reading caught my attention.
It’s one of those verses I’ve read many, many times before—and it’s one I probably only skimmed many of those times. After all, it’s essentially a genealogical statement, though it’s clearly more than that. Jacob was sleeping, and in a dream he heard the Lord speak to him, “I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac” (Gen 28:13). As one whose grandfather and father became believers quite late in life, I often wonder what it would have been like to have been raised in a believing home—to be the recipient of generations of gospel witness and upbringing. If that’s your story, I encourage you to thank the Lord that He has been the God of your ancestors. Thank Him for the legacy others have left for you.
If that’s not your story, strive today to build your legacy for God’s glory. Let your witness today be an encouragement to generations to come.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Do the next generations in your life know your Christian story? If not, make plans to tell them.
PRAYER: “God of my life, use me to be a gospel witness to others who follow after me.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Genesis 30:25-31:55
