My Children Belonged To Someone Else First
3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:3-4
HER’ITAGE, n.1. Inheritance; an estate that passes from an ancestor to an heir by descent or course of law; that which is inherited.
KJV Dictionary Definition: heritage
My Grandfather crafted a cradle for his very first grandbaby. It was a beautiful wooden bassinet with a rockable base. At that time he had no idea that cradle would get passed down to each one of his grandbabies. Each one sleeping in his beautiful creation. Not only did each one of his grandkids sleep in this cradle but each one of his great-grandkids did as well. That is eleven of his grandkids and nineteen (and counting) of his great-grandkids. What a gift to get passed down!
When Jacob blessed his twelve sons on his deathbed, a unique heritage was given over to the firstborn son, the birthright (Genesis 49). Abraham was told by the Lord that the land he was treading on would be his descendants’ heritage! The Israelites did end up leaving Egypt and entering the Promised Land…a gift, a blessing, a heritage given to them by God.
Does it change your perspective at all that when God then uses the term heritage above to describe something that God had the right to first but handed it down to his children that he also uses this term about his gift of children to us? He is literally saying, He had possession first but handed our children over to us. They aren’t a result of human effort. He gave them to us as an inheritance. He entrusted us with the responsibility to care, love, lead, and teach them so that they will too want a relationship with their Creator.
Our children are one of God’s biggest blessings we inherit.
Does that mean only if they are planned? NOPE.
Does that matter if they are not your own flesh and blood? NOPE. One of the greatest blessings we get to participate in is adoption. A reminder of how each one of us was adopted into God’s family.
Does it matter if they came during hard circumstances, unpleasant situations, or even out of sin? NOPE.
Does it matter if they were born with special needs that you feel unequipped to handle? NO. Never once did God specify His gift of children with exceptions. Children are a heritage. Period.
Or, as Winnie the Pooh would say, “If I am thinking correctly, this gift is probably and undoubtedly the grandest gift that could ever be.”
Mothering is one of the greatest experiences in the world but when I think of my children as a heritage it reminds me of what was passed to me and what I get the privilege of raising and passing back to my Father to be a light in this world. And Lord-willing they will be fearless faith-filled leaders who will one day be given their own heritage of the Lord!
Now if you excuse me, I need to go take legos out of the toilet put in there by my fourth little blessing! Raising blessings isn’t always beautiful. When you are given four boys, that’s just an added bonus!
