Saturday, January 22, 2011

~ "It's all there in black and white..."


And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great to the ends of the earth. (Micah 5:4)

In the fifth chapter of Micah, we find a prediction of the troubles of the Jewish nation; the promise and birth of the Messiah; his victory over the enemy and the destruction of the enemies of the church. In verse 4, we see that he will be a glorious prince and that his "subjects" will be happy under his government. He will stand and feed, that is, he will both teach and rule, and continue to do so, as a good shepherd, with wisdom, and care, and love.

And so it was, and is! Throughout the Old Testament we can find the promise of a Savior. Every recorded moment of his life was foretold. They knew he was coming, they knew how he would come and that he would die for their sins. Yet, so many of them chose (and still choose) to not believe. We, too, have the same advantage that our counterparts in the Old Testament had. We, too, have a reference of what is to come. It is written in the Gospels, in the letters written by the Apostles and in the book of Revelation. He is coming back! Our Messiah will return and take with him all those who have accepted him and honored him by keeping his commands. Yet so many fail to see or refuse to bow down and humble themselves to him.

Our world can become so frustrating at times that we just want to "go home". We pray and we plead to our Father in heaven to end our human suffering, to send us a "miracle". Sometimes he does, but in most cases he gives us the strength to persevere. Sometimes it is moment by moment, trial by trial and inch by inch. He will not forsake us, regardless of what the enemy tries to imply.

Let that shed blood of Jesus continue to be the strength you draw on. In every aspect of your life, know that you are loved and cared for, you are valued! Give him the praise and honor he deserves and whether you realize it or not, the blessings will wash over you like the waves on the sand. Your situation may seem desperate and hopeless, but it is in that desperation and hopelessness that you will find him! Reach out to take hold of what is yours! Let your faith in his promises sustain you and walk with your head held high - look back at those footprints in the sand and know that you are being carried and his glory will shine through the darkness and light your way!

[Suggested Scripture reading for January 22, 2011 - Genesis 12-14]