Welcome to the final day of January—the 31st, 2025. In the Old Testament, we just read about Moses. Now, in the book of Acts, Stephen is reciting the story of God’s deliverance from Egypt. They lived nearly 1,200 years apart, yet both Moses and Stephen are connected by the same story, the same faith, the same ancestry, and the same purpose. Did you know that their story is yours as well? Read on...
Today's Reading:
Exodus 28,29; Acts 7
Scripture
“Then the high priest asked Stephen, ‘Are these charges true?’ To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham...” (Acts 7:1-2)
Observation
Stephen knew the Bible! In one setting, he unpacked the timeline of God, chronicling 1,200 years of history. But for Stephen, it wasn’t just a distant history lesson—it was his story! It was his own “Ancestry dot com.”
In recent years, people have been captivated by a genealogy company owned by the Blackstone Group. Valued at over $5 billion, it boasts over 23 million users. It has sold more than 18 million DNA kits at $100 each—that’s $1.8 billion in sales—all to help people discover which tribe(s) they came from.
Application
For me, I’m more interested in who I am and where I’m going! People will spend nearly $2 billion to trace their earthly bloodline, but that’s not as important as our eternal citizenship. That’s what truly defines who we are—not what we were—and where we’re going—not where we’ve been.
I know my bloodline. The people of the Bible are my ancestors. Even Jesus redefined family in Matthew 12:45-50, saying that His mother and brothers are those who have been transformed by and follow the Word of God.
I want to invest in my calling. I want to fulfill what God will hold me accountable for on that Day. I know my ancestry dot com—it leads me back to Jesus and to the patriarchs and matriarchs of old. We have been grafted in as sons and daughters of the Most High, with full benefits of divine inheritance!
And knowing that, I just saved myself $100.
Prayer
I am honored to be part of Your eternal family, and like Stephen, I get to call Abraham my father as well. I belong to a family tree of saints, believers, and world changers. I have the privilege of being part of a league of heroes.
"The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me." —Psalm 16:6
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