Is walking through the Bible one of your New Year’s resolutions?

It’s not necessarily a resolution of mine, but I do want to read through the entire New Testament this year. Want to come with me? I’ll even let you wear your funkiest socks and shoes.

Because God will not ask if you were wearing your dress shoes when you shared His love with someone.

Hang out with me as I share what I’m reading through each week. Feel free to leave any comments or questions.

Ready?
Proverbs 1:1-6
Psalm 1:1-8
Matthew 1:1-2:12

How many times have we read the verses of Matthew 1? This person begat (was the father of) this person, who birthed this other person who birthed the next person. Most people skim right over them to get to the end of the passage where we get to the birth of Jesus and the passage of the wise men. I must have read them dozens of times, myself.

Have you ever looked at that list? Some of it should make you scratch your head. There are widows (Ruth) and thieves (Jacob, who stole his brother’s birthright). Adulterers and murderers and conspirators (David and Solomon) and people who just should NOT be in the lineage of the greatest king who ever was and ever will be born. Of that list, just two women before Mary: Ruth, and Bathsheba (not mentioned by name, but mentioned as the mother of Solomon and wife of Uriah, who had an affair with David.)

What does this mean for you and I?

It means that what the WORLD labels you as is nothing compared to how God sees you.

It means that there is no past that God cannot wipe clean, and no circumstance from your life that God cannot use to bring healing to someone else’s life.

It means that everything we do can and will be used by God. It means there are none too far from His reach, and none too great that God cannot humble, and most importantly, it means that no matter who you were, God loves you and has great plans for you.