Trust Meনমুনা

This is Our Family

Read: “I will bless you and...all the families on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3).

Think: I come from a family line of foodies. My great grandfather was Portuguese and was the pastry chef for the king of Portugal. His son, my grandfather, cooked at home. As a kid I loved his split pea soup, which was a testimony to his cooking to get a kid to love such a dish. Today, my brother is a chef and his wife is a pastry chef. Needless to say, their food at family gatherings is never turned down - like scratch-made pasta with shrimp and mango pie! Food in my family is its own event. This is our family.

Who we are has a lot to do with our family lineage. God promised a man named Abraham that He would bless him and through Abraham all the families, or nations, of the earth would be blessed. God gave Abraham many descendants and eventually introduced Jesus Christ in Abraham’s family line. It is in Christ that salvation from sin is available to all people. A Christian is someone who has given their life to Christ and thus has indeed been a recipient of the promise God made to Abraham. In fact, a Christian through faith has been included in Abraham’s family line (Galatians 3:7-9).

What is next for us? We come from a family that blesses others, and our efforts extend to all the nations of the earth. Jesus tells us, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world” (Matthew 6:13-14). We come from a family that loves, blesses, preserves, and takes care of others. This is our family.

Apply: Who are significant people in your life that God has used and for whom you are grateful? How can you bless those within your reach?

Prayer: Lord, thank you so much for reaching out to me through the people in my life. Thank you for your blessings, and that I get to be in a position to bless others. Lord, help me to see opportunities to take care of those around me. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 

(Patrick Audia serves as lead pastor at Pequea Baptist Church . He and his wife, Julie, have been married for 15 years and have four boys.)