A Lineage of Grace

     I look at Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, and I know that God is a great God full of compassion, mercy, grace, and forgiveness.  He redeems and restores.  He sees the heart that is truly repentant.  God, in his sovereignty, knows whose heart belongs to Him.  We are not born by blood into the family of Christ.  It is a birthright, not by blood, but by spirit.  It does not matter who your parents are or what your lineage has held.  You are an individual with a choice of your own.  Will you accept the free gift that God has offered and start your family's heritage in Christ?

Ephesians 1:3  "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purpose in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."


Romans 8:15  "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' "


     God does not always choose to use the people that we think He should.  His ways are beyond us.  Let's not ever assume that because we pray for a certain type of person to fulfill something, that the Lord will send that particular type of person.  His wisdom far surpasses our humble minded reasoning.  Who are we to think we know better?  I am beyond thankful that God can see the heart and chooses according to his good purpose and not mine.  What a disaster it would be if he listened to me.

     Do not think less of yourself because of the past you have held.  There may be consequences still to reap (whether inflicted by yourself or by someone else), but if you are willing, the Lord will use you in ways you never expected.

     "A Lineage of Grace" by Francine Rivers is a wonderful historical fiction novel written about five unexpected women in the Bible whom the Lord chose to use in a mighty way.  Their stories were written from a very Biblical standpoint.  I highly recommend this book!  There is also a Bible study at the end of each short story to help you search the Word to find out for yourself how God did a mighty work through these humble, and often despised, women.