“This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: . . . Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).”
—Matthew 1:1, 3 NLT

Judah was one of Jacob’s sons. One of the brothers who sold Joseph into slavery.

He also committed incest, sleeping with his daughter-in-law Tamar because he thought she was a shrine prostitute.

And yet, out of all his brothers, God chose Judah to be the ancestor of Jesus.

The Messiah, the lion of the tribe of Judah, descended from one of the sons of Tamar.

This story teaches us several things.

One: if you think the Bible is boring, you’re reading the wrong book. It is full of very real, very messy stories about imperfect people like you and me.

Two: Despite our failings God chooses to include us in his story.

If you ever start believing the lie that your mistakes disqualify you from being used by God, remember the story of Judah and take heart: none of the heroes from God’s story were perfect.

Here’s a simple prayer to carry with you today:

Breathe in: God of Judah,
Breathe out: Write your story through me.