Thursday Scripture: 1 Chronicles 1
The Begats
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And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be mighty upon the earth.
And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,
And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (of whom came the Philistines,) and Caphthorim.
And Canaan begat Zidon his firstborn, and Heth...
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Until the days of the printing press, books were worth their weight in gold.
No ink was wasted in the pages of the Bible.
So why all these begats?
If you read them carefully, you'll find saints and sinners
Shady characters and hoodoos
Noble heroines and fallen women
Royalty and ruffians
In short, the begats look a lot like a family reunion
Aunt Kay is always there
She's the ample woman who clasps you to her bosom so tightly that you cannot breathe
And there's weird old uncle Harry
He's the one they warn young brides about when they first join the family
There are souls so precious
And rascals so rare
And that's the way it is in the Family of God
This unlikely collection we call the Church
Sometimes as a youth I wondered what it would be like to come from a NORMAL family
Today I realize--strange families ARE normal
The family would be a poorer place without Kay, or Harry, or cousin Goober, or Sister Anna Mae
And the family of God would be a poorer place without this strange amalgamation of saints and sinners
The family of God needs ALL the characters that fill our family tree with fruits and nuts
Especially you
We're glad God begot you
We're glad you are here
And when people say we're a strange lot
Tell them there is always room for one more
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There's room at the cross for you
Though millions have come,
there's still room for one
Yes there's room at the cross for you.