"I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen." (Luther's Morning Prayer)
Day 341 - (Today’s Bible readings: Isaiah 6:1-13; Psalm 129; 1 Corinthians 15:50-16:4)
THE MANGER AND THE CROSS
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:56-57 ESV)
We’re less than three weeks away from Christmas, the time to celebrate the miraculous birth of Jesus and the manger of Bethlehem. Our reading for today points us to the reason that we sing “Joy to the World” this time of year. Mankind’s fiercest enemies are sin, death and the devil. Paul assures us that we are winners in Christ who was born in the manger so that He could die on the cross for us. The power behind our victory over sin, death and the devil is God’s love for us. We sing about these biblical points this way:
God rest ye merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember, Christ, our Saviour
Was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
(by dying on the cross)
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
Comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your victorious cross. Please use me to proclaim Your tidings of comfort and joy to our dying world. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
No comments:
Post a Comment