Inheritance

Just say the word "inheritance" and our eyes light up and our pulse beats just a bit faster. It's a word filled with expectation of good things, of blessings you didn't have before, of generosity. To be included in an inheritance, it's filled with possibilities.

But funny creatures that we are, we tend to jump from the end of humbly and thankfully receiving what wasn't ours to begin with, to licking our chops and looking for the best cut to consume for ourselves.

No, no one I know has died. But I read Psalm 47:4 and it says that God "will choose our inheritance for us".

What struck me immediately was an embarassingly fleshly reaction. "He chooses it? But I want to choose it for myself". There it was, laid frighteningly bare - I thought I could choose the best for myself, that I would do a better job than my loving Father, that somehow His best for me wouldn't equate with what I wanted. Selfish creature.

Scripture makes it clear that our loving Father desires to give us the best gifts. He is omniscient, and knowing all, He is more than able to make the best choice to bless my life. And since when did we begin to think of our spiritual inheritance as a goody bag of treats that we get to choose from? "I want great faith. I want miracles. I want riches. I want.....". In our minds we know that HE is the greatest inheritance we have, but still we want....

Inheritance isn't a goody bag. Death is required. Usually, to receive an inheritance, someone has to die, and Christ died to give us an inheritance of eternal life with God. Would I rather plead with God for the inheritance that I think I want, like the prodigal son? Or will I trust the God who "will choose our inheritance for us, the excellence of Jacob whom He loves"?

He loves us. Let's love Him back and let Him pour out His blessings, receiving with thankful hearts and great joy His love poured out into our lives in endless creativity, variety, and generosity. God is good!