A Moment for Your Monday

As I sat down to spend some time with God recently, I felt led to read through the beginning of the book of Matthew - the genealogy of Jesus. If you've read it, you know it's not usually the most exciting part of the book. But as I read, three names struck me all over again:

Tamar. Rahab. Ruth.

Women were not usually listed in genealogies - it's significant that they are listed in the first place. What's even more incredible is that these women were "outsiders" in a culture that was very careful to isolate itself. Tamar was most likely a Caananite, her marriage arranged with her father-in-law Judah was living away from the rest of his family, the original Israelites. Rahab was a prostitute in the city of Jericho before the nation of Israel conquered it. Ruth was a Moabite widow who followed her mother-in-law back to Israel, even though she had nothing to come back to. All three are listed as direct descendants of Jesus. 

They were brought into the family of the Israelites because of their faith in God above all else. They were willing to leave behind what they knew to step into a promise. And they weren't sideline spectators! God gave them an incredible role in history. They played an integral part in the life of the one we still worship today.

Maybe you feel like you don't belong in God's family. Maybe you didn't grow up in a Christian home and struggling to figure out how to run one yourself. Maybe you don't feel like you know what your purpose or calling is. Maybe you're not sure God sees you at all as you go through your day-to-day routines. But you don't have to be a spiritual giant. You don't have to have an incredible history. You don't have to know how you fit in. 

God sees you.

And he has an integral role for you to play in his story. You may not know it, or even ever see it, but you are not relegated to the sidelines! So take heart that you are not laboring blind or in vain. Your job is important and none of your effort is lost.