Just a Bunch of Names?

To some, Genesis chapter 10 is just one of those chapters that is full of names and has no meaning to them. I must confess that there was a time when I thought along those same lines. I did not understand why it was even in the Bible and why I couldn't just skip over it. As time has gone by, I have come to realize that everything in the Bible serves a purpose. Even those list of names I can not pronounce. As I read chapter 10 this morning, I noticed some of the names in the list and recalled that some of these people went on to build cities that were evil. Some went on to produce the children of Israel. In other words, some of these families were godly, nice, wholesome people; and some were the total opposite. Too many times we allow the family we were born into to dictact how we turn out. We let family history become a crutch to our own problems and it becomes the excuse we live by. As children of God, we must remember that we are new creatures in Christ. We have been "born again" into a new family. The Family of God. We are to now take on the image and likeness of our new family. We must leave the old sinful ways behind. We can not be abusive, mean, addicted, nasty, or any other thing that might describe who we use to be. I want to leave you with this question today: What kind of city are you building? Is it a city on a hill where the light of God is shining forth, or is it a city in the valley that will be destroyed? Our actions and attitudes today matter. They are like bricks being laid to a foundation. Make sure that you lay good bricks. God bless