There are times in my walk with Jesus that I find myself looking to others for approval and love. I get into that, going nowhere cycle, of chasing that secured feeling that I am wanted, I am needed, and I am needing someone to tell me I am loved. I recall times in my life that I would do anything for someone I admired to say, “Hey good job and I love you”. The funny thing was that when I did get it, it felt insufficient, not enough, disappointing, and not what I thought I was searching for. So many of us walk this earth and experience the draw of feeling unloved, unwanted, not good enough, or worthy enough. There are seasons in our lives when we allow the enemy to whisper lies that say because of who you are or what you have done, you do not deserve the love of others. However, my friend, there is hope.

I can’t help but get excited every time I read the first chapter of Matthew. I remember the time God revealed through His living word the lineage of Jesus. Although I had read this chapter multiple times, it wasn’t until I read the Bible entirely that two names lifted from the page and are forever etched into my heart. The names were not ones that many would think of for it was not Abraham, nor Isaac, nor Jacob, nor David; although they are all so important to God’s Grand Plan. The names were Judah and Rahab, the rebel, the sinner, the line of the unwanted and unloved.

Let’s begin in Genesis 29:31-35 with Leah, the unwanted and unloved sister of Rachel that was given to Jacob to marry, through deception and trickery. Leah was able to have children while Rachel could not at the time, with each child given to her she would name them in response of, “surely my husband will love me now”. After three sons and there was no added love given from her husband. Leah finally has at fourth child and she named him Judah and her response was, “This time I will praise the Lord”.  I cannot help but wonder if she finally realized that the Lord had blessed her and that her feeling of love comes from Him not Jacob.

Now fast forward to the blessings given by Jacob prior to his death. In Genesis 49:8-12, Judah, who isn’t really known for his goodness, is given a blessing or a promise if I may say:

Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the necks of you enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. Judah is a young lion- my son, you return from the kill. He crouches he lies down like a lion or a lioness- who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until He whose right it comes and the obedience of the peoples belongs to Him. He ties his donkey to a vine, and the colt of his donkey to the choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine and his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.

Genesis 49:8-12 HCSB

So, this is exciting because Judah doesn’t live this prophecy out, it is his descendent JESUS CHRIST.

Now fast forward again, chapter two of Joshua tells about an unlikely ally, who not only was a foreigner but also a prostitute, named Rahab. Rahab housed two spies sent by Joshua to Jericho, she protected them from the king’s men. Through her obedience, her past transgressions and who she was, was overlooked and a promise was given to her that she would be safe when the Israelites attacked. Her story is one of redemption, from not knowing the God of Israel and living a life of sin to risking her life to trust God and serve His people. In Joshua 6, Rahab and her family are spared due to their obedience and lived in Israel from then on:

But the city and everything in it are set apart to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and everyone with her in the house will live, because she hid the men we sent.

Joshua 6:17 HCSB

Later Rahab has a son with Salmon, who is a descendent of Judah. That son was Boaz and as Matthew 1:5-6 says, “Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered King David”.   As you continue to read David’s line, it leads straight to Joseph, which leads to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Why do I tell you all this?  First, it excites me to see the promise of Jesus start way back from the beginning. This shines light on the character and greatness of God and His design. However, the point is God loves the unloved and uses the ones who seemed useless. Let that sink in, GOD LOVES THE UNLOVED AND USES THE ONES WHO SEEMED USELESS.

The enemy will always continue to whisper lies to us, because he knows the traits of the Sovereign and Almighty God. He knows that God will use us even if we have failed, even if we were not loved by others, even if we are the ones who seem so unlikely, and even if we are unworthy. In the end, Jesus is worthy and when we know of the worthy One who died for our sins because HE LOVES US, it crushes the defeated one to the core. Walk today with the Lord and the love He showers upon us each given breath and remind others of His love. Walk knowing that because of what He did we can tell the enemy, the haters, and the world that we are no longer the Unloved, but the So Loved.