Generational Promises

Happy Monday! You know Memorial Day hits a little differently this year without a barbecue and a memorial day parade. Thank you to all of those who have gone before us to fight for our country. Though your life was lost in battle, we remember you and honor you with the greatest of love, appreciation, and honor. Thank you for your sacrifice and willingness to fight.

I am currently studying the book of 1 Chronicles and I am so encouraged by 1st and 2nd Chronicles every time I study these books because you read about the preservation of the Israelites from Adam all the way down to the lineage of Judah (from whence Jesus came) to the exile and return of God's people. How God stayed true to His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-7 and Genesis 22:18, He would make Abraham’s name great, make him a great nation, and give Abraham and his descendants the land of Canaan. These books describe how God kept His promises and gives us a beautiful glimpse of hope in the midst of uncertain seasons.

Losing a loved one to a battle of war creates seasons of uncertainty for those they leave behind. Especially if they were the sole breadwinner of the family. While we celebrate their heroism, the family members left behind, are grieved to the core. They are not sure what to do emotionally, financially, and at times, physically.

I can imagine that is how the Israelites felt as they conquered and fought their way to the Promised Land, the land of victory and freedom. Yet when they got to the Promised Land, they were met with uncertainty. While met with uncertainty, there seems to be an underlying theme, they sought God, gained the victory, and the generational legacy of God’s people prevailed. Reading this gives me great hope when it comes to generational promises. Why? For one, we benefit from the greatest generational promise ever promised by God.

Through all the good, the bad, and the ugly, God not only kept His promise to Abraham but to Abraham’s descendants as well. One of those descendants was King David. God promised David He would never lack a King on the throne of Judah as long as they worshiped God and followed God's commandments (1 Chronicles 17:7-14). Even 400 years after the captivity and return of God's people to Jerusalem, God still upheld His promise to David. David's throne has been established forever through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was the Son God was referring to in 1 Chronicles 17:13-14, who would sit on the throne forever (Luke 1:32-33). When Jesus died, offering the final sacrifice for sin, rose from the dead on the third day, and is now seated at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12; 2 Chronicles 18:18).

God promised Abraham, every nation would be blessed through Abraham's seed. We are the beneficiaries of that promise. For the seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ. Through the sacrificial death of Jesus, we are free from the bondage of sin, able to live life more abundantly, through faith in Jesus Christ.

God’s Generational Promises for Our Families

If God kept His generational promises to Abraham and David, despite their decisions and their past, why would God not keep His generational promise to other believers and their families?

I am not sure what generational promises God has made to your family, but I want to encourage you to keep moving forward. If you have lost a loved one to the battle of an illness, to sudden death, war, or even the battle of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), I want to encourage you. The same generational promise God made to your forefathers still stands. It is still going to come to pass. Your job is to keep moving forward, pressing toward that promise with God by your side.

My family was given a generational promise, and a few years ago, we lost seven family members within a year and a half. They were pillars of our family, and with their passing, that meant we had to carry the torch. We were left with the task to keep the legacy going. It was tough to see them go. At first, we were not sure what to do, but we continued to press forward. Since then, we have been able to continue to carry our family’s legacy and press towards God’s generational promise for our family.

You may say, well, I'm not sure what generational promise God has for my family. I would say, take a look at the generational legacies throughout your family. If those legacies look like generational curses and not promises, break those curses by not repeating those same decisions or habits. Ask God, what generational promise He has for your family. For a beginning and an end were written in the book of life for you and your family. I believe God has a promise for every family.

I know it's hard to move forward when we lose a loved one. But the one thing that keeps me going is knowing that if I am left behind, there is still work to be done. And God is not finished fulfilling His generational promise for my family.

Until next time, keep writing the five things you are grateful for as you continue to see the faithfulness of God in this season of uncertainty.

Be Encouraged!