Category: Bible Reading & Meditation
“Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel.” –Zephaniah 3:14 Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. Birthday parties often feature shouting and singing. The birthday boy or girl usually shouts when opening the presents. Then, of course, everybody sings “Happy Birthday.” If Jesus is going to have a real birthday party this Christmas, we must give Him presents that will get Him to shout and “sing joyfully…as one sings at festivals” (Zep 3:17-18). Pretty packages, a cake, and candles will not get Jesus to sing. In fact, it’s difficult to give Him a birthday or Christmas gift because He already...
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“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 Many people like to sit and brood over their problems. If we do this we allow worry to flourish and then we lose hope. Write down your worries clearly and simply. Then calmly pray about each one and scale them down to their real size. Prayerfully confirm that God is in control of every situation and that worry will no longer affect your tranquility and peace of mind. The secret is to take your burdens to God in...
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“Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” –Luke 1:43 During the days of the prophets Micah and Isaiah, things were bad and getting worse. The poor were oppressed, the threat of war overshadowed life, and God’s people were not about to repent. In the midst of this darkness, the Lord gave His people hope by announcing through Micah that someday Someone would be born in Bethlehem Who would bring peace and be Peace (Mi 5:4). God’s people waited over seven-hundred years for the Ruler-Shepherd of Bethlehem. He was named “Jesus,” that is, “Savior,” and...
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“O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked.” –Psalm 71:4 The Lord rescues His people by creating new people. Samson (Jgs 13:24) and John the Baptizer (Lk 1:24) from today’s readings are examples of this. However, our Western society is a “culture of death.” It doesn’t want many new people. It is contraceptive and abortifacient rather than fruitful and pro-life. The Lord rescues His people by calling them to commitment. For example, Samson and John the Baptizer committed themselves to be lifelong Nazirites (Jgs 13:5; Lk 1:15). However, our society believes in avoiding commitment. The Lord rescues...
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” ‘The virgin shall be with Child and give birth to a Son, and they shall call Him Emmanuel,’ a name which means ‘God is with us.’ ” –Matthew 1:23 At the Incarnation, God did the impossible: He became fully human while remaining fully divine. Without sexual relations (Mt 1:20, 25), Mary, God’s mother, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. A star (Mt 2:2) and choirs of angels (Lk 2:13) announced Jesus’ birth. Jesus’ Incarnation was a greater event than the astounding release of the Israelites from their exile in Babylon, and the release from Babylon was greater...
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