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Better Late Than Never: Five Day Devotional

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Here are a few additional resources to guide your quiet time this week:


Day 1: More Than Money: The True Inheritance

Based on the Message: "Better Late Than Never" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children, but a sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous." - Proverbs 13:22

Devotional: When we think about leaving something for our children, our minds often jump straight to bank accounts and property deeds. What if the most valuable inheritance has nothing to do with dollar signs? The wisdom of Proverbs 13:22 reveals that a good person leaves behind something far more precious than financial wealth alone. True inheritance is multifaceted; it's the morality we model, the mentality we instill, and yes, the money we manage.


Think about the adults who shaped you most profoundly. Chances are, you remember their character more than their checkbook balance. You recall how they treated others, how they handled difficulties, and whether their actions matched their words. Your children are watching you right now, absorbing lessons you may not even realize you're teaching. When you choose integrity over convenience, when you serve others sacrificially, when you demonstrate genuine faith in both good times and bad, these moments become the foundation stones of their future character.


The beautiful truth is that this kind of inheritance doesn't require a trust fund or real estate portfolio. It requires intentionality. Every parent, regardless of economic status, can leave behind a legacy of strong moral character and godly thinking. These gifts compound over generations, creating wealth that extends far beyond material possessions. Starting today, consider what kind of inheritance you're building. Your daily choices, your responses to challenges, and your commitment to living out your faith. These are the treasures that will enrich your family tree for generations to come

Quote: "An inheritance is more than money: it's morality and mentality as well." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr

Question: What specific character traits or values do you hope your children will remember about you, and how are you intentionally modeling those qualities in your daily life?


Prayer: Lord, help me understand that the greatest inheritance I can leave isn't found in my bank account, but in my character. Give me the wisdom to model morality, instill godly thinking, and to manage resources in ways that honor You and bless future generations. Amen.



Day 2: Your Choices Echo Through Time

Based on the Message: "Better Late Than Never" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.


"And to Adam he said, 'Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, "You shall not eat of it," cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life." - Genesis 3:17

Devotional: Every choice you make today sends ripples into tomorrow. This isn't just motivational speaking; it's a fundamental principle woven into the fabric of creation. Your current decisions are actively shaping the world your children and grandchildren will inherit.


Consider the profound truth that your purity today has purpose for tomorrow. The boundaries you maintain, the integrity you uphold, and the character you develop aren't just personal choices, they're generational investments. When you choose to honor God with your body, your relationships, and your commitments, you're laying groundwork for your family's future.


This principle extends beyond moral choices to every area of life. How you handle money today affects your family's financial future. How you treat your spouse models marriage for your children. How you respond to stress teaches them resilience. How you prioritize your relationship with God demonstrates what truly matters.


The encouraging news is that every day offers fresh opportunities to sow good seeds. Maybe you've made mistakes in the past, but today's choices can begin to change your family's trajectory. Each moment of obedience, each act of faithfulness, each decision to choose God's way over the world's way plants seed that will bear fruit in seasons you may never see. Your life is not just about you. You're part of a generational story that extends both backward to those who came before and forward to those who will follow. Make today's choices count.

Quote: "How you're living is going to impact how your kids are living. If you don't have kids, how you're living now will impact how your future kids, if God has called you to have them, will live." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr

Question: Looking at your current lifestyle choices, what seeds are you sowing that will impact your children's future, and what changes might you need to make to ensure you're planting the right kind of harvest?


Prayer: Father, help me see beyond today's immediate desires to understand the long-term impact of my choices. Give me strength to sow seeds of righteousness, purity, and faithfulness that will bless my family for generations. Amen.


Day 3: Building Wealth That Lasts

Based on the Message: "Better Late Than Never" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." - Genesis 2:15

Devotional: Money doesn't create character, it reveals it. When financial resources increase, they simply amplify who we already are inside. This is why building wealth must begin with building character, and why leaving a financial inheritance requires more than just accumulating assets.


True wealth building is about stewardship, not just accumulation. It's learning to see money as a tool for blessing others rather than just satisfying ourselves. It's understanding the difference between assets that produce wealth and expenses that consume it. Most importantly, it's recognizing that we can't leave something behind if we spend it all on ourselves today. The goal isn't to live in poverty or deny ourselves every pleasure. Rather, it's about living with intentionality and generational thinking.


When you make financial decisions, ask yourself: "How will this choice affect my ability to bless my children and their children?" This perspective transforms how you view everything from daily spending to major investments. Building generational wealth also means training the next generation to handle resources wisely. Money without wisdom often leads to destruction. Your children need to understand not just how to earn money, but how to manage it, multiply it, and use it for God's purposes.


