Your Plans Cannot be Ruined

Psalm 44:5

Only by your power can we push back our enemies;

only in your name can we trample our foes.

Psalm 44:5

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Romans 1:16 (NIV)

Matthew 1:1 & 3

This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham...Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).

This morning Tamar's name jumped out at me from this list. For some reason, I never recognized her here before. She is the one who was given to Judah's son as a wife. He died so she was given to his brother to continue his family line. He didn't want to make children for his brother so God killed him too. Then Judah was afraid to give her to his youngest son. When she realized this, she pretended to be a prostitute and Judah slept with her. Perez was one of the twins who resulted from this one illicit act and became part of Jesus family line.

There are others like Manasseh and Abijah who were were downright evil. Lord, you use all kinds of people to accomplish your purposes. It is comforting to know that even though by human standards it may look like all is lost and we have befuddled your plans beyond repair, your purposes can never be thwarted.

Isaiah 14:27

The LORD of Heaven's Armies has spoken - who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?