A “Life Talk Devotion” – 09/30/2023
Many of us at our church are working on a Read-Through-the-Bible-in-a-Year plan that walks you through the Bible according to how the events took place. I enjoy the Old Testament, but it is admittedly a breath of fresh air when you turn that final page from the Old Testament to the New Testament and jump into the story of Jesus.
However, just when you thought you’d left all those lists of names behind in the Old Testament, Matthew decides to jump in on just such a list in chapter 1 of his Gospel:
Who will grow up behind you?
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,… Matthew 1:2-3
While there are some interesting nuggets in there if you know the backstory, I wouldn’t blame you too much if your mind just drifted off to how your fantasy football team is going to do this week. However, I want you to stop and think about those names one more time.
In each one of those names is a person who was born, had parents of one kind or another, grew up, skinned their knees, learned things, made mistakes, loved, cried, and ultimately closed their eyes one last time and went to meet the God who formed them. Each of them did a lot of things I’m sure they believed were important, and some of those things may indeed have been important in their own way. And yet all we get here on nearly all of these people is their name and the name of the son they had who grew to take their place and start the cycle all over again.
My point is this: Your life has value, because your Creator made you. But regardless of your accomplishments and money, most of the value you will leave to others here will be in the people you invested in – your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, dear friends, people you met in a single day and left an impression on and people you toiled your whole life to help shape. These people will continue to grow long after you lay down your own burdens.
So the question to you is this: Are you investing your time, talent, and treasure today into things that will fade away from memory not long after the dirt has covered your resting place? Or are you investing in persons marked by the image of God who will enter eternity?
By Contributing Author: Tim Piette
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