June 11

Nevertheless, for the sake of your father David, I will not do it during your lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. — 1 Kgs 11:12 BSB

In this Word of God, we see a double example of how our lives cast shadows. A godly man passes blessings on to his children, while a godless man deprives his children of the blessings they ought to inherit. David’s godly life spared Solomon from the full consequences of his sins.

Many of us enjoy blessings that come through the faithfulness of our fathers. But others, like Solomon, live in such a way that they rob their children of the honors and privileges they should be able to pass down.

Solomon’s son didn’t inherit the entire kingdom of Israel; he only received a fragment, and it was Solomon’s fault that the kingdom was divided. A man who wastes his fortune through laziness or extravagance and passes on poverty to his children commits a similar sin. Worse still is the man who, through shameful living, brings dishonor on his name, leaving a legacy of disgrace to his descendants. Our actions don’t affect only ourselves; we are so interconnected that others are shaped by our success or failure. We are under the sacred obligation to live worthily, so that we bless, rather than harm, those who come after us.