We have the responsibility to generations. Let’s look at what this means in this excerpt written by David Green, CEO of Hobby Lobby, in our upcoming book, “A Legacy Life Devotional.”

The Responsibility to Generations

“. . . so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” Leviticus 23:43

That phrase is power-packed: so your descendants will know. The verse refers to the Festival of Booths. During the festival, the people of Israel moved out of their homes and lived in booths or tents for seven days. Why? Living in tents served as a reminder that Israel lived in tents when they escaped from Egypt and made their way to the Promised Land.

The festival was to be repeated every single year. You can imagine the upheaval caused by such a move. Surrounded by the comforts of home and then being forced to move to a booth, a tent. It would take a lot of figuring out—what to bring, what meals to make, what could you do without. For the little kids, it was probably great fun. And memorable.

I remember hearing the story of a man in Japan. He walked to work every day, and every day, he passed by a field where a farmer was clearing rocks from the field. The farmer picked, he dug, and then he carried the rocks to the side of the field. Every day, every season, the routine was the same.

Finally, the man grew curious. Why did the farmer never plant a crop? Why did he only carry rocks to the side of the field? One day, he stopped the farmer in the midst of his work. He repeated his thoughts: “Every day, I walk to work, and I walk by this field. Every day, I see you do the same thing. You pick, you dig, and you carry rocks to the side of the field. Why do you never plant a crop?”

The farmer smiled patiently and responded, “I’m preparing this field for my grandchildren.”

This generational mindset stands in stark contrast to our world of immediate gratification. It changes the question of “What can I get out of this?” to “What will the future generations get out of this?”

This generational mindset takes cultivation. After all, who thinks like that in today’s world?

On the other hand, think about it. How would your attitudes, actions, and behaviors change if you knew that your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren were going to benefit? I know that, for myself, as our company grew, I began to feel the weight of the generations. My early goals in life were to have a great marriage, a great career, and children who served the Lord. But I’ve since added prayers for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to serve the Lord as well.

O Lord, thank You that Your Word gives us reminders to set up booths, to hold festivals, as reminders to the generations that we are a people called to You. May we all have a generational mindset.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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If you enjoyed this excerpt, keep reading about how you can help launch “The Legacy Life” this fall.

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Sarah Geringer

Published October 1, 2025

Topics: Family Legacy