I have a rich heritage. When cleaning out my aunt's house I found a box of my family history. Lugged it home. As I was going through it and trying to compile it for my family, I found an article in several sources about my great-great-great-great grandparent's log cabin. Collin and his wife Jane were born in Donegal, Ireland and in 1790 they and their 3 children arrived in Philadelphia. Collin made his living as a silk weaver.

In the ensuing years they made their way to the Pittsburgh area and had 4 more children. They received a General Craig Land Grant for 200 acres in Porter Township, Pennsylvania. In 1806 they built a 28' by 20' cabin and the 9 of them lived in it. In 1885 the Marshall family bought the cabin and land and have continuously owned it for the past 132 years.

My great-great-great-great grandparents and their family helped build a little church not too far from their cabin. The year it opened, Collin passed away and was the first person to be buried in the cemetery at this church.

I set about trying to find someone who knew where the cabin was. The next time I went to Pennsylvania to visit my aunt someone took me to the cabin and the current Marshall family member who owns it was there! She took me inside and I got many wonderful pictures of it.

(The red section on the right was added in the 1950's.)

Then I went to the church by myself to take pictures of my ancestor's gravestones. It is out in the middle of nowhere. Very beautiful. Very peaceful.

Just me and the donkey out in the middle of nowhere.

The entire day was full of God moments. I felt His presence. I felt close to Him. I felt a connection with my ancestors. In my family history it describes my ancestors as "consistent Christians." I have often thought about this description and if my descendants would someday describe me in this way.

God answered my prayers. He journeyed with me.

That day was a deeply spiritual experience for me and will forever be etched in my memory.

My ancestors were never wealthy, but my inheritance from them was rich.

The word inheritance is a key word in the Bible.

Going to www.biblegateway.com and I enter "inherit" and New American Standard Bible (NASB is the version of the Bible I read from.) 254 verses which have the word inherit or inheritance come up!

Inheritance - it means something received from an ancestor through a legal will or testament. But in the Bible the meaning of the word inheritance is more significant. It is used in 3 specific instances.

[Source: Essential Bible Dictionary by Moises Silva, copyright 2011, page 113. (affiliate link - thank you for your support!)]

The first is in reference to the gift of the land of Canaan which God promised to Abraham and his descendants.

"Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Your servants to whom You swore by Yourself, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens, and all this land of which I have spoken I will give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"

Exodus 32:13 (NASB)

But I said to you, “You will possess their land; I will give it to you as an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey.” I am the Lord your God, who has set you apart from the nations.

Leviticus 20:24 (NIV)

Second is the spiritual blessings that God gives to His people.

The LORD is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You support my lot.

The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

Psalm 16:5-6 (NASB)

And third is the people of God as His own possession.

“Lord,” he said, “if I have found favor in your eyes, then let the Lord go with us. Although this is a stiff-necked people, forgive our wickedness and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”

Exodus 34:9 (NIV)

Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

Psalm 28:9 (NASB)

Israel's inheritance is the Kingdom of God. For the Israelites, this was a piece of real estate and a political nation governed by God. For Christians, it is something wider. Jesus Christ is the King. His subjects live already in His Kingdom, yet they await the full presence of His Kingdom when He returns.

[Source: LifeChange Series - Joshua by The Navigators, copyright 1988, page 27. (affiliate link - thank you for your support!)]

"And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life."

Matthew 19:29

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Matthew 25:34

And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Acts 20:32

'... to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

Acts 26:18

giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

Colossians 1:12

knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.

Colossians 3:24

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrews 9:15

• Eternal life is our inheritance and it is a gift, not an earned reward.

• We inherit the Father's kingdom, not as a reward for our good works but because of our saving relationship with Jesus.

• By grace we receive our final inheritance because we belong to God.

• We have become heirs to the inheritance God has promised His people.

• Followers of Christ inherit everlasting salvation.

When you see the words Inherit or inheritance in the Bible, perk up and pay attention to it because it is a key word. I underline key words in my Bible so that in future readings they stick out to me.

We are so very blessed.

We have an amazing inheritance awaiting for us.

Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me.