Honoring Those Who Have Gone Before Us

Now that I live in Tennessee, I have become more familiar with the country music culture. My favorite quality of these current superstars is their undying reverence for those who have gone before them. Even though the modern songs sound different from the music of the older Grand Ole Opry stars, those musical forefathers hold a place of honor.

Did you know that you and I can benefit from looking at our own families and honoring those who have gone before us? The Bible tells us that honoring our father and mother is the first commandment with a promise of prosperity and long life.* I believe this goes beyond just one's immediate parents, and extends to honoring your forefathers as well.

We may have forefathers (and mothers) who were not perfect, and who had certain failings, but their hope was that things would be better for us. Have you honored them for doing the best they knew? I believe there is a place in that unseen realm where time and space do not exist. We can close our eyes and go to that place, and turn around and literally bless those of our blood line who went before us. In our blessing we can forgive them for their shortcomings, and release a measure of righteousness upon them.

It is interesting to note that one way that God manifests this blessing on them is to pour out on their offspring the "double portion" of blessing. They are actually vidicated by your success and prosperity. You may think that your inheritance from them was worthless, but the original plan said "A good man lays up a treasure for his children's children."* Perhaps they were not able to lay hold of that themselves, due to lack of understanding, but their inheritance is still available, flowing in your veins. Why is it that we are often more aware of any generational curses than blessings?

I have begun to walk in a new level of prosperity since blessing my forefathers, including those of my husband. We will honor them by faithfully handling all of the goodness that comes our way. We will fulfill our divine destiny. Something in that blessing has altered our DNA for good.


* See Ephesians 6:1-3
* See Proverbs 13:22
Isaiah 61:9
And their offspring shall be known among the nations and their descendants among the peoples. All who see them [in their prosperity] will recognize and acknowledge that they are the people whom the Lord has blessed.