The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. — Matthew 1:1
Matthew begins his Gospel by nailing down the credibility of Christ. Jesus is connected in a way that mattered to Matthew’s readers. He was relevant and credible.
We need that. We cannot bring Jesus into our world without discovering and demonstrating His relevance and His credibility. In my book, The Gift of Transformation, I share with my readers a very personal discovery: "I didn’t know Jesus did this sort of thing."
I never knew Jesus cared about what was going on deep inside each one of us. I never knew He was willing and capable of taking away our panic, restoring our marriage, filling us with peace. I always thought these were things I had to figure out on my own, or things I needed to fake in order to look like a good Christian.
God is at work in you. At first glance, it may appear that God has left the scene, that your life is just a collection of too many troubles and not enough triumphs. But no, God is at work in you. Open the door to Jesus and you will discover that when the time of trial is over, that you have a Jesus inside that other people want. He will be relevant and He will be credible to your world.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Dwight Clough is the author of four Christian books and is an active member of Lake City Church in Madison. This devotional is also available via email and you may review the archives back to 2002. Dwight and his wife Kim provide prayer ministry for inner healing / transformation and coaching in prayer ministry. He is available to speak to your group or church. To contact Dwight or Kim, use their contact form. You may also support their ministry.