A story is told of a dear old saintly lady who called her pastor to her home one day to help her plan her funeral. After covering all the necessary details, she had one last request for him. She wanted to be buried with her Bible in one hand and a fork in the other hand. This seemed like an unusual request, and he asked her why she wanted to be buried with a fork in her hand. She told him that at all of the best fellowship dinners at the church, when someone would come by to collect the dirty dishes, they would say, "You can keep the fork." That meant that the best was yet to come…either pie or cake was about to be served. So when people passed by her casket and saw a fork in her hand, she wanted her pastor to be able to step up and say of this saintly lady’s life, "The best is yet to come!"
Today’s passage tells us of the time that Jacob gathered all of his sons around him for a final blessing and a prophetic word. He told each son what his future would hold for him. For some of those sons, the best had already been, and they would face days in which they would pay for some of their actions of the earlier years of their lives. It was a case of reaping what they had sowed, praying for a crop failure, and God did not answer their prayers. Our futures are shaped by our actions today. 
After giving his final blessings, Jacob reminded his sons that he wanted to be buried with his fathers in Canaan. He then "drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people." (vs. 33) For Jacob, the best was yet to come. He joined his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham, in the presence of Jehovah. What a homecoming there must have been! These three men, called of God, faithful in service, had laid the foundation for the nation of Israel. They had lived their lives so that their faith was passed along. 
Are we passing the faith along today? Can our children see God at work in our lives? Have they been told of God’s continual guidance and provisions? Have they heard how one day we had an encounter with Jesus Christ that forever changed our lives? Do they know Who to turn to in their dark moments, times of confusion and distress? What an incredible responsibility we have as Christian parents. We are shaping our destiny and impacting the destiny of those coming behind us. What will we do with today? Let me repeat once again an earlier chorus that just seems to continually go through my mind, and may we live these moments we have today to the glory of God! "We have this moment to hold in our hands
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday’s gone and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment today."
(copyright 1975 William J. Gaither)
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