Generational Curses

Today's Reading: "I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me..." (Exodus 20:5b)

"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals. Just as I watched over them to uproot and tear down, and to overthrow, destroy and bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant," declares the LORD. "In those days people will no longer say, `The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.' Instead, everyone will die for his own sin; whoever eats sour grapes--his own teeth will be set on edge. "The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, " declares the LORD. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people." (Jeremiah 31:27-33)

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." (Galatians 3:13) "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:9)

What role do "generational curses" have in the life of a believer?

Oh, dear one, any curse that should be accredited to your and my account was nailed on that cross with Jesus Christ! He received our curse. No, more--He became our curse. And, He suffered God's full wrath--the wrath that should have been poured out on us; not for the sins of our parents, but for all our own sins!

Praise God! In return, we receive His love, His blessing, His forgiveness and His most holy and precious Spirit! That's so key because now and forever we are "sealed" with this same Spirit as a guarantee of our future glory with God in eternity! "Sealed" means nothing can enter what God has signed, stamped, marked, and called His own! Nothing!

Yes, it is true we can be oppressed by evil or the evil one, but we have the blood of Jesus flowing in us, running through us and covering us! Glory to God! That's what makes satan so mad! He can't do anything to us, and nothing can come against us unless that it is in God's permissive will for our lives. And, we know that whatever He permits in our lives, He intends to use for our good! "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world"! So, dear one, be at peace!

It is true that children learn so many things from their parent's example. I believe that certain generational "sins" have been passed down through my family line for years, but, I have prayed and I truly believe that they have stopped with me! My children are blessed and have never suffered the exact same type of deprivation and, praise God, they are able to benefit from the fruit of my suffering and pain! Therefore, I count it all as gain! True, they will have their own sins to overcome--maybe some they learned from watching me! Everyone has to be overcomers of the generation before them!

This day make it your heartfelt prayer to God that any family trait, any family sin, any family curse stop with you! Vow that you will never look upon or indulge in anything that remotely is connected with a family sin!

I've walked with God for 33 years now and I can tell you He is Faithful! My life has taken a different path from that of my family's (I speaking of specific areas of sin). This is a major praise and I lay all the glory for that at the feet of Jesus! My teeth do not gnash at the sins of my fathers and neither should yours! Glory!

You are so loved by your Father God! Trust Him and make Him your delight! Ask Him to change any family "sin" or "curse" into a blessing--one that can be used for His glory. Oh, and know there are others who will learn from and be blessed by you!