Remember, this isn't about flaunting wealth or promising prosperity to everyone who believes. It's about faithful stewardship of whatever God has entrusted to you, whether little or much. Start where you are, with what you have, and build wisely for those who will come after you.

Quote: "You can't leave something for the next generation if you're so intent on living your best life now, spending it all with no concept or regard for those who come after you." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr

Question: How can you shift from a mindset of spending everything you earn to one of stewarding resources for future generations, and what practical steps will you take this week to begin building lasting wealth?


Prayer: Lord, teach me to be a faithful steward of the resources You've entrusted to me. Help me build wealth not for selfish gain, but to bless my family and advance Your kingdom for generations to come. Amen.


Day 4: When Disobedience Costs Everything

Based on the Message: "Better Late Than Never" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.

"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." - Genesis 3:19

Devotional: Adam had it all; a perfect relationship with God, meaningful work, abundant provision, and a beautiful companion. His wealth wasn't measured in dollars but in divine favor and unlimited potential. Yet one act of disobedience changed everything, affecting not just his own life but the lives of every person who would follow.


This sobering reality reminds us that our relationship with God is the foundation of everything else. When that relationship is compromised through disobedience, it impacts every area of life, including our finances, our family relationships, and our future prospects. Adam discovered that his lack of morality literally messed up his money. There is an encouraging truth though.


Even after devastating failure, God didn't abandon Adam and Eve. He provided for them, promised redemption, and gave them opportunities to rebuild. Their story teaches us that while disobedience has consequences, it doesn't have to have the final word.


Perhaps you're reading this and recognizing areas where your own disobedience has created problems in your life or family. Maybe poor choices have damaged relationships, created financial hardship, or broken trust with those you love most. The enemy wants you to believe it's too late, and that the damage is irreversible, but God specializes in restoration.


Just as He didn't give up on Adam and Eve, He hasn't given up on you. Today can be the beginning of rebuilding what disobedience has torn down. It starts with honest acknowledgment, genuine repentance, and a commitment to align your life with God's ways moving forward.

Quote: "Ultimately, Adam's wealth was dependent on his relationship with God. And when he disobeyed, it hit his pockets as well as his heart." - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr

Question: What areas of disobedience in your life might be undermining your ability to build a godly legacy, and what steps will you take today to realign your life with God's will?


Prayer: Heavenly Father, I acknowledge that my disobedience has consequences that extend beyond myself. Forgive me for the ways I've failed You and my family. Help me rebuild on the foundation of obedience to Your word. Amen.


Day 5: It's Never Too Late for a Fresh Start

Based on the Message: "Better Late Than Never" by Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr.


"Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, 'For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.'" - Genesis 4:25

Devotional: After losing their first son to murder and watching their second son become a murderer, Adam and Eve could have given up on their dreams of leaving a godly legacy. The weight of failure, the pain of loss, and the shame of their own mistakes could have convinced them that it was too late to make a difference. Instead, they chose to try again.


When Seth was born, they saw him as a fresh start; a new foundation upon which to build. The name Seth means "appointed" or "foundation," and indeed he became the foundation of a new lineage. Remarkably, when we trace Jesus' genealogy, it goes through Seth's line, not Cain's. Their decision to start over ultimately made the Messiah's coming possible.


This powerful truth speaks to anyone who feels like they've missed their chance to build the legacy they wanted. Maybe you made poor financial decisions in your younger years. Perhaps moral failures damaged your family relationships. Maybe you feel like you started too late or messed up too badly to make a difference now. God's grace specializes in fresh starts.


It's never too late to reset your family's foundation through personal repentance, honest conversations with your loved ones, and intentional changes moving forward. Your past mistakes don't disqualify you from future impact. Like Adam and Eve, you can choose to try again. You can begin today to model the character, thinking, and stewardship you want to pass on. Your "Seth moment" (your fresh start) can become the foundation for generations of blessing that you may never fully see but will eternally impact.


Quote: "You may not have started right, but you can finish right. It's never too late to respond to what God is telling you to do... better late than never!" - Pastor Dexter B. Upshaw Jr

Question: What area of your life or family legacy needs a "fresh start," and what concrete steps will you take this week to begin building a new foundation for future generations?


Prayer: God of second chances, thank You that it's never too late to start over. Help me learn from past mistakes without being paralyzed by them. Give me courage to build a new foundation that will bless my family for generations to come. Amen.

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