Are you aware of just how much you will inherit?

I have a confession to make.  Last night my wife and her sister were watching a girly movie.  I was reading in the next room over, but falling asleep in the process.  So I made my way over to the tv room sat next to my wife figuring I'd fall asleep.  Nope!  Yes, I watched it...well... the end of it.  It was called "The Inheritance".  The storyline is about a servant girl, Edith, who is blessed to have masters, the Hamilton's, who treat her like one of the family, better than she deserves.  Edith had been a maidservant's daughter of Mr. Hamilton's deceased brother.  In his kindness Mr. Hamilton had chosen to take her into his own home. The climax of the story involves Mr. Hamilton's death and Edith being wrongly accused of stealing from the family.  When all seems lost we find out...
that she is indeed a member of the family.  She was in fact Mr. Hamilton's niece, the daughter of his dead older brother.  Since Mr. Hamilton had no sons, all of the family's wealth belonged to the older brother's child...which of course was Edith.  A sappy rags to riches type story, but heart-warming nonetheless. 

Perhaps you noticed in today's reading (Nov. 22) how many times the text speaks of inheritance.  Check it out:

Old Testament: God is speaking to the Levites.  He says, "This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance... I am their [treasure]." Ezekiel 44:28

New Testament: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you rejoice..." I Peter 1:3-6a.

Proverbs: "Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will have a goodly inheritance."  Proverbs 28:10

There is no reason for you to be like Edith, unaware of your inheritance.  It is a reason for great rejoicing.  As the passage from Peter says, those who have been born again, who believe in Christ's resurrection and love Him (v. 8), have a treasure to look forward to that is vast beyond measure.  An everlasting, pure, and unfading treasure that will be so gloriously joy-filled that we will be satisfied for eternity.

Just like the knowledge of Edith's lineage changed everything for her, so too a knowledge of your inheritance should change things for you. 

Praise:  This knowledge should result in praise of our glorious heavenly Father who has so graciously adopted us into His family.  Take a moment to praise God for what He has done.  If you need help read Psalm 103.

Rejoice: The word here literally means to jump, dance, and sing for joy.  Have you ever been so excited you were compelled to jump up.  Your body just could not contain your enthusiasm.  This is what we are talking about.  When we realize the treasure we have in Jesus Christ.  When we really understand it, the response is elation.  Take a moment to pray for a better understanding of your inheritance.

Blameless Living:  I'm reminded by the proverb of how this knowledge bears upon how I live.  I'm meant to respond by living blamelessly and uprightly.  Why?  Not because I think somehow I will make myself worthy of the inheritance through my deeds, but because God is so good to me.  I want to worship Him with my life, in praise and thanks for all that He has done through Jesus Christ our Lord.