She’s listed as one of the four women in Matthew’s lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:3,5,6).  Three have less-than-reputable histories, but they are held up as Biblical women of courage.  Here’s the story of Tamar (Genesis 38).

Judah, one of Jacob’s twelve sons, married outside of his race.  As was the custom, he was to select wives for his own sons.  He picked Tamar for his firstborn, Er.  Er was bad.  God killed him.  As also was the custom, Tamar had to marry Er’s brother, Onan.  The idea was to preserve the tribe.

Onan didn’t like the idea, so he failed to complete the conceptive process. God didn’t like that very much, so he killed Onan.  Judah is now wary about losing more sons, so he tells her to go home, using the excuse that the third boy isn’t old enough yet.  His name is Shelah (yeah, he’s a guy).  Then Judah’s wife dies.

After he was done grieving, Judah goes back to work.  Tamar’s starting to wonder why she wasn’t called for in order to marry Shelah.  She disguised herself and observed Judah going to work with his son.  She notices that the boy is now a man, and assumes that she had been discarded.

Judah notices her, but he doesn’t recognize her.  He thinks she’s a prostitute, and, like any good red-blooded Hebrew, he decides to buy her services.

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Everybody’s gotta eat.  There are carnivores (eat only animals), herbivores (eat only plants) and omnivores (eat anything that isn’t nailed down).  Food sustains us; it contains important vitamins and minerals.  We can’t just take a handful of pills, because we also need sugars and starches for energy.

You need only look at people to wonder if they’re eating too much or too little.  I’ve been told by more than one person that I could afford to skip a few meals.  I think it’s my metabolism giving me problems — or not.  But it’s true that some foods go to fat more quickly than others.  Then your body gets really jealous of its fat stores and fights you when you attempt to lose some pounds.  What’s your food?

Our bodies also need spiritual food.  The brain has a lot of storage capacity.  It constantly needs information to keep the physical body running properly.  But it also has the amazing desire to assess the meaning of life, the concept of death and what might exist beyond this life.

Religion teaches us that there are forces (or Persons) at work in our lives to conform us to their will.

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A lot of preachers these days are taking on the prosperity gospel, also known as name-it-and-claim it. They object to TV preachers getting rich by telling us how to get rich, which is allegedly achieved, by the way, by giving our money to them.  They call it seed money for the blessings (riches) God will bestow upon us.

Of course, they back up their claim with scripture.  Jesus said whatever you ask for in His name, He will give it to you (John 16:24).  God told the prophet Malachi that if the people were committed to giving the tithe (“Test me in this.”), He would throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing [wealth?] that we wouldn’t be able to handle it (Malachi 3:10).

It’s like a Christian lottery.

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What does your countenance say to others?  How about the tone of your voice, the look in your eyes or your body language?  Does it say, “Come on in?”  Or does it say, “Keep out of my space?”

We all want to feel welcomed, but we are not always welcoming.  Obviously, if you’re sick, you are not as likely to be cordially open to others.  Blessed are those that can still do it.  Some experts advise us to “be yourself.”  Others say live for others (Philippians 2:4).  Can you do both?

The Roman playwright Plautus said, “No guest is so welcome in a friend’s house that he will not become a nuisance after three days.”

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Have you ever experienced despair, a feeling of utter hopelessness? Depression is a natural companion to despair, and most of us have felt it one or more times in our lives.  I’ve felt depressed before, but I’m not sure that it reached a point of despair.

Sometimes specific circumstances can trigger depression and despair, but there are other times when it just comes over you, and you don’t know why? Oddly enough, many people, including celebrities, can sink to despair, when they have absolutely no problems with security (job, food, home, etc) or pleasure (clothes, jewelry, cars, etc.).

What does our spirit need to deliver us from this valley of fear and doubt? The Apostle Paul writes that his trust in God’s power and the fact that Jesus lives in his heart keeps him from falling into despair.  (2 Corinthians 4:7)  But plenty of Christians are on anti-depressants, or are receiving counseling for depression.  Where is their victory in Christ?  Why doesn’t joy come in the morning?  (Psalm 30:5)

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