Thursday, May 9, 2013

Used by God

As I was reading my Bible, I came across the lineage of Christ. I've read it a million trillion times, but this time, something really stuck out to me.
In the lineage of Jesus Christ, there are only five women mentioned-Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary.
Tamar dressed up as a prostitute and slept with her father-in-law.
Rahab WAS a prostitute.
Ruth came from a land full of idolatry and paganism.
Bathsheba got involved in adultery and it caused the death of her husband.
Mary was just an innocent virgin.
All these women lived different lives. One of them (Mary) lived a "clean" life. The other four out of five didn't. They sinned. They messed up. They did some pretty "bad" things. Yet through all of them came the Messiah. Through all their mistakes and dysfunctional lives, God used them. The savior of the world came through their bloodline. Jesus Christ came from them.
All of this to say one thing: Never say you are too messed up for God to use. Never say you're useless. Because He can take you-mistakes, sins, past, and all-and make something mighty come out of your life.
Romans 8:1-Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.