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October 13th, 2022
Scripture
Devotion
The birth of Christ gives hope for us to move from tyranny to God’s kingdom. Christmas is the universal message of future restoration. It is the prophetic celebration of the coming kingdom of God. I think that in order for this kingdom to be actualized, there should be a removal of corrupt governance (34:1-10). We are living in a time of leadership that lacks quality and integrity. There are moral and spiritual failures everywhere. I believe the Lord is personally concerned when His people are governed under greed, oppression, and injustice.
There should be a restoration of God’s order (34:11-22). The shepherds have failed the flock. The leaders have failed the people. The comfort we have is that God is on our side. The God we serve calls us, provides for us, and leads us in kindness towards His character. Christmas rings clearly when He says, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them…so will I look after my sheep” (34:11-12). Christmas is a message of hope for the restoration of God’s order.
And when order is restored, I believe there will be a reign of peace (34:23-31). In reassuring us of the restoration of order, God continues to shower us with His blessings. And those blessings include a new servant leader (34:23-24). A leader of David’s line. This is the Messiah, Christ, the Son of the living God. His task is that of caring, being a prince over us, ruling over our lives. He is the King who cares, and the King who leads. Christmas is the time to experience His care of love and sovereign rule in our hearts. These two verses teach us that the Messiah is both the servant and the prince. This gives us the term servant leadership.
We will also be blessed with full and perfect peace (34:25-29). A covenant of peace means a covenant in which there will be wholeness and harmony. It is shalom, the absence of any strife. Christmas is the season of shalom, which is the welfare of all God’s creation, and the enjoyment of all joyful freedom from conflict in all the relationships between the humanity and nature, and with God. The Messiah, Christ was born in order that we can live and experience safety and security (34:25, 27, 28). This is the full and perfect peace.
And we will be blessed with a full restoration of the covenant relationship (34:25, 30-31). Christ enters special relationship with us as we invite Him into our lives. The crescendo of Christmas message and purpose is that we know that He is God because we are in relationship with Him. We become one with God. Christmas is God coming to people and dwelling with them. Christmas is a season of seeing Christ as a Shepherd of our souls, always leading us with love and care.
Inspirational Image of the Day
