Grace Is Greater Than Your Story
Scripture:
Matthew 1:2–3
"Abraham fathered Isaac, Isaac fathered Jacob, Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar..."
Devotional:
Look at the mercy of God.
When you flip to the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, it’s not Joseph’s name you see—it’s Judah’s.
Judah, the betrayer.
Judah, the broken.
Judah, the repentant.
God didn’t erase Judah’s mistakes.
He redeemed them.
And He wove Judah’s messy, scandalous story into the lineage of the Messiah.
The point?
God’s grace doesn’t just cover your past—it incorporates it into His purpose.
Your failure isn’t a footnote. It becomes part of the redemption story God writes through you.
Jesus didn’t come from a perfect family line.
He came from a broken one—on purpose.
To show you that you’re not disqualified.
To show you that sin doesn’t get the last word—grace does.
You are not what you’ve done.
You are not what others have done to you.
You are who Jesus says you are: redeemed, restored, beloved.
The story isn’t finished yet. And by His grace, the ending will be more beautiful than you ever dreamed.
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You that my story isn’t too messy for You. Thank You that grace is greater than my guilt, greater than my past, greater than my shame. Help me walk in freedom today—confident that You are writing a story of redemption with my life. In Your name, Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- How does knowing Judah’s story appear in Jesus’ genealogy change how you view your own past?
- Where have you been believing the lie that you’re too broken to be used by God?
- What would it look like to walk in the freedom of being fully redeemed?