Our Secret Weapons! Shhhhh....THE FAMILY!!!!

Hello! In devotion the other morning, Dad read us something that was really interesting to me: it was a devotion about how the choices you make now, will affect your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I had never exactly thought very much about that subject, but it really is fascinating. Consider one couple highlighted in the book "Generational Legacy" by Dan LeLaCheur: "Max Jukes, a known atheist, lived a godless life. He married an ungodly girl, and from this union there were 310 who died as paupers- 150 were criminals, 7 were murderers, 100 were drunkards, and more than half of the women were prostitutes. His 540 descendents cost the state one and a quarter million dollars."
I was shocked, a saddened by the awful consequences of just one couple who lived their lives without God. Only He can save us, and the opposite, for those of us who honor and obey the Lord's commands is true! That's the great news! Here is a well-known couple who are highlighted in "A Full Quiver" by Rick and Jan Hess: "As just one example of the clout God can give to a fruitful couple, we offer the legacy left by Jonathan and Sarah Edwards...
The Edwards family produced:
13 college presidents
65 proffesors,
100 lawyers and a dean of law school,
30 judges,
66 physicians and a dean of a medical school,
80 holders of public office
three United States senators,
mayors of three large cities,
governors of three large states,
a vice president of The United States, and
A controllor of the United States Treasury."

Isn't that great? I loved hearing about the victorious family! Then, Aunt Christy read us this passage in Deuteronomy 30- "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgements, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if you turn your hearts away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendents may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

I find it a thrilling prospect to look forward to someday when I have children, and to know that if we surrender our family to the Lord, and love Him wholeheartedly, He can do marvelous things through us! Who knows but I may have a grandson who is a vice-president? ;) But really! I am so blessed by reading both lists, and being able to see what my choices today can either support, or help prevent! Here is another interesting thing, on the subject of limiting family size:
(From "A Full Quiver")
"Let's say you're planning a dinner party for the most significant people of all time. Your invitation list can span history, but you can only send invitations to persons who were first, second, or third born in their families. Here's a partial list of some historical `biggies' who wouldn't be coming to dinner:
George Washington
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Dietrich Bonhoffer
Oswald Chambers
Jonathon Edwards
Augustine
Corrie ten Boom
Ulrich Zwingli (who's he?)
Charles Finney
Johann Sebastian Bach
Ludwig van Beethoven
John and Charles Wesley"

Crazy, huh? I think of the verse: "Where there is no vision, the people perish". For pity's sake! Who would pass up the chance to bring up mighty men and women for the Lord, just because they were afraid that the expense and trouble would be too much? Gracious! That is a very near-sighted person, and I'm afraid they aren't able to see much past the end of their own nose! I consider all the above examples extremely exciting proof of how God blesses those who honor His commandments! -Rachel