The Day Between

Mortality and Blessing

I had the privilege to do a little devotional for my daughter-in-love’s baby shower.  It is an established fact that children are a blessing, at least in my mind.  The days of raising little ones are past for me, and I find being a grandparent a different experience.  So as I was thinking about what to say, I looked up verses about grandchildren.

I found Proverbs 17:6 – Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers.

Psalm 128:6 – May you see your children’s children!  Peace be upon Israel!

Proverbs 13:22 – A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children…

Deuteronomy 4:9 – Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life.  Make them known to your children, and your children’s children…

Isaiah 59:21 – “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord:  “My Spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

            Those verses speak of the blessing and responsibility that accompany the gift of children.  There is a mandate to teach them diligently – by how we live our lives, not just by what we say.

Psalm 103:17 – But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.

Now Psalm 103 is one of my favorite psalms, so when I came across this verse I thought it necessary to look at the whole psalm. 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.  Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;

Who pardons all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with lovingkindess and compassion; who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

            These aren’t questions but statements.  God does this for us – pardons iniquities, heals diseases, redeems life, crowns us with mercy and love, satisfies and renews.  The psalmist is telling himself to praise God for these benefits and to remember.  Reminding is necessary, because in this life we forget.  Things get busy, go bad, are distracting, evil, messy and hard – We must be reminded of how incredibly merciful and gracious God is to us, because we are prone to forget.

            Lovingkindness is used four times in this psalm – when it is used by God it means mercy most often.  Mercy, a word we are familiar with in Christianity along with grace – but do we always remember what they mean?

Romans 2:4 asks – Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kingdom and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

            The very existence of children and the continuing of a generation exemplifies God’s mercy toward us.  Remembering what God has done is connected to our gratitude and praise, because it reminds us of His character.

The Lord performs righteous deeds and judgments for all who are oppressed.  He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.

The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindess.

He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

            I was either memorizing or reviewing this psalm when my first grandchild was born.  This part is very meaningful to me -

Just as a father has compassion of his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.  For He Himself know our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.  As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.  When the wind passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. 

            There is something about the birth of a grandchild that magnifies one’s mortality.  Our time on earth is not going to last forever.  It’s a blessing to see our children’s children.  The fact that God Himself knows our frame, our frailty, our transience yet still promises that our faithfulness will be remembered by our progeny because His mercy is everlasting toward His people is overwhelmingly comforting and makes our life abundantly meaningful.

But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them.  The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all. 

Bless the Lord…

            So as I think of welcoming my new grandson soon, I remember as Psalm 127 tells us that children are a gift of the Lord.  The fruit of the womb is a reward.  God is so good to us – Let us keep on remembering!