Tag Archives: promise

Advent: Jesus as Our Shepherd

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2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
one whose origins are from the distant past.
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
for he will be highly honored around the world.
5 And he will be the source of peace.

– Micah 5:2-5

Like many of us today, the Israelites felt overwhelmed and disappointed. Other nations had stolen their land and their possessions. They felt like God had let them down.

But the Bible tells us that God never abandons His people. He is always there, and He always comes through.

Jesus’ birth was the prime example of God’s protection. When the Israelites were bummed out, God sent His Son to save the world. Acting a shepherd, Jesus now guides His followers into truth and protects them from the enemy’s attacks.

So when life seems turbulent, never forget that God has provided us with a Good Shepherd. Jesus brings peace, not only to us, but to people around the entire world. With Christ guiding us, we are safe and secure.

Prayer: God, thank you for sending your Son to be our leader and protector. Whenever we face violence and disturbance in life, we know that You are strong enough to protect us. Forgive us for worrying about our troubles, and today, may Jesus Christ be our source of security and peace.

Beginning of Advent

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14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
(Gen. 3:15)

Thousands of years beforehand, God planned Jesus’