Gather
Take a few moments to light a candle, quiet yourself and open with prayer. You can use the same simple prayer each day, or pray how the Spirit leads you.
Holy Spirit come and work within me to strengthen and confirm my faith so that God’s grace might work in and through me.
The Word
Response
Matthew is trying to tell us an important story about Jesus through the genealogy, which he opens his account with. He includes four women before getting into Joseph’s concerns about Mary. The first is Tamar.
The story of Tamar and Judah is odd, even in it’s setting in Genesis as it interrupts the story of Joseph with this “meanwhile back at home” item. Tamar becomes woven into the fabric of God’s mission through questionable means, but is considered righteous. Why does Matthew think she’s important to mention as part of the story of Jesus?
Thanksgiving
Take a few moments to pray for others.
Go Forth
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. [Amen.]
Colossians 3:15-17
Journey Through Scripture 