“Generations” (A Devotion)

Posted by eric on October 8, 2007

 ”You, O LORD, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.” Lamentations 5:19

I recently found some very old pictures that my grandmother left us when she passed away.  As I looked at the pictures I wondered who the people in them were.  Here’s one of the oldest pictures I found. 

It is a picture of my great-great grandmother.  As you can tell she looks a little different.  She was part Cherokee Indian.  I began to wonder what she was like.  There are only a few stories about her. 

I also found other old pictures.  One picture was of my great-great grandfather who was a very prominent man in Blount County.  I also began to wonder what he was like.

God’s Word has alot to say about the “generations”.  In fact the word “generation” is used over 150 times.  The Bible tells us that God keeps his covenant of love with all generations.  It says in Psalm 145:4, “One generation will commend your works to another, they will tell of your mighty acts.” 

Have you ever thought… What if my great-great grandparents never told others about God?  What if the generations before us never shared the good news?  What if they kept it to themselves?  What if they forgot to tell their kids about the greatness of God? 

There’s actually a story in the Bible where an entire generation forgot about God.  Judges 2:10 says, “After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what He had done for Israel.”

I wonder… what will the generations that follow you have to say?  How will you be remembered?  What stories will be told?  Will you be remembered for living for God?  Everyday you and I are creating those stories, we’re leaving a mark on generations to come.  What mark will you make?

I wonder… what if we don’t continue to tell about God’s great works… will others forget God?  What happens if we don’t share the good news with our friends and family members?

We have quite a challenge before us!  May we be sure to tell others about God.  May we proclaim His greatness.  May we live in a way that we create good stories to be told about us and our faith.  May we leave a great mark for God.

 (… and who knows… maybe someday someone will be making fun of your picture saying, “look at her hair, look at his clothes, I can’t believe they looked like that back then.”)

Leave your comments below.  Maybe you can tell us about your ancestors.