A Thousand Generations by John Avant

The following verse causes me to live in great wonder:

“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,”  ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

1000 generations! The Lord promises to steadfastly love us in a way that impacts life long after we are gone and forever!

A few Sundays ago we witnessed an amazing sight, the baptism of a little girl named Emrie by her father, Jay Smith, the pastor of Midtown Community Church in Knoxville.

Every baptism is amazing because it is a picture of new life that causes angels to throw a party! But this one was particularly special to us because Emrie is the great-granddaughter of Ian Walker, the man who led me to Jesus.  He and his wife, Esther, helped save our marriage many years ago.  They were spiritual parents to Donna and I.  

I officiated Ian‘s funeral last year. As I watched the baptism of his great-granddaughter, I thought about how his life is still touching the world in ways he could have never imagined.

It is easy to get lost in the minutia of today. Resist that! Ask God to help you live with the joy and motivational responsibility of a life that is lived for 1000 generations!

Our life passage is:

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians‬ ‭3‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Not only does God promise you that he desires to do more through your life than you can even imagine, He also promises to keep that impact going “throughout all generations!”

Live with that astonishing truth today, and you will find a passion and a joy in this day that you will never find through the temporary things the world offers.

And that’s what you need for this week ahead. And for the next 1000 generations!