Genealogies are found throughout the Bible, and I have found them to be both informative and interesting reading. In a sense they provide a legitimacy to the stories of God’s chosen people because we see the growth of the family tree from Adam all the way to Jesus. Along the way, the authors would occasionally interrupt the list of names to provide small details about particular individuals not unlike details you might have heard about one of your distant relatives.

I am fortunate to have a family genealogy that was traced back to the year 1280. The large parchment sheet does not just list names but also has small notes about people with titles like Earl of Worchester or Secretary to King Henry VII. One person had a note that they had the family Bible.

I think it fitting that the early chapters of Genesis put a priority on genealogy with an emphasis as we see in today’s scripture that God created both man and woman in God’s image. I have two photos that I really enjoy, one is me with three of my father’s brothers…I look just like them. The second photo is me with two of my mother’s brothers…I look just like them. Clearly, I was created in the image of my parents.

When I read God created man in His image, it gives me a comfort to know that this was one of the first acts of love by God and sets the stage for God desiring a relationship with us, His children. This is seen in the portion of scripture that reads, “He created them male and female and blessed them.” Regardless of our current family dynamics, we should draw comfort knowing that our family tree traces all the way back to Adam and Eve, created by God, in the image of God, and blessed by God. You have a part in that as well.

Will you join with me in prayer? Father, God, thank you for creating each of us in your image. Strengthen and nurture us as a loving Father who desires nothing more than a relationship. Open our eyes that your desire for relationship also extends to all those around us. It is in your name, God, that we pray. Amen.

This devotion was written and read by Owen Ragland.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.