We’ve got your daily encouragement, written by Hannah Puder.
Bible Reading:
Prophecy:
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”Micah 5:2Fulfillment:
“… He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:32-33
Word:
Of the over 300+ prophecies given in the Old Testament regarding Christ’s birth, today we look at Micah 5:2 and the promise of Jesus ruling as King of Israel.
To the Jews who steeped themselves in the ancient prophecies, they anticipate a mighty warrior to come and rescue them from their oppressors, the Roman Empire. They waited hundreds of years in hopes of seeing these prophecies fulfilled, each generation yearning to see the Messiah in their lifetime. Yet in the fullness of time, Jesus came not as the king they were expecting, but as the Redeemer of both Jews and Gentiles (Galatians 4:4-7).
Even the disciples did not fully understand that Jesus did not come to overthrow the Roman’s iron grip on the Jewish people. They continually bickered, contending on who would rule alongside Jesus as his right-hand commander (Luke 9:46, Mark 10:35-39).
Often, what we believe for does not always manifest the way we think it should. Yet, the fulfillment of God’s promises are even better: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21 NJKV).
If Jesus had merely come and physically ruled as King of Israel, the Laws of the Old Testament would still have to be followed to the letter. Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection not only fulfilled the Law, but abolished the Law so that we no longer live under the curse of sin (Galatians 3:13), which in and of itself, is a fulfillment of another prophecy (Deuteronomy 21:22-33).
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you that Your Word is true and that every promise given in Your Word will be manifested in my life. By faith, I believe that these promises will come to pass and I ask that You would give me wisdom and strength to walk in the fulfillment of Your Word manifesting in my life (James 1:5, Matthew 7:7). In Jesus’ name, amen.
Skillwork:
What promises has the Lord given you either through His Word or through His Spirit that you have not yet been fulfilled? Write those promises down and find corresponding Scripture verses that fulfill those promises. Meditate on the Word. Extend your faith, regardless of the circumstances, to believe that God is faithful to fulfill His promises. He has a 300+ track record of keeping His Word. It’s the working of our faith that produces the fulfillment of the promise (James 1:3&4).
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