Have you ever heard Jesus referred to as, “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah?”

This man named Judah is the person we are discussing today. Judah was one of the 12 sons of Israel. These 12 sons had families that later became known as the 12 tribes of Israel. Judah’s tribe not only produced our Savior, but also King David. So Judah is a huge factor in the development of Christianity and also Judaism.

Being so important, I thought Judah would be a man of great strength, integrity, and wisdom. However, the more I read about Judah, the more I am convinced that he had good intentions (some of the time,) yet he never quite hit the mark.

Take the story in Genesis 38. It is a ridiculous account of his dealings with his daughter-in-law Tamar. Long story short, he deals unfairly with her, mistakes her for a prostitute, and consequently fathers a child with her. You should really read the story to get the full impact. The link below will take you there, and it is only a 3 -4 minute read. Go ahead and give yourself a chuckle today.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+38&version=NIV

The best part of the story for me is when Judah sends his friend to the village, with a goat on a leash, to pay her for her services. The friend wanders around, but doesn’t succeed in finding her. At that point, Judah, not wanting to be embarrassed, calls off his search for her and goes on his merry way.

The whole story makes me think, “What an idiot.” I don’t have a lot of respect for Judah.

But the Lord has been working with me about this. And I now I am beginning to see things a little differently. God has revealed to me that I am Judah.

Like Judah, I wander around daily, doing the best I can with what I have. While I think my knowledge and understanding are complete most times, He reminds me that I very rarely have the whole picture. I make the best decisions I can with the information I have, and many times, in hind sight I can see that I have made mistakes. Not because I chose to, but because I didn’t know any better.

And I am convinced that God doesn’t hold those mistakes against us. He looks at us with the eyes of a loving Father and thinks, “those poor little ignorant souls, they have no idea what they are doing.” And that is where His grace becomes abundant for us. He knows we are doing the best we can.

I am in a place friends, where I am coming to the realization of how much I actually need His grace. I don’t have it all together, even when I think I do. I can picture Him laughing at my feeble attempts to navigate this world and giving me an “A for effort,” if not results.

I am also in a place where I am more compelled to offer grace to others when they fail. When people don’t do what they promised, when they hurt me unintentionally, or when they simply make a really bad decision – God is whispering – “Grace, my child.”

Peace friends