God’s Work Matthew 1:17
“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.” Matthew 1:17
Many people will often skip over lists of people. It sounds boring to read this man is the father of this son, who is the father of this person, over and over, again and again.
One of the best things to do is actually go into the Old Testament and look up each of these people. Find out who they were and what they were like.
God had promised Abraham more descendants that could be numbered. During his life, he only had two sons. Looking at this list shows how God kept His promise to Abraham.
Some in this list is very familiar to many people. King David, Solomon and maybe Uzziah. These and many others were actually pretty good kings trying to worship God and Him alone.
As you look at these people you should also take note that not everyone really followed God. Several had severely fought against God in many ways. Manasseh is listed as one of the worst kings of Israel. He set up worship of false gods everywhere and tore down altars to God.
What does this tell you today? It does not matter what your father or grandfather did or believed. Many people grow up in homes that do not serve God at all. Many even live in homes where persecution of Christians is welcomed and encouraged.
Yet, despite the upbringing, God can use you if you allow Him to do so. You are responsible for your own life in whether you will follow Jesus or not. If you decide to follow Jesus, God will use you to build His kingdom. You can be a part of the promise of God to Abraham.
You can be a witness to your family and to those around you. God can build His kingdom and bring about His purpose through you despite your past ancestry. Do not think that God cannot or will not use you. Allow yourself to be His witness today and be used today. Change your heritage to an everlasting one. Pass that on to everyone around you. God is at work in and through you if you allow Him.
I pray that today God will reveal the work He is desiring to do through you; that you will see the great heritage you have received in Jesus; that you will allow God to work in and through you; and that God will draw many to Jesus through you.
Tom Arn has ministered in many facets of the church, from children’s pastor, senior pastor, and currently as a Sunday School Teacher. He has General Ministries Degree. He began with short devotional Bible studies on his blog, Insights From Tom in 2014. He travels through each book of the Bible, chapter-by-chapter and section-by-section, writing what God places on his heart at the time.
Tom is happily married for 31 years to his wonderful wife Cammie. Together they share with everyone how God has blessed them with eight children and one precious grandchild. He desires that God may richly bless you, and make you more like Jesus everyday, drawing you closer to Him
Featured Photo by Ron Lach from pexels.com
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