Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac dwelt at Beer Lahai Roi.
Pass It On
A man's character often lives on long after he is gone. Take Jonathan Edwards, for example. He loved the Lord and taught his children to do the same. According to one estimate, he has had 929 descendants. Of these, 430 were ministers; 86 were university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored good books; and 7 were elected to the United States Congress. One was vice president of his nation. Edwards left a spiritual heritage that became a blessing not only for his descendants, but for all of society.
Abraham did the same. At the age of 175 he was "gathered to his people." But that wasn't the end. Abraham passed on to his son a spiritual heritage that brought God's blessing upon Isaac and, down through the centuries, to all of us through Jesus Christ, a distant descendant of this godly patriarch. Abraham didn't merely "pass on"; he made it possible for God to pass on His blessings through his descendants.
We all need to live with future generations in mind. It's not enough to live a godly life to gain God's blessings for yourself; consider what influence your life will have on your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren and the rest of your family tree. The character you choose to develop will leave its mark on the lives of generations you'll never live to see. Don't be content to leave an inheritance of material possessions. Instead, strive to be a channel for God's blessings to reach generations still unborn. The greatest inheritance your posterity can receive from you is the heritage of God's blessing.
Live so your descendants will rise up and call you blessed.