Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 15-16, 1 Chronicles 1, Psalm 39, Acts 11
On the window ledge in my office at work sit four die cast Caterpillar machine replicas – two track type tractors, a large mining truck and a motor grader. Each of these was given to me by different groups of co-workers throughout my Caterpillar career. They evoke fond memories. To this day, it is not uncommon for my office visitors to ask me what the machines are for. My response is always, “I spent some of the most formative years of my career at Caterpillar. These machines remind me that in order to know where you are going, you often need to remember where you’ve been.”
Today, we start the book of 1 Chronicles. The first chapter is a genealogy…53 verses of names. (Spoiler alert, the genealogy continues all the way though chapter 8.) These names trace the lineage of God’s people all the way back to Adam. Their purpose was to remind the Israelites of their spiritual heritage and inspire them to renew their relationship with God. For the Israelites to know where they needed to go, they needed to remember where they’d been.
Some of these names represent stories of great faith, others represent tragic failure, and some of them aren’t known to us at all. Whether we recognize the names or not, they are known by God. He used them all to accomplish his purpose throughout history.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
What is your story of faith? How is God using you to accomplish his purposes? Are you open to his leading? Today I challenge you to remember where you’ve come from, and make sure you are on the path of where God needs you to go.