We’ve got your daily encouragement, written by Andrea Johnson.
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Bible Reading:
Prophecy
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.
Micah 5:2
Fulfillment
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,
Matthew 2:1
Prophecy
I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
Genesis 12:3
… and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice
Genesis 22:18
Fulfillment
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Matthew 1:1
To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.
Romans 9:5
Word:
The power of knowing where you come from is incredible. Maya Angelou once said, “We are braver and wiser because they existed, those strong women and strong men… We are who we are because they were who they were. So it’s wise to know where you come from, who called your name.” There is so much truth in these words.
As we take the time to unfold the layers of history, we see the prophecy of the one to be ruler over Israel (Micah 5:2) burst forth in Matthew 2 just as foretold. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The lineage provided by Matthew shows Jesus to be King through the family of David from Joseph back to the promises given to Abraham. And we, who have accepted and believed in Jesus, are adopted into this family, into this legacy. We share in the inheritance! We are royalty because we are descendants of the Anointed One, the Messiah!
This wisdom should cause great delight, a joy to bubble up in your spirit! The same revelation inspired the Gaithers to pen the words, “Because he lives I can face tomorrow because He lives, all fear is gone, and life is worth the living just because he lives.” We are strong and brave because of our heritage.
If you don’t know why there is a reason to be so full of joy, remember you are royaltyl God chose you, you are part of His family, you have been called out of darkness into his marvelous light (I Peter 2:9), and He knows you by name.
Merry Christmas dearly beloved.
Prayer:
Father, thank you for reminding me that I am your child and you are my Savior! Thank you that the joy of the Lord is my strength. Would you please help me tap into that joy every day so that I show up as the light you have called me to be on this earth? In Jesus’ name, amen.
Skillwork:
Enjoy today.
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