"Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers."

Genesis 9:22

According to Genesis, one of the first results of sin is brokenness in families. In the first chapters, Adam and Eve sinned, were cast out of the garden, and then their son Cain killed his brother Abel (Gen. 4:1-26). In Genesis 9, as soon as God offered human beings a fresh start after the flood, sin once again infested family life. Scholars debate the nuances of Ham's action and why it was so horrible. Though we may not discover all the details, it's obvious that Ham dishonored his father, and this splintered his family system.

Where has sin led to brokenness in your family? Where do you need God's healing in your family relationships?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, on one level, this story of Ham seems very foreign. Yet on another level, we see in it our own story. The details are different, but we have experienced brokenness in our families in a way not unlike the family of Noah. So, gracious God, today we ask for healing once again. Where our families are shattered, put the pieces back together. Where hurt reigns, grant your peace.

Help me to be an instrument of healing in my family, as I receive your grace and give it away to others. Amen.