Inheritance

“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story…”
Psalm 107:2 NIV

“The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.”
Psalm 16:6 NIV

In her eloquently written book, The Way of Tea and Justice, Becca Stevens writes that “The lessons of tea unfold not just in a huge complicated historical story but also in sweet personal memories that live in our hearts.” One such fond and rather comical memory that involved a historical snapshot of tea was when I was reading a book out loud to my little boy. We had recently memorized a fact about our young nation that was set to a sing-song chant. Attempting to help this event become clearer to Clay, I had checked out an illustrated book from the library that would help this event become more alive for his young mind. When we arrived at the point in the story that illustrated the colonists throwing crates of tea into the water, I reminded Clay about the memory sentence we had just learned, and I proceeded to sing the song to him. His response jarred me. “Mommy, that’s not how it goes.” He sang the song according to his interpretation: In 1773, colonists dressed as Mohawks dum-dee-dum (instead of “dumped tea from”) the British East India Company into the Boston Harbor.

Never mind that there was no active verb in the context of the sentence; he remembered some major points of this event, and he would eventually add more details to the “pegs” of facts that had stuck in his brain. The point is that we all learn best through story, and we all have a story to share that can encourage others and bring glory to God. This is part of our inheritance we as believers have from our Heavenly Father. When we grow weary walking the way of our world, all we need to do is remind ourselves of His promises in our lives and how we are refreshed by His word:

I have inherited Your testimonies forever,
for they are the joy of my heart.
Psalm 119:111.

You gave abundant showers, O God;
You refreshed Your own inheritance.
Psalm 68:9

As we align ourselves with God our Father, we are reminded of our own spiritual lineage, as well as our own personal memories—our stories— of walking with Him. We can remember by looking back, and we can ask Him to refresh us with keener vision as we look forward, an apt theme for this January (for which the Roman god Janus was named, the god of beginnings or gates as well as endings; he is depicted with two faces, one looking back and one facing forward).

We have the responsibility to steward our vision for the future, which is what Nehemiah is credited to doing. Nehemiah had a vision that he was passionate about seeing fulfilled, to the degree that he didn’t let the work stop when needing to be on the watch for invasions, trowel in one hand and sword in the other.This theme was expanded upon by my husband Keith, which follows.

“How do we distinguish between vision created by man, for the glory of man, versus vision from the Lord? Well, asking it that way reveals part of the answer, but sometimes we get paralyzed wondering if this “thing” is just a horizontal idea, or if it is an idea birthed from God. It’s an important question, because the man-focused vision often ends in pride, broken relationships, discouragement, and burn-out, while heavenly vision unites, glorifies God, and— though extremely difficult—gives life to all involved.

“How do we distinguish the nature of a vision from the start and keep it properly focused? Using Nehemiah’s story as a backdrop, the first clue is the genesis of the vision where we see that Nehemiah is visited at the palace, where he served, by some fellow Israelites who were reporting to him the nature of their distress and of those Israelites who had survived the exile. Nehemiah took the time to ask them questions and listen for understanding – that simple step is often skipped in man-centered vision. The next observation, and perhaps the most important, is that Nehemiah’s prayers, and the vision that resulted, was not about him; he was moved by compassion for the oppressed and degradation of God’s name. The story that would unfold wasn’t about increasing his power, comfort, or wealth; in fact, he would choose to leave all of those things because of the vision God gave him.

“Next, we see a bold step—a step that could cost everything—where if God isn’t in it, it could be a hard lesson learned. But God – He was in it when Nehemiah humbly approached the king about a quest he wanted to take. Nehemiah recognized this blessing, and it was all he needed to continue to step out in faith.

“From that point on, he set out with unique passion and developed specific strategies while remaining in a place of humility, at the same time having confidence in the Lord to the point of boldly pressing forward, even when it appeared there was not a single person to agree with or support this crazy vision. In the end, the reward for Nehemiah was great, but that was never even part of the vision or equation at the outset.

“You likely have some ideas burning within you, maybe a picture of what could be – test your motives, are these thoughts driven by frustration and wanting to be in a better place? That may not be bad – tough situations are often the motivation we need to take action, but that is different than vision from the Lord. If you have a picture birthed in prayer, driven by compassion and the delight of the Lord, then maybe it’s time to step out! If you’ve listened, you are postured in humility and ready to sacrifice significantly (if necessary), then the posture of obedience is a simple “yes, Lord”, and when He confirms this vision, you’re able to proceed with all kinds of strategies and willpower that are not your own, but of eternal value in the Lord’s delight.”

So why not ask God for an inheritance word for 2024? Ask him to use your circumstances for His purposes; pause and pray for His Elohim breath-mark moments to expand your story for His glory. 

“Ask God for an inheritance word.
Ask God to illuminate His truth in it.”
Graham Cooke
(Alicia Britt Chole, The Sacred Slow, p.95)

“You, O God, sent a plentiful rain,
Whereby You confirmed Your inheritance, when it was weary.
Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.”
Psalm 68:9-10