The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Psalm 127:3,
"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him."
Here is an observation of Solomon as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Children are God's reward to us! A heritage from the Lord!
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "heritage" as "an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing". Its synonyms are "convention, custom, prescription, rubric, rule, tradition.
How far our culture, our nation, has distanced itself from God. I saw a news article a couple of weeks ago where an actress said that far from feeling any remorse for her three (I think it was three) abortions, she would not have had a career without them! She has determined for herself, and quite apart from God, what is important in her life, expressing her rejection of God.
Ultimate meaning, purpose, fulfillment and satisfaction in life will be beyond her reach unless she turns to the Lord and embraces life as our Creator has designed us for. Worse yet, she faces the ultimate eternal judgment of God in that fiery lake of burning sulfur we read of in Revelation 21:8. Not because of her abortions, but because of her rejection of God. Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty in God's courtroom for her abortions, but sadly, that payment will not be credited to her unless she embraces Jesus Christ in faith.
I'm certain that she feels she has been very "blessed" with the opportunities she has been provided and the fruit of her efforts to pursue what she has deemed important for her... but what is important to her is at odds with what God has desired and determined for us. For her, disposing of her babies expresses her rejection of what God has determined to be a reward from him, a heritage from the Lord.
Many of us have developed a fear of being too "judgy". With the outlook of other believers that came before us who had lost sight of the love God has for us sinners, they poisoned the well with condemnation of others. We don't want to look like them or be like them.
However, the acceptance of abortion is a violent expression against the will of God as many other things are in this life. Is it loving others to not confront them about the sin in their lives? If we don't, just how does God's offer of redemption make any sense? Redemption from what?!
It is not ours to condemn - that is for God. However, it is important to take the message of God's forgiveness of sins to the world. I think we best be bold in clarifying that God has his own will, and that within that will is the recognition that, "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him." Children are not to be discarded as an "inconvenience".
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him."
Here is an observation of Solomon as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Children are God's reward to us! A heritage from the Lord!
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "heritage" as "an inherited or established way of thinking, feeling, or doing". Its synonyms are "convention, custom, prescription, rubric, rule, tradition.
How far our culture, our nation, has distanced itself from God. I saw a news article a couple of weeks ago where an actress said that far from feeling any remorse for her three (I think it was three) abortions, she would not have had a career without them! She has determined for herself, and quite apart from God, what is important in her life, expressing her rejection of God.
Ultimate meaning, purpose, fulfillment and satisfaction in life will be beyond her reach unless she turns to the Lord and embraces life as our Creator has designed us for. Worse yet, she faces the ultimate eternal judgment of God in that fiery lake of burning sulfur we read of in Revelation 21:8. Not because of her abortions, but because of her rejection of God. Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty in God's courtroom for her abortions, but sadly, that payment will not be credited to her unless she embraces Jesus Christ in faith.
I'm certain that she feels she has been very "blessed" with the opportunities she has been provided and the fruit of her efforts to pursue what she has deemed important for her... but what is important to her is at odds with what God has desired and determined for us. For her, disposing of her babies expresses her rejection of what God has determined to be a reward from him, a heritage from the Lord.
Many of us have developed a fear of being too "judgy". With the outlook of other believers that came before us who had lost sight of the love God has for us sinners, they poisoned the well with condemnation of others. We don't want to look like them or be like them.
However, the acceptance of abortion is a violent expression against the will of God as many other things are in this life. Is it loving others to not confront them about the sin in their lives? If we don't, just how does God's offer of redemption make any sense? Redemption from what?!
It is not ours to condemn - that is for God. However, it is important to take the message of God's forgiveness of sins to the world. I think we best be bold in clarifying that God has his own will, and that within that will is the recognition that, "Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him." Children are not to be discarded as an "inconvenience".
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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