Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. (Psalm 127:3 ESV)
Children and Hope
I have received a rich patrimony. That Scottish guy who threw rocks with William Wallace in Braveheart is my ancestor. My great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was knighted in London. I am the oldest living male heir of a Lord’s castle north of Northumbria. My father’s father taught him plumbing, and he tried to teach me. I have inherited a lot.
But in addition, I am their heritage.
An inheritance looks backwards, a heritage looks forward.
And God intends for us to see our heritage in the face of our children. That is what He gives us children for. To look forward and hope, aware of God’s future blessings. Hoping that they will have learned from our mistakes. Hoping that our time invested in them will bear fruit.
And not rotting, rusty, fading, financial, physical fruit, either. Eternal fruit. Kingdom fruit. Living fruit.
Our children’s children… and generations ahead. (Proverbs 13:22, Proverbs 17:6, Psalm 128:6 et. al.) God gives us hope for, about, and because of our children.
Not merely physical children, either. Spiritual children, too. Those we have had the chance to teach, even subtly, of the Lord. The heritage of all Christians, even those without physical children, is offered by God to give us hope for the future.
The gates of hell will not stand against God’s people, the church. (Matthew 16:18) That is the heritage of our future.
God will not forsake the children, and children’s children of His people. (Psalm 103:17) that is the heritage of our future.
And Exodus 20:6promises mercy, undoing the curse for disobedience found in Exodus 20:5. Our children find grace and mercy, as we do. That is the heritage of our future.
Take the hope God grants us.