Joshua 4:21-22 (ESV)
21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children
ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you
shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’
Ruth Bell Graham was raised in China where her parents were
medical missionaries. During this time, the Chinese people resented all
foreigners, calling them “foreign devils.” It was common for Ruth to hear of
Chinese Christians and missionaries laying their lives down as martyrs for
their faith.
In spite of the chaos around them, singing and laughter was
often heard coming out of the Bell home. Ruth learned from her parents’ example
of prayer and Bible study. Ruth’s parents had the priority to heal souls and bodies
of the Chinese, but little did they know, they were helping shape a little girl
to become a great woman of God. Their faithful service to their Savior was
impacting their daughter. They were leaving a legacy.
In 1937, shortly after Shanghai fell to the Japanese, Ruth
said goodbye to her family and left China for Wheaton College. A few months
later, she accepted a date with a young man named Billy. After that first date
she prayed, “Lord, if You’d let me serve You with that man, I’d consider it the
greatest privilege of my life.” The Grahams went on to have perhaps the most
well-known evangelistic ministry—Billy to the masses and Ruth to the
individual. Their deepest core desire was for people to come to know Christ in
a personal way.
The couple had five children. Billy was often traveling for
months at a time, so Ruth put her heart into raising their children. Her
children watched their father reach the masses and their mother love people—one
by one—into God’s family.
Billy summed up her passion well:
"The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children
and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's
life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.”
We see the Israelites crossing the Jordan after 40 years in
the wilderness. God rolled back the water and they walked across. What a
poignant moment! The barren wilderness behind them and a new chapter before
them. God gave specific instructions to bring 12 stones from the middle of the
Jordan. Following God’s instructions, they piled them as a sign, a monument, of
the miracle God had done. In the future, when the children asked, “What do
these stones mean?” they could share the legacy.
What legacy are you leaving your children? How will your
children remember you? Will it be a legacy of character and faith—a legacy that
shares of God’s goodness?
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