Posterity...not prosperity

Las year, during our Month of Abundance in church, God taught me a number of things and I felt it was time to share one of them - at the beginning of the year.


When most of us hear the word "Abundance," we think about having, getting and keeping more and more. We think about living in prosperity - but that's not only what God wants for us. He wants us our prosperity to be for posterity.

As we go through the Bible, it is obvious that the really great and successful people were not just prosperous in their lifetime - their prosperity flowed to and through their posterity. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David are examples of people who lived by Proverbs 13:22a - "A good person leaves an inheritance (prosperity) for their children’s children (posterity)..."*

After that lesson I started asking and challenging myself: "What seeds am I sowing today to be reaped in the future by my children and grandchildren?" Each of us need to think seriously about what we're doing today because every word and action is a seed. Alexander Smith said:

A man doesn't plant a tree for himself.

He plants it for posterity.

For your posterity to enjoy the fruit(s) from or even the shade of "your" tree, you need to plant it - not expect that they would. I keep saying that there are some "kindnesses" that my siblings, current family and I enjoy today because of "trees" my parents planted years ago.

God also desires it: "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting, solemn pledge, to be a God to you and to your posterity after you. [Gal 3:16]** But you need to be the starting point of that covenant.

Job 36: 11 tells us the precondition for 'Prosperity for Posterity'

“If they listen and obey God, they will be blessed with prosperity throughout their lives. 

All their years will be pleasant." (NLT) 

We have 360 days to go in this year - I encourage you to start planting "trees" for posterity...

Reference:

* NIV - words in parenthesis added by me
** Gen 17:7 - Amplified