pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Monthly Archives: July 2026


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Passing the Legacy

Reading: Psalm 45:16-17

Psalm 45:17 – “I will perpetuate your name from one generation to the next so the people will praise you forever.”

Coming back to Psalm 45 today, the focus of the royal wedding shifts to the sons. In that time and culture, sons were about all that mattered. Yes, families loved their daughters, but sons were prized. Although I was young, I can remember Grandpa Titus being concerned that none of Titus males had yet produced a son. He was worried about the family name being carried on. This idea is part of what the psalmist writes of in today’s passage.

For people in the ancient world, a name was fixed to land and that land was passed from one generation to the next and on to the next and… This began for Israel when Joshua led them into the Promised Land and distributed land by tribes… This legacy was so important that God set up means to return ancestral lands to the original families once every 50 years. Today we still pass on land, especially in farming and ranching communities. But we also regularly sell it or even subdivide it to increase profits.

Leaning back into John Wesley’s reading of this Psalm as messianic, let us re-read verse 17 from this perspective. Hear God speaking to Jesus about his bride, the church: “I will perpetuate your name from one generation to the next so the people will praise you forever.” Read this way, it is both sons and daughters who perpetuate Christ’s name from one generation to the next. It is both mothers and fathers that teach their children to love Jesus so that generation after generation praises the name of Jesus and brings glory to God. The question to ask ourselves and to ponder today and every day is this: How are you passing on a legacy of faith this day?

Prayer: Lord God, thank you for the moms and dads, for the grandmas and grandpas, for the church folks who passed faith down to each of us. Bless them all for this “work.” In turn, Lord, use each of us to pass our love of Jesus on to our family, to our church families, to those we meet at work, school, and out in the world. May we lead in love, O Lord. Amen.


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Blessings

Reading: Genesis 24:58-67

Genesis 24:60 – “May you, our sister, become thousands of ten thousand.”

Returning to this week’s Genesis 24 passage, we see the final outcome. But first, in verses 50-56, the men discuss the potential arrangement. Rebekah’s brothers say, “This is all the Lord’s doing.” From the servant’s story, it is clear that God is at work here. Abraham’s servant gives wedding gifts to Rebekah and to her family. All is settled. They will depart in the morning. Until morning comes. It is then that Rebekah’s family asks for ten days – the customary betrothal period. Abraham’s servant still wants to leave. Rebekah is brought in to decide. In our reading today she states, “I will go.” She too sees God’s hand at work.

All is made ready and Rebekah’s brothers send her off with this blessing: “May you, our sister, become thousands of ten thousand.” Reflecting their belief that God is at work, they hone in on what makes women most blessed in that culture: having lots and lots of children. As soon as they arrive back home, this process begins with Isaac taking Rebekah as his wife that very night.

Thinking about the brother’s blessing, it causes me to wonder: What blessings do we offer to people as they enter into new things? What hopes do we have for young couples today and how do we express that in the blessings that we give? What blessings do we give to people as they step into something new as they follow God’s call and plan for their lives? And, perhaps most importantly, how do we become a part of that blessing, walking alongside one another in faith and love?

Prayer: Lord God, help us to build community both through our words and our actions. In word, may we support and encourage one another. And then may we back our words up in practical, tangible, helpful ways. Walk with us, Lord, as we seek to walk with one another in faith and love. Amen.