Have you ever felt as if your past will never leave you alone? Do you feel as if the mistakes you once made will never be redeemable?
If this sounds like you, I pray this post can encourage you today.
NO PERFECT PEOPLE ALLOWED
Did you know that Jesus’ ancestry was filled with people who had horrific and painful backgrounds?
The Tribe of Judah (where Jesus comes from) was filled with liars, murderers, idolaters, adulterers, prostitutes, and more.
The Bible is filled with insane people with insane stories.
WHO WERE THESE IMPERFECT PEOPLE?
Matthew 1:2 begins the ancestry lineup with Abraham, a significant character in Genesis. The book of Genesis not only starts with the creation of the world, but also with a family, who would lead the way to help prepare for Jesus’ coming.
Abraham was a man of great faith, but Genesis makes note that he lied out of his own volition. To protect himself, he told another man that his wife was his sister. This led to the man taking Abraham’s wife and almost sleeping with her. Thankfully, God got involved and made sure his wife wasn’t touched. Weirdly enough, Abraham’s son Issac committed the exact sin in the same way! Like father, like son. You can read about it here (Genesis 20 and Genesis 26).
Isaac then goes on to have two sons named Jacob and Esau. As Isaac aged and became visually impaired, his son Jacob decided to trick him into giving away Esau’s (Jacob’s older brother) blessing. After then ran away and did not return for years. You can read the story here (Genesis 27).
After Jacob had left, he went off and had 11 sons. Jacob showed favoritism towards his youngest child, Joseph. Due to their jealousy, they planned to murder Joseph, but one of the sons, Judah, told the others it would be better to sell him as a slave. (Genesis 37).
At one point in Judah’s lifetime, he ended up having two sons who both died. This left his daughter-in-law, Tamar, to be a widow. Years later, Tamar pretended to be a prostitute on the side of the road and Judah decided to sleep with her. Tamar conceived a child and Judah eventually found out who she was. Tamar had a son named Perez. (Genesis 38).
The thing that is significant about these stories, is that Jesus comes from the Tribe of Judah. A tribe named after a man who intentionally sold his brother into slavery and had taken a woman off the road (who was his daughter-in-law) to sleep with her.
These are just four examples out of the 40+ other names mentioned in Matthew 1:1-17.
What’s your past?
So, why are these stories even being mentioned? It is to show that God USES the most imperfect people. The stories mentioned above are not even close to being the worst ones. However, these people are not labeled by what they had done, but rather by what God did through their brokenness. The whole story points right back to Jesus.
These people are not labeled by what they had done, but rather by what God did through their brokenness.
You may think that God could never use you. You may feel as if you can never be redeemed.
That is not true.
If God used people in the Bible with the most jaw-dropping pasts, then what makes you think that He can’t redeem and use you?
What you did in the past does not define you.
God is the only one who can define you and He already says that you are His child. He still wants you and wants to use you just like He used all of Abrahams descendants. Who knows what God might do with your past?
Whatever lies the enemy may be telling you, I pray that you know that you will never be too far gone to be redeemed by Christ. God created you to be a part of HIS(STORY) and knew from the beginning of time the things you would do.
Hold tight onto Him and He will heal you and show you things you never would have imagined.
Reflection
Below I included some prompts to reflect on. I highly recommend using a journal to write in! This is between you and The Lord.
Is there something that is in your past that you feel as if it is unredeemable?
What goes through your mind when you think about the people in Jesus’ family tree? Does it surprise you?
In what ways do you think God could use your story?
RESOURCES
This section includes affiliate links which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through links. I will only recommend products that I have personally used and love!
Are you interested in learning more about the whole Bible, but you aren’t quite sure where to start? I can’t recommend author Tara- Leigh Cobble enough! She is an amazing woman who takes readers through the whole Bible in a year. However, each day she provides a YouTube video, podcast episode or chapter in a book for you to follow along with.
If you’re interested in learning more check out her products here!
The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible
