Notes of Faith December 22, 2022
Expectant
For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. — Isaiah 9:6 NKJV
Experts say that babies in utero are impacted by the atmosphere of their parents’ home and the attitude of their parents. If God had chosen you to carry the infant Jesus into the world, would your home life and the attitude of your heart have nurtured in the holy child such traits as kindness, gentleness, patience, and trust in God? Would God have chosen you for such an important assignment? The answer is, He has…
Isaiah wrote the well-known words above more than seven hundred years before Christ was born. God’s chosen people had been waiting for the promised Messiah for a lot longer than they had anticipated. Finally the wait was over. God chose a human being named Mary to bring Him into the world. And God has chosen you and me to carry the truth and the love of this Christ child into the rest of the world.
Lord Jesus, may the atmosphere of my life and the attitude of my heart make my life a place where You want to be and a place where people can meet You. Amen.
Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
— John 1:29 NKJV
Those people will never be hungry again, and they will never be thirsty again. The sun will not hurt them, and no heat will burn them, because the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd. — Revelation 7:16-17 NCV
I love decorating the house with nativity scenes at Christmastime. In each one, young Mary tends to her Newborn while her faithful husband stands guard. Wise men and shepherds stand in awe. And often near the Christ child is a little lamb. Jesus is known as the Lamb of God, and the symbolism is not lost on us.
Throughout the Old Testament, the people of Israel sacrificed lambs as sin offerings. John the Baptist was direct in drawing the comparison. When he saw Jesus coming toward him, he said,
Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
— John 1:29 NKJV
Then on the cross Jesus was the perfect sacrifice — the perfect once-and-for-all sin offering — that removed our sins as far as the east is from the west.
This Christmas, when you spend time in front of a nativity, may you be filled with peace and awe as you behold the Lamb of God.
I stand in awe before the manger as my soul whispers, “Behold, the Lamb.” Amen.
Excerpted from 365 Devotions for Peace by Cheri Cowell, copyright Zondervan.
God with us! The promise to believers of the Holy Spirit living within them! This relationship with God is too much for a human mind to comprehend! But, God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but have eternal life! Abundant life and eternal life are in Jesus!
Believe and truly live!
Pastor Dale