The Gospels show us that sand-hearted sinners were drawn to Jesus more than stone-hearted legalists. Why? A glimpse at the geneaology of Jesus’ life gives us a clue. In it we see the stories of five women who were disreputable in the eyes of religious society.

Tamar disguised herself and tricked her father-in-law into sleeping with her. Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2:1-24). Ruth was a Gentile foreigner from the land of Moab. Bathsheba betrayed her husband, Uriah, when she slept with King David. Mary was the unwed, pregnant, virgin mother of Jesus.

Jesus’ messy family tree is proof that it is never too late for a sand or stone heart to be transformed into a heart of clay. No religious, stone-hearted formula will magically restore us. Rather, the gate to Restoration Road is unlocked when we humble our hearts, our desires, and our lives to Him (Matthew 11:28).

For more, watch The Restoration Road with Mitch Kruse, Episode 3: Tina Gerke: A Story of Sand, Stone & Clay

To share this devotional visit our email archive.