“Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, "How did you break through? This breach be upon you!" Therefore his name was called Perez.” (Genesis 38:29)
Perez is named as the ancestor of David and of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:12-18). He is one of Judah’s twin sons by Tamar (Genesis 38:24-30). Tamar’s story is one of tragedy. She was a foreigner who married an Israelite. She married twice into the same family but the men who were brothers were not godly people. They died and left Tamar a widow.
Judah, her father in law, whilst coping with the bereavement of his own wife – the mother of her two sons who had died - decided to have sexual relationship with a prostitute. This was not expected of him but he was going through a very lonely time and he chose a short cut that he was not supposed to choose. The “prostitute” that he slept with turned out to be Tamar, her own daughter-in-law!
How will this tragic story end? This was a very serious family mess. Most families have a mess that they keep away from people – either because the mess is not big enough like Tamar’s mess, or they have learnt to give their mess to God to deal with for them.
There is no perfect family. In fact, all families have their own mess in one way or another – challenges that they are facing; struggles that they are coping with; poor finances, family conflicts, domestic difficulties, personal problems, issues where they are expecting God to show up for them in order to be able to raise up their hands in praise.
How will your story end? Well, consider Judah and what God did for him when he turned the mess of his family over to God. For every mess, there is a message of victory; a message of protection; a message of provision; a message of deliverance; a message of God’s faithfulness is always waiting for us when we turn our mess over to Him.
Judah is the great ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the great grandfather of King David. God still has plans for those who are in mess if they determine to stay with God and not quit; if they choose through time to believe in God for an outcome that proves His name, messy people will soon find that they are the type of people that God blesses amazingly!
You are sure to break through like Perez did in such a fashion that when God has done it even you yourself will ask, “How did I break through?” This is how everyone breaks through:
Stay with God
No matter the circumstances you face, stay with God. All other alternatives end in disappointment. Stay where you are planted, every tree that is planted in the right soil eventually flourishes, even the Chinese bamboo tree. Do you know it takes many years for it to even germinate and many years for it to flourish? However, once its growing season begins, no-one can stop it! And it grows into a surprisingly big, very big bamboo tree! Your growing season may be late or delayed, but surely it is coming!
Stay in the Word of God
Whose report will you believe? The world is full of gloomy news. Are you going to be depressed by the situation in the world at large, the situation in your family, the situation at work? Happiness never comes by worrying about it. Actually, joy is killed when you constantly worry about your life or the life of those that you love. Can you try and switch off and bury all your hopes in God’s promises for the rest of your life? Believe God’s report: He says He has plans for you – good plans, to give you a future and a hope!
Stay in Church!
Look at what God is doing in your Church and join in and be part of God’s family through what you do for God and His local family which is your Church. No Church is perfect – every Church has its strengths and weaknesses but still Jesus says the Church is His body and He died for the Church. While there are no perfect leaders, God gives pastors the responsibility of leading His work in the Church. Stay close to your Pastors, let them be able to count on you and when they pray for you, indeed, you are sure to break through!
May God bless you with a definite breakthrough this year!
Perez is named as the ancestor of David and of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:12-18). He is one of Judah’s twin sons by Tamar (Genesis 38:24-30). Tamar’s story is one of tragedy. She was a foreigner who married an Israelite. She married twice into the same family but the men who were brothers were not godly people. They died and left Tamar a widow.
Judah, her father in law, whilst coping with the bereavement of his own wife – the mother of her two sons who had died - decided to have sexual relationship with a prostitute. This was not expected of him but he was going through a very lonely time and he chose a short cut that he was not supposed to choose. The “prostitute” that he slept with turned out to be Tamar, her own daughter-in-law!
How will this tragic story end? This was a very serious family mess. Most families have a mess that they keep away from people – either because the mess is not big enough like Tamar’s mess, or they have learnt to give their mess to God to deal with for them.
There is no perfect family. In fact, all families have their own mess in one way or another – challenges that they are facing; struggles that they are coping with; poor finances, family conflicts, domestic difficulties, personal problems, issues where they are expecting God to show up for them in order to be able to raise up their hands in praise.
How will your story end? Well, consider Judah and what God did for him when he turned the mess of his family over to God. For every mess, there is a message of victory; a message of protection; a message of provision; a message of deliverance; a message of God’s faithfulness is always waiting for us when we turn our mess over to Him.
Judah is the great ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the great grandfather of King David. God still has plans for those who are in mess if they determine to stay with God and not quit; if they choose through time to believe in God for an outcome that proves His name, messy people will soon find that they are the type of people that God blesses amazingly!
You are sure to break through like Perez did in such a fashion that when God has done it even you yourself will ask, “How did I break through?” This is how everyone breaks through:
Stay with God
No matter the circumstances you face, stay with God. All other alternatives end in disappointment. Stay where you are planted, every tree that is planted in the right soil eventually flourishes, even the Chinese bamboo tree. Do you know it takes many years for it to even germinate and many years for it to flourish? However, once its growing season begins, no-one can stop it! And it grows into a surprisingly big, very big bamboo tree! Your growing season may be late or delayed, but surely it is coming!
Stay in the Word of God
Whose report will you believe? The world is full of gloomy news. Are you going to be depressed by the situation in the world at large, the situation in your family, the situation at work? Happiness never comes by worrying about it. Actually, joy is killed when you constantly worry about your life or the life of those that you love. Can you try and switch off and bury all your hopes in God’s promises for the rest of your life? Believe God’s report: He says He has plans for you – good plans, to give you a future and a hope!
Stay in Church!
Look at what God is doing in your Church and join in and be part of God’s family through what you do for God and His local family which is your Church. No Church is perfect – every Church has its strengths and weaknesses but still Jesus says the Church is His body and He died for the Church. While there are no perfect leaders, God gives pastors the responsibility of leading His work in the Church. Stay close to your Pastors, let them be able to count on you and when they pray for you, indeed, you are sure to break through!
May God bless you with a definite breakthrough this year!
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