There is one word that comes into my mind after reading through these passages today - legacy. This reading has got me thinking about the legacy that we all leave behind. Abraham was nearing the end of his life and he wanted the legacy of his faithfulness to continue on through the generations...he wanted to make sure his son had a God-fearing wife and made his servant promise to bring such a woman to Isaac. Jesus confronts the Pharisees about the negative legacy that they are leaving behind them. They burden people with rules they cannot even follow themselves...they live in hypocrisy...they care more about how other people view their actions, then they do about honoring God with their lives. Throughout the final chapter of Nehemiah, the author wants to make sure that the good he did and the way he honored God with his life are know to all by repeating the phrase, "Remember me, O my God, for good." It is vital to him that he is remembered by his life of faithfulness. Finally, we see Paul once again defending his commitment to upholding the Jewish faith while standing firm in his knowledge that Jesus is the promised Messiah. No amount of torture, jail time, arguing, and harassment can shift Paul away from what he knows is true. That is a legacy!
Think about your own life...what kind of legacy are you leaving behind? What would your spouse say? Your kids? Your friends? Your co-workers? What is your legacy?
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