“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.” (Psalm 128:1-4 NIV)
Obedience is a blessing that has the potential to last generations.
We’ve been watching The Chosen as a church. Last week we watched episode 8 of season 1: I Am He. We all discussed at length how Simon Peter’s wife was blessed by her husband’s obedience. Eden’s greatest aspiration for Simon was that he would walk with Jesus personally. She wanted him to do whatever the Savior required of Him.
I found Simon and Eden’s story so relatable. I am happiest when my husband is chasing Christ. His obedience to Jesus blesses me deeply.
Psalm 128 confirms this. A spouse’s obedience to God blesses their other half: the home is fruitful as a direct result of faithfulness. Obedient parents produce blessing in the lives of their children.
I’ve seen this firsthand. Though my mom is passed on many years now, I am still so aware of how I stand on her shoulders in ministry every day. She paved the way for my calling in prayers and tears. As a minister, she was obedient to the call of God on her frame (despite her gender and the cultural opposition).
Two days ago I found a picture of our Sarah on my FB feed. She was obviously in a church setting, addressing a crowd and I could see in her eyes the same fire and light of a soul set ablaze by the Holy Spirit. I know apples don’t fall far from trees and I’m so glad for the collective obedience of generations.
Friend, I’m learning that our ‘yes’ to God has profound impact beyond our personal story. Just as sin casts a wide-spread ripples, so does righteousness. Our obedience is an act of love for our God, but also for the generations to come. God is doing something with the whole of humanity in mind: the least you and I can do is cooperate.
“May you live to see your children’s children – peace be on Israel.” (Psalm 128:6 NIV)
Lord, let us learn to walk in joyful obedience, even when we don’t understand what You are accomplishing. Set our hearts on fire for the sake of future generations. Let us not shirk our responsibility to say ‘yes’ to whatever it is You are asking us to do. Obedience begets blessing that outlasts our individual story. Amen.