November 18, Your Legacy

Today’s reading: Psalm 86-90

“May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands” - Psalm 90:17.

You don’t just want God to bless your work, you also want Him to establish it--to give it a foundation and lasting power so it can maximize its impact on others for the Lord. This is commonly referred to as a legacy, some ongoing effect that your presence on earth has made and left behind. In the New Living Translation, the latter half of this verse is worded, “And make the work of our hands stand strong. Yes, make the work of our hands stand strong.” Most people will not have a building or sports arena named after them, so it will be their memory that will last in the minds of those closest to them, especially their family--and that will be their lasting work. The writer of Proverbs put it in vivid terms: “The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7). What is your lasting legacy? What work do you pray that God will establish and make strong? What memories are you creating in the minds of those who know you? What remarks will people make in your eulogy at your funeral? Whatever you want them to say then will need to be what you are doing and being now.