Sunday, July 7, 2013

You Son or Daughter of So-and-So

I'm a few days behind in my bible reading plan, so this morning I was able to catch up.  1 Chronicles was my beginning book.  I groaned, thinking of reading all those names.  Son of so-and-so, son of so-and-so, over  and over for chapter upon chapter.   There are little nuggets that stand out among the lists of names, such as the musicians who served in the temple, or the warriors who fought many battles.

It dawned on me that each of us is a son or daughter of so-and-so.  Geneologies were important to show who you belonged to and who will belong to you.  Past and future connections.  For Israel, it was a tie to the promised coming Messiah.  For you and I, while we may not know our geneology, we are connected to people from the past and in the future through our faith in Christ Jesus.

While reading I saw how important family connections are to our Heavenly Father.  So important, they are named in Scripture.  He also names us in our baptism, places the name of the triune God upon us; adopts us into His family; clothes us with His robe of righteousness;  runs out to greet us when we stray, eager to forgive us; desires us to be reconciled to Him.  All of this from the "boring geneologies in 1 Chronicles".

As our own small family experiences growing pains today, I know we are still family no matter the distance between us.  We are close, even though separated by miles.  On the other side of the bittersweetness of today, will be new growth for all three of us.  God is so good to give us families.  In our families we can find an example of the love our Heavenly Father has for us, although these earthly families have faults.   Today, our family can feel the pain of separation that our Heavenly Father felt with His son, Jesus Christ.  We can also see the healing and joy on the other side of that separation!

Thanks be to God for making me a daughter of so-and-so!  Thank you Heavenly Father, for my husband and daughter!  Thank you Heavenly Father for my parents, and my brother and his family!  You have blessed me indeed.


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