Dear Friends,

Michelle’s group of Christian mothers decided to read through the Bible together. Each week they gathered to discuss what they learned. Feeling helpless to comment on the genealogies listed in 1 Chronicles, Michelle made a desperate call to her pastor.

Hearing her dilemma, she was encouraged by friends. “I understand your problem,” they said. “Read those chapters again and see if you notice anything that surprises you.”

Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death. Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar bore Perez and Zerah to Judah (1 Chronicles 2:3–4).

“Reading these words captured my attention,” Michelle shared with her friends later. “This list of fathers and sons describes the ancestry of Jesus. The entire plan of salvation was threatened by the evil of Er and Onan (Genesis 38). They died with no sons to extend their line. But Tamar—a woman—acted courageously and preserved the ancestry of Jesus.”

Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to act courageously.