Good Morning y’all. Today we in chapter 38 of Genesis. In this chapter we are introduced to Judah and Tamar.

I am using the SOAP method today. Be blessed 🙂

S – Scriptures that stood out for me
Genesis 38:24 CEVUS06 : About three months later someone told Judah, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has behaved like a prostitute, and now she’s pregnant!” “Drag her out of town and burn her to death!”

Genesis 38:26 CEVUS06 : Judah shouted.  “Those are mine!” Judah admitted. “She’s a better person than I am, because I broke my promise to let her marry my son Shelah.” After this, Judah never slept with her again.

O – Observations
O1)God is aware of everything we are doing and sees the intents of our hearts.
Onan thought no one was aware of his actions but God was and he killed him off for doing the wrong thing. He was meant to give his brother a child by sleeping with Tamar but rather he was deceitful and spilled his semen out which made God angry.

O2) Don’t toil with sin, it always comes back to bite or haunt us.
Judah discreetly slept with a prostitute (at least thats what he thought seeing as he didn’t know the lady was his daughter in law) but it was openly revealed for all to see when the time for reckoning came. I am reminded of Luke 8:17 which says “There is nothing hidden that will not be found. There is no secret that will not be well known“. (CEVUS06)

O3) Don’t take matters into our hands, rather trust God to show us how to deal with the situation.
Tamar took matters into her own hands when she realised her father in law wasn’t going to give her his last son; Shelah. When she heard he was going away for sometime, she decided to ambush him and pretend to be a prostitute. She got what she wanted – a child. Prov 3:5-6 tells us trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding.

With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment.  Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow. (Proverbs 3:5-6 CEVUS06)

O4) Don’t be quick to judge others.
Judah was quick to judge Tamar. How quick are we to judge others . We forget that we ourselves are not perfect. Judah was ready to have her burnt until she produced the evidence and he realised he was the one who erred. Matthew 7:1-2 tells us not to Judge others or we too will be judged.    

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.  For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. (Matthew 7:1-2 NLT)

O5) We should be humble enough to admit our short comings and ensure we don’t repeat them again.
Judah when he realised he was the one who got Tamar pregnant admitted his mistake and he never slept with her again.

A – Application
A1) check our motives for doing the things we do. We can hide our motives from man but we can’t hide them from God

A2) Trust God to direct us and show us how to handle whatever challenge we are facing

A3) Don’t judge others but deal with each other with mercy and kindness

P – Prayer
Dear Lord we thank you for today. We thank you for another opportunity to learn at your feet. We praise your Holy name. Today we pray you search us oh God, and know our hearts; test us and know our anxious thoughts; point out anything in us that offends you and lead us along the path of everlasting life. Help us to trust you to show us how to deal with the issues we face rather than leaning on our own understanding. Give us grace not to judge others but rather show mercy and kindness towards them. Thank you dear Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Thanks for joining today.

I am blogging through the bible with Good Morning Girls. Check us out at http://www.goodmorninggirls.org

Have a blessed day and remember, don’t be quick to judge others 🙂

***With God all things are possible***