Acts 20:32
“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.”
As our daughter’s wedding day approached, I was wracking my brain to come up with an idea for a suitable gift, one that would have special significance rather than practical or monetary value. “Inheritance” was the word that kept coming back to me. I was reminded of the twenty-three years my husband and I had prayed together for this momentous occasion as well as the many years I had written them down in my prayer journals. Finally, the idea came. It took a good bit of time to go through all fifteen years of prayer journals, typing every prayer relating to marriage for our daughter, cutting each one into a little strip of paper. Once that was accomplished, the question was how to present them.
The Lord reminded me of Revelation 5:8, that refers to the prayers of the saints—many of which have remained without an answer for thousands of years—that will find their fulfillment in events to come. They are carefully treasured in golden bowls mingled with incense creating a pleasing aroma to God.
What I needed was a bowl and, after an extensive search, I finally found one—a Waterford crystal bowl. It was the perfect size with the perfect name—”Inheritance”— that symbolized our special gift and we excitedly and lovingly presented it to the newlyweds at their reception. The gift memorializes the faithful prayers lifted up to the Father by two persistent parents, for an inheritance, a spiritual inheritance, to be passed down from generation to generation.
As today’s scripture states, may we “commend others to God and to the word of His grace,” Who is the source of our spiritual inheritance. Our mighty Father has so much prepared for us!
Dear Father, we praise You for Your faithfulness to us from one generation to the next. We thank You that You hear the persistent prayers of Your people. As You hear the cries of each human heart, may they be a pleasing aroma to You. We commend to You, O God, and to the word of Your grace, our families and all those dear to us that their lives may receive the rich inheritance You have prepared for them. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
~ painting by Hermanus Vreedenburgh
