I know a Christ-believing man, pretty odd too. I know him rather well and yet he´s still a mystery to me.  He is of a family stock about which a man of God declared, ”A curse rests upon that family!”

That godly man had every reason to say that.  For there was much gloomy depression there, though in the outward everything might at times look good and even charming.  However, the misery was scaring and seemed to be hereditary.

In his teens he trusted Christ as his Savior.  And yet he´d seen so much of mental sufferings in his family that he was often down and wondered if he too was doomed to be afflicted with a hereditary taint.

One day he read a wonderful word from 1 Pet. 1:18-19:

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct inherited from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…”

He paused at the word ”inherited”  (the word used in his Bible) and concluded that if that is true, he doesn´t have to be the victim of inherited mental darkness on the virtue of the blood of Christ.  So why accept the gloomy despondency any more?

That he accepted by faith.

It was as if the Lord whispered to him:  “Are you willing to go by that word?  Are you prepared to let me be your only answer to the curse of your fathers?  Will you exalt me as your all sufficiency?  Or will you exalt your family inheritance?”

Indeed, Christ became a curse for us, ”that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus…”  (Gal. 3:13-14).  So he said to himself, ”Ah, that must include me!”

Praise and thanks be unto God forever!

I said know that guy out of that family.  I also know he´s weak.  He speaks of his “thorn in the flesh” but also of the grace in Christ, not as a mere theological word, but as practical reality akin to what was once whispered to another weak believer:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness!”  (2 Cor. 12:9)

Are you weak in that sense also, dear reader?  This gospel greeting may be just for you!

Sept. 11, 2012 – jn