Tag Archives: scripture
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Safe in God’s Arms
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Glory to God in the Highest
Scripture:
Luke 2:12-20
12 This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough (manger).” 13 Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
15 When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough (manger). 17 When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. 18 All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.
Wow! What an amazing display of joy, adoration, glory, and praise for the newborn, who is Jesus. The multitude of heavenly angel army praising God, Mary & Joseph; then the shepherds. Such a beautiful mental image.
It’s so amazingly great that the shepherds went out and shared this good news so quickly. I wonder how many would do that today? I wonder what their response would be. Would it be one of fear, or cowardice, or something else, other than joy and an urgency to share the good news of Jesus? What would our response be?
Prayer:
Dear Abba Yah, Adonai, thank You for this great good news of Jesus. Thank You for this gift to become our salvation. I pray that all who read this are and if not, will be saved. I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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Mary’s Shocking News
Scripture:
I posted 2 years ago about Mary in great detail. To get a better grip on Mary in this life stage, read/listen to the post here.
We heard about Elizabeth in a previous blog post. The same angel that visited Elizabeth, Gabriel, now visits Mary. The shocking news had Mary in a quandary about the whole situation.
It’s time for the Savior of the world to come as a man and live out His earthly ministry. We heard in and throughout the Old Testament about a Savior, the Messiah, coming to save us. He’s the long-awaited messiah.
Poor lowly Mary is only a teenager. However, she’s been promised to Joseph in marriage. His betrothed. Neither of which has had intimate relations. Virgins. Mary being a virgin is a main factor of God having favor with her. She’s a good Jewish girl.
She was dumbfounded at the concept of becoming pregnant since she is a virgin.
You read the interaction between Gabriel and Mary in the scripture. Gabriel tells Mary that she’ll conceive of the Holy Spirit. In v. 35 it says this:
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
Luke 1:26-38
Mary couldn’t argue with that. She accepted it. But, she added this at the end of their interaction in v. 38:
“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Mary had some doubts. Who wouldn’t? That’s a pretty major thing; become pregnant while still a virgin. I’m sure she also had major concerns being not fully married to Joseph, yet.
How would you feel if it were you going through that situation? What would be going through your mind?
It’s scary, to say the least. In those times, they stoned/crucified people for offenses. Betraying a spouse to be… that’s infidelity. They didn’t take that very lightly. Read the Bible for yourself and see. Don’t take my word for it. It’s all there in black and white.
So, the big news… The Messiah is coming! That’s exciting! Joyous! How does that make you feel? Me?
If I lived in that time where I could encounter Jesus in person… I’d fall face down at His feet honoring, praising, and worshipping Him.
But, before he’s grown I’d try to find a way to get to Him to meet him in person. I’d definitely be one of the women who followed Jesus throughout his ministry. The ones who experienced things just out of arms reach of everything.
Your turn! Go!
Prayer:
Dear Abba Yah, Adonai, I lift up every reader, even the brief visitors, of this blog. I pray that even if just one sentence, or one word, is written that the reader will be so blessed that they don’t want to leave Your word and Your presence. I pray they are blessed beyond measure and their needs are met. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Joy Amidst All Odds
Scripture
To read the full context go to 1 Samuel 11. It’s 15 verses long.
God is faithful! He also brings great joy, even in the midst of great battles & violence. Also, I can see a portion of the Gospel in this scripture. How, you ask? Let me try and break it down for you.
The old testament has similarities to the Gospel message. It’s a reference to Jesus coming to save us. Also, we were told that Jesus will be our Everlasting Father in Isaiah 9:1-7, the hope of the coming of the Messiah [the promised and expected deliverer].
Matthew 2:1-2 says this about Jesus: Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” These wise men could’ve only known of a coming Messiah because they had old testament knowledge.
In today’s scripture, the people were full of joy because they were being saved and they were being given a king. King Saul.
What is God speaking to you in this scripture? How can we apply this to our lives today?
Here are my thoughts:
- Don’t despair. We have been given a king, Jesus. He is our Saviour.
- Be joyful because Jesus is our Eternal and Everlasting Father.
- Trust God. He’s in control. He would never lie to us.
- Be obedient to God. His word is full of truth, promises, and blessings.
Dear Father God, Lord Jesus, thank You for being our Saviour and King. I pray that those reading this blog will be blessed and will seek You fully. Thank You in advance for hearing and answering this prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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A Vow
Scripture
To read the full text of this scripture go to Judges 11:29-40
A vow is of vital importance. That’s one main reason why vows are also used in a wedding ceremony. God’s word holds vows to a high standard.
