Day 78

Numbers 28:16–29:40; Luke 3:23-38; Psalm 62:1-12; Proverbs 11:18-19

READING GENEALOGIES LIKE the one we found in today’s passage from Luke can seem monotonous and uninteresting. But think of it this way: That list is a wide-ranging story filled with many generations, representing millions of lives. Believe it or not, were we able to trace our own ancestry all the way back, we would eventually connect, for we all come from Adam and Eve. We are all part of the same story —a story that continues forward. The genealogies serve as a reminder that God is with us and wants to know and be known by us. He is the Father of us all.

Our Proverbs reading helps us understand that the sinister manipulation and evil we choose to participate in are temporary at best. What we gain will not last. On the other hand, a godly life is a constant reward, and its fruitfulness will last forever. This truth is starkly summarized by Proverbs 11:19: “Godly people find life; evil people find death.” The choice is —and has always been —ours. If we want to find life (and we all do), then we must live a godly life. If we do not, we will find exactly the opposite.

MEDITATION:

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone.