Imagine you had a bank account that had a daily deposit of $86,400 each morning. Every evening this account cancels whatever wasn’t used during the day. There is no carry over balance. What would you do? Draw out every dollar each day!
Every morning your life is credited with 86,400 seconds. There is no carry over balance. Each day it starts fresh. How you spend your time is how you invest your life, and this becomes the legacy you leave.
2 Kings 18:5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. NIV
What will be spoken of your life? What will be spoken of your legacy? We find something interesting in the book of Judges about Joshua’s life and legacy.
Judges 2:7-11 The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel…10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. NIV
700 years later Hezekiah becomes the King of Judah. No king like him before or after. He is arguably the greatest father of reformation in the history of Israel.
2 Chronicles 29:1-36 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years…. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5 and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6 Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him… 35 …So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. 36 Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly. NIV
Further account is given 2 Kings 18:3-5 (Hezekiah) did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. 5 Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. NIV
Hezekiah is arguably the greatest father of reformation in the history of Israel. His life was amazing, but his legacy is another story. In contrast, Hezekiah’s own son, Manasseh is arguably the worst King in the history of Israel.
2 Kings 21:1-6 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years…. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them…. 6 He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD. NIV
I wanted to bring these three pieces of history together to make a point.
Incredible ministry in the previous season isn’t enough to sustain the coming season. Reaching the next generation effectively with a vision for what will bring effective ministry in days ahead is what is required.
If we’re not careful, we carry the attitude that enjoys what has worked in our own lifetime with little to no concern about what God is desiring to do in the generation following us.
II Kings 20:16-19 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your fathers have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood, that will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." Hezekiah replied, "The word of the LORD you have spoken is good," For he thought, "Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?" (NIV)
We’ve talked about how true life is; life that is discovered by focusing on life beyond your own.
The truth is God wants your life to be awesome. The trick is God doesn’t want you to pursue an awesome life for yourself. God wants you to provide an awesome life for others. That’s what will make your life awesome.
How can you spend your 86,400 seconds every day this week making a difference in the lives of people around you as you follow the example of Jesus?
2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. NIV
GP2RL: Pray for somebody younger than you and make an encouraging deposit in their life this week sharing God’s faithfulness in your life.
TRUE TREASURE: THE TREASURE OF LEGACY
DISCUSSION GUIDE
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: Our pursuit of God has, in many ways, been reduced to the pursuit of asking God to give us worldly treasure. The Kingdom of God is a sacrificial Kingdom that is built on the sacrifice of Jesus and the continued sacrifice of God’s sons and daughters.
Isaiah 33:6 He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.
Kingdom Treasure is found in a deeper pursuit of the things that truly matter. This true treasure of God’s Kingdom is central to the understanding that we are blessed to be a blessing!
We want to start our group meetings making room for conversation that brings confirmation that God is speaking to us all as we discuss what we are hearing from the Lord as a family:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
2. Did you have the luxury of getting to know your grandparents?
If so, what are some of your fond memories with them?
3. What are 3 qualities you admire in one of your parents?
4. How would you describe the legacy you have been given?
Judges 2:7-11 The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel…10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. NIV
Many generations later Hezekiah becomes the King of Judah. He is arguably the greatest father of reformation in the history of Israel (2 Kings 18). Yet his son, Manasseh becomes king after him and he’s arguably the worst king in the history of Israel (2 Kings 21).
We must reach the next generation effectively with a vision for what will bring effective ministry in days ahead.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
5. What people has God used to enrich the legacy of your life and what are some ways you can describe that this has taken place?
6. What things about your life do you hope to leave as a legacy for the next generation?
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Make an encouraging deposit into the life of somebody younger than you this week sharing something of God’s faithfulness in your life.