Deuteronomy 23:21-23 says this:
“When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.
Jephthah was no different. He kept his vow. His one and only child, his daughter, accepted and was ok with the vow her father made. She made only one request and he granted her that request. He waited for her return home before he fulfilled the vow he made to God.
My friend, Andrea, and a bible reading group member, made an astute observation and insight on this scripture reading. She said, “I think God wanted us to understand what it was like to sacrifice one’s only child through this story. Jephthah’s daughter was his only child and a virgin. She was also willing to die. It’s kind of a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ.”
God will work out His plan in our lives’ with or without us being on board. Jephthah’s daughter was on board. What a great child. Jesus was also on board. He was willing to give His life for the salvation of all people of all time. Not everyone will accept that free gift. But, that is also part of God’s plan. How has accepting Jesus’ free gift of salvation affected your life?
How does this apply to our lives today? How do we apply it to our lives today?
Here’s what I believe:
- We must take God seriously.
- He’s not just some fairytale that we tell stories from.
- He’s real; He’s alive and so is His word.
- Each time we read His word they must feel like they’re jumping off the pages at us and speaking directly to us. What we read one time and gain insight from may not be the same the next time. He may be telling us something else the next time. That’s how dynamic His word (The Holy Bible) is.
- We must be about the Father’s business.
- We must be so in tune with the Father that we don’t even realize or know anything else about everyone and everything that is going on around us. He’ll meet our needs. Trust Him!
- Here’s a quoted story as an example:
A lady went to her Pastor and said: “Pastor, I won’t be going to your church anymore.” The Pastor responded, “But why?” The lady said “Ah! I saw a woman gossiping about another member; a man that is a hypocrite; the worship team living wrong; people looking at their phone during service; among so many other things wrong in your church.”
The Pastor replied, “OK. But before you go, do me a favor: take a full glass of water and walk around the church three times without spilling a drop on the ground. Afterward, leave the church if you desire.” The lady thought: too easy! She walked three times around the church as the Pastor had asked. When she finished she told the Pastor she was ready to leave.
The Pastor said, “Before you leave I want to ask you one more question. When you were walking around the church, did you see anyone gossiping?” The lady replied “No.” “Did you see any hypocrites?” The lady said “No.” “Anyone looking at their phone?” “No.” “You know why?” “No.”
“You were focused on the glass, to make sure you didn’t stumble and spill any water. It’s the same with our life. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, we don’t have time to see the mistakes of others. We will reach out a helping hand to them and concentrate on our own walk with the Lord.”
- What else can you come up with? I look forward to hearing from you.
Dear Jesus, thank You for this great insight. Thank You for the gift of salvation. Thank You for Your grace. I lift up all those who read this post and pray for their needs to be met; no matter what they are. You’re the Almighty, Who can make anything happen. I pray that those who read this devotion with fully surrender to You and fully seek You. Thank You in advance for hearing and answering this prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Testing Israel, by God!
Scripture
You know, there are huge similarities to all of us today regarding today’s scripture. Look at the way America (the world for that matter) is now. It’s a disgrace to the name of Yahweh! Just awful! Yahweh will make it right! Jesus is returning… And man, what strife people will be in then! God is more than enough!
What should we do? How do we apply this to our life? Here are my thoughts:
- I, personally, need to be obedient to Yahweh.
- I, personally, need to stop being selfish.
- I, personally, need to share the Gospel.
- Plants seeds.
- Pray over those seeds.
- Leave it with God. He’s got it under control.
- I, personally, need to trust God in His plan.
- His word says He has a plan for me and you. It’s not my job to take the wheel and steer wherever I please. That’s destructive. (Been there; done that! I learned my lesson.)
- His goal was to carry out his plan, when the right time came, that all things in heaven and on earth would be joined together in Christ as the head. In Christ, we were chosen to be God’s people, because from the very beginning God had decided this in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants. Ephesians 1:10-11
- I, personally, need to be on my knees in prayer seeking to make right what I might have done wrong and making myself right with Yahweh in all I say and do. It’s a great goal for everyone.
Dear Yahweh, I come, prostrate before you. I seek You. Please show me, use me, and make right what I can help with. I pray the readers of this blog post will do the same. Cleanse all filth from every crack and crevice of my wretchedness so I may be worthy of Your name and to say Your name. Thank YOU for saving me through Jesus shed blood and body, in Your name. Thank YOU that He took on my sin, and of all others as well. You are amazing and wonderful, Yahweh. Thank You, in advance, for hearing and answering my prayers. In Jesus’ holy precious name, amen.
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