Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan!

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4:13-17 ESV). As I grow older I also grow more aware of the need to “finish” some things. Preparing for our death, while difficult, is an essential in living. I am convinced that this means preparing in each of the three parts of our lives. God created man as a trichotomy. Much in the same way that God is a Trinitarian God, three distinct personalities and yet one God, we are created in his image. Thus we have three distinct part of our humanity. We are physical, emotional, and spiritual beings. It is easily understood what spiritual preparation must be done. We must be redeemed. That may only happened through the grace of God in Jesus Christ. The emotional preparation springs from the depth of our spiritual preparation. Once we know our redemption is secure, we can face death without fear or anxiety. The last is a little more elusive, the physical preparation.

Since today is my oldest granchildren’s 16th birthday, I am thinking a bit more about that preparation. At least a part of that is in the area of legacy. Among the many things that makes man unique in creation is the presence of, and the influence of, grandparents. F. W. Boreham many years ago pointed out that in the natural world, "The bursting buds of spring push off the last lingering leaves of the previous season, and thus decline to have anything to do with the generation that preceded them, to say nothing of the generation before that. Among animals and birds a certain filial affection is sometimes found for fathers and mothers, but of the grandfather and grandmother never a trace. But a man is so much greater than either a tree or a beast that a special factor is introduced into his training. He comes under the influence not only of teachers and tutors, of fathers and mothers, but grandfathers and grandmothers as well." Seeing Faith and Logan reach their sixteenth birthday and all that comes with that milestone, I am reminded to pay attention to what I have modeled for them in my life. While I do not know the amount of impact I might have in their lives, I do know it could be enormous. We see this clearly in Scripture. Often the grandparents played a key role, if not the major role, in the way history went. Hezekiah was one of the best kings God's people ever had, but his father was Ahaz, and he was one of the worst they ever had. But his grandfather was Jotham, and he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. Hezekiah took after his grandfather rather than his father, and the result was victory for the kingdom of God. Our reading is even more significant. Naomi simply did what was right and became the influence leading to the birth of David. So, Happy Birthday, Faith and Logan! I am so proud of both. And, I am confident in the God and Father of Jesus Christ that you will be all you should be. My daily prayer is that I will be all that I should be to encourage and model for you that kind of life. I also pray for each of those who read this little devotional. Be all you should be for your grandchildren too! Our jobs are not finished with our children.