We’ve got your daily encouragement, written by Aaron Martell.
Bible Reading:
“’I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the Lord Almighty.”
Malachi 3:1
“7 As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?…
10 This is the one about whom it is written: “‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’”
Matthew 11:7, 10
Word:
In 490 BC Pheidippides ran from a battlefield in Marathon to the citadel in Athens, Greece to announce the good news of victory. Since 1896, the first modern Olympics, people have run the traditional distance of 26.2 miles, the marathon as a part of competition or enjoyment (which I can hardly believe, as I struggled with my ½ marathon).
Pheidippides was considered a herald, or an “evangelist” declared to bring good news. Interesting enough, Malachi was written approximately 433 BC, and Malachi means “messenger”. But notice, his message was not a message of victory on the battlefield, which was drawn my men and egos. No, Malachi, as a messenger was proclaiming, heralding, news of the ultimate messenger of Love, Joy, Hope, and Redemption.
In Malachi 3:1, the messenger Malachi, is pointing to another messenger, one to come in 400+ years, to point people to the Ultimate Messenger, Jesus. It is amazing to see that Malachi was pointing to John the Baptist who was pointing to Jesus.
Interesting enough, in Matthew, Jesus challenges the crowd with this question, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind?” What were you curious about in the wilderness? Someone who will just do whatever society says? Whatever will sway them towards belief? Or were you searching for something different, something radical, something life giving?
John the Baptist was pointing to the Light in the darkness, the Way in the wilderness, the Joy of good news. What are you heralding? What are you pointing others to? What are you running after?
Nothing wrong with running, but if we are simply running after the things of this world, which will fade away. Or if we are pointing people to ourselves or look what we’ve done. Then we are missing the original messengers and the original message. May we be heralds, messengers who point people to ultimate Joy, Hope, Light, Love.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I thank you that you brought the message of great joy, to Malachi, which pointed the way to John the Baptist, who pointed to the greatest Joy, Jesus. May what I run after in life point others to that same message of Joy, Jesus, who is born as a Light in the darkness, a Way in the wilderness, and Redemption for the captive. Amen
Skillwork:
Spend some journaling and reflecting on these questions:
- If you don’t know the message of Jesus, as the Ultimate Joy, Light, Way, and Redemption, who in your life can you be pointed towards to hear that more clearly? Or simply ask God now to make that clearer in your heart and mind.
- What is the message you are sharing with your life? If it isn’t Jesus or the truth of Jesus what needs to change?
- How are you pointing others to the message of Jesus? With words, actions, and how you love others well?
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