A while back, I had my DNA tested. I am now connecting to relatives that I didn’t even know existed. I am finding it a fun experience and somewhat of a mystery as at least one name has come up high on the list but I have no idea who this person is. Oh! that is a good mystery! I can hardly wait to solve it.
Today I started reading 1 Chronicles and find it so much fun to go through the names of past generations and I almost feel like I know them personally. But, I also realize that not everyone feels the same about all these names…names that are hard to pronounce! Name upon name! My advice to a friend who said she gets bogged down in those genealogies in Scripture is to skim them, or even skip over them. Don’t let those names stop you from reading the Bible!
I am getting so into genealogy that I’ve started filling out charts and papers starting in Genesis, the first being Adam and am now up to David. Frankly, this never entered my mind until about a year ago, a dear friend came knocking on my door to show me his Biblical genealogy chart. He had it on his computer and we sat for quite some time as we went over who belonged to whom. I could usually find a name in Scripture pretty easy and give my friend more to add to his list. When he came to me that day, I never thought I would be doing the same thing but right before my friend went to see Jesus, I decided that I would start a few sheets to see how far I could get. I am thankful to Norman for spurring me on to further research concerning the Bible and helping me understand those names.
I hope your Bible reading is coming along and that you’ve read more than you’ve ever read before. Keep going! You can do this! A little bit of reading the Bible every day … sort of like one tiny bite at a time… can result in finishing the Bible before you know it! God doesn’t expect you to do this perfect, or to understand every word you read, but He does expect you to be persistent. To keep going until you have finished the task.
The hardest parts are almost behind you and you will soon be in the Psalms and then the Proverbs. At some point when you hear a sermon, you are going to be able to understand where the Scripture reference came from, perhaps even a little history behind what is being preached.
Most importantly, may we remember as we go through those genealogy lists, is that our actions DO matter. They may not affect you but what about your grandchildren? Our actions can affect generations to come! Now, that is something to ponder…
In the meantime, Happy Mother’s Day!