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
At my parent’s home in SC, there is a beautiful magnolia that blooms each spring with fragrant, white blossoms. This grand tree was planted by my great-grandmother to celebrate the birth of my father, her grandson. Throughout my childhood, my grandfather would pluck the flowers from the tree and hand them to me to present to my mother. The other day, my own daughter ran into the house to present me with one of this year’s magnolia blooms, plucked as a special gift by her grandfather.
The gift of the magnolia reminded me of how God blesses us through the generations that have gone before us. I did nothing to plant or tend the seed that grew into a beautiful tree, yet I have been blessed by those flowers my whole life. In a similar way, I have been blessed by the faith of my family members before me, as they have helped lead me to know and love God.
The scripture passage above references God’s promise of steadfast faithfulness and love for his people. He declares that His love will be with those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations.
Imagine the magnitude of such a blessing! For some, thinking back just a few generations can mean the names get fuzzy, and imagining the future can be an exercise in worry for what the world and people’s lives will look like.
We all share in God's covenant promise for future generations. For those who love God, we can count on His love for us and for those who are yet to come. You have an opportunity today, tomorrow, and throughout your life to bless untold generations in the future, simply by loving our faithful God and keeping His commandments.
So, while we daily walk into whatever our future holds, let us faithfully plant the seeds of God’s love in our own hearts and in the hearts of those around us through prayer, scripture reading, and loving God by loving others in Jesus Christ’s name.
Someday, future generations will thank God for you!
May God bless you,
Katie
