Numbers . . . 1 Chronicles . . . lists and lists of names! Tedious reading. I read them all once before. Did I read every name this time? My eyes “ran over” them. Did I recognize any names in the lists? Some.
God knows each name AND everything about the person who goes with each name! Every life made a difference . . . for good or bad. Every life played a part in the course of civilization, just like you and me. It might be only a spec or a mote in our eyes, but you and I play a part in the course of civilization.
These names represent the ancestors of God’s covenant people. Your and my ancestors! Our spiritual family tree!!!
I wish I had paid more attention to both of my grandmother’s stories when I was young . . . their fleeing from Germany to Russia and why. . . the hardships of their boat trip to America . . . how they ended up in Lincoln, Nebraska. I can read about all this, but it is not the same as hearing it from them. Now they are gone, as are my parents and their siblings who were closed mouth about their “history.” Died before I could value the information and press them for answers.
But even as important as our natural ancestry is, providing a sense of identity, heritage, and destiny, our spiritual heritage is even MORE important, as is the spiritual heritage we are leaving our children and our grandchildren and our great grandchildren!
I remember that both sets of my grandparents went to church and prayer meetings 2 or 3 times a week. But it was just in recent years that my cousin, Janice, (my mom’s sister’s daughter) told me that grandma used to take her to prayer meetings in the basement of their church at 8th & B. Janice told me how they all kneeled on the floor and prayed and prayed for long periods of time. Janice’s mother denied it. My mother never talked about it. My natural family’s spiritual heritage is basically unknown to me . . . . and now lost to me.
For most of us, our genealogy probably contains a shady character or event or two. But nothing that has happened in our past family lineage can stop God’s purposes in your life or in my life! God’s redemptive plan cannot be stopped!
As we read the Bible, we read about our spiritual past, which encourages us and causes our faith in God and His promises to grow. God is not a respecter of persons. If He did it then, He will do it now! But the choice is ours.
Do you ever wonder why God instructed that these lists and lists of names be recorded in the Bible? EVERY person is important to God. God remembers, BY NAME, every single person, then and now and to come.
We may go to our grave unknown by others . . . but You and I are . . . and always will be . . . remembered by God!
We will have to give an account of what we contributed to the spiritual family tree, good or bad.
“I want to leave a legacy . . . how will they remember me . . .”
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