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December 14, 2012
***Join us for Day 6 of The Festival of Lights journey (see link below).
Day 39
Enduring Hand of God
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Dear Praying Friend,
In the book of Matthew we read the account of Jesus' birth and the visitation of the Magi. They were overjoyed to find the house where the promised king was and bowed down and worshiped him. "Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh" (Matthew 2:11). In the Scriptures gifts were given on two occasions: for weddings, and to pay tribute to a conquering king. The gift of gold was presented as a symbol of His royalty. It was a suitable gift for the occasion because of how valuable it is. Another aspect of gold that beautifully reflects the character of our Lord is its enduring quality - it doesn't rust or dissolve away, and it always retains its beauty. Our Lord, Who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, is the Everlasting unchanging God. He has no beginning and He will never end. His love for us is "the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus Christ was born into this world as a rare and priceless treasure to become the beautiful inlay that would be engraved upon our hearts forever. He became for us the greatest treasure ever given, God's only begotten Son, who would be sacrificed on our behalf so we could be with Him forever. He came as a gentle baby, but will soon return as our conquering King (Revelation 19:11-16)!
As we meditate on Psalm 102:12-17 today, the psalmist, who had been set on fire in our reading yesterday, has taken on a new tone - his attention is no longer on the unbearable pain in his body, instead he looks to the enduring power of the Lord. It is here that he probably came to the realization that his pain and suffering were only for a season, a short span of time, much like his life, but the Lord is unchanging and everlasting.
"Your name, O LORD, endures forever,
your renown, O LORD, through all generations.
For the LORD will vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants."
(Psalm 135:13-14)
Dear Heavenly Father,we come before You in praise. You are from everlasting to everlasting. You are the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. What You start You complete and how blessed we are that You have made us part of Your wonderful plan. Thank You that in our difficulty we can come to You at any time. You never fail us - You will never leave us nor forsake us. Thank You for helping us to see that, although the world is changing You always remain the same. You are a wonderful treasure that we can put our hope, our faith, and our life in. More than ever Lord we must remain faithful that Your plans will prevail, no matter what we are going through, the circumstances surrounding are being used for your glory. Your name and renown are the desires of our heart, we will wait upon You, Lord. Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
Steadfast in prayer,
Traci Alexander
Trumpet and Torch Ministries
Psalm 27
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Prayer Scripture References: Deuteronomy 31:6; Psalm 41:13 ;Isaiah 26:8; Revelation 1:8 |
