Family Reunion - Martin Wiles

He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign LORD will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The LORD has spoken! Isaiah 25:8 NLT

I walked over, shook his hand, and said, “Good to see you.”

Almost four years had passed since my family had seen my youngest brother. And it’s not because he has no way to get here, because he’s mad at anyone, or because he’s too busy. Four years ago, Mom remarried. While my middle brother and I were okay with her remarrying, our younger brother wasn’t. He’s never met her husband—and doesn’t care to.

One day, I received a text from my brother saying he was going to be in our hometown. He was bringing his two girls who wanted to see some of the places where he had grown up and visit some of the cemeteries where our relatives were buried. Not wanting to miss an opportunity to visit with him, my wife and I—along with our two grands and other brother and his son, headed out.

Though it was only our immediate family, being together was like a family reunion—something our family hadn’t experienced in four years. We ate together, visited old homes where we once lived, stopped by a few cemeteries, and even got to see two more cousins along the way. Though the drive was long, the experience was worth it. 

The prophet speaks of a time when things that divide now will not anymore. And of a time when unpleasant experiences will be wiped away forever. Death will be non-existent. No more tears shed over the things that make us shed tears—death, broken relationships, immorality, crime, loss. No more attacks on God’s people.

Heaven isn’t just a pie in the sky dream by those who tire of earth’s complications. 

It is an actual place inhabited by angels, believers, and a real God who wants everyone to live there. Things that separate us on earth will be wiped away. Fellowship with God and each other—with no sinful tint to our relationships, will be enjoyed forever. 

The only catch is effort. I had to drive two hours to see my brother. God requires repentance of my sins and faith in His Son’s sacrifice for my sins on Calvary. Once that is complete, we have the greatest family reunion ever to look forward to. 

Make sure you don’t miss God’s family reunion.

Prayer: Father, thank You for preparing a place where we can live with You forever. 

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Feast Day - Martin Wiles

Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 11:19 NLT

Some called it, “Founder’s Day;” others simply referred to it as “Feast Day.”

A church member extended an invitation for my wife and me to join them on their family property for “Feast Day.” Neither my wife nor I understood what she was talking about, but we were looking forward to a Sunday meal. This couple—along with a number of family members, lived on a piece of property purchased 70 years before by their traveling preacher ancestor. 

The family patriarch had loaded up his wife and children in a 25-foot trailer turned into a box and left Kentucky, unsure of where they would settle. At each church where he stopped to preach, he asked if there was any land available. Finally, in what is now Greenwood, South Carolina, he was directed to a tract of land that was for sale. 

Looking over the beauty of the land—and believing this was where God wanted him to settle, he drew up a contract between himself and God. If God would make the way for him to purchase the land, he and his family would gather once a year to celebrate God’s goodness. God did, and his family has gathered annually for 70 years to honor their ancestor’s contract . . . and feast.

The nation of Israel observed several feasts during the year to celebrate various historical events. These celebrations helped the people—along with their children and grandchildren, to remember God’s involvement in their lives. But there was one thing they were to do every day: teach their posterity the laws of God. 

Leaving behind a spiritual heritage won’t just happen. It requires effort. 

I must be vigilant in living for the Lord and teaching my children and grandchildren to do the same. While my descendants have the free will to choose or reject God, they are more likely to choose Him if they see my love for Him and observe how I incorporate that love into my daily affairs. Even if they choose to walk away from their heritage, the foundation has been laid through my example and by my teaching God’s commands to them.
  
Lead the way in helping your family feast on God’s Word.

Prayer: Father, may we live in such a way that we leave a spiritual heritage to our posterity.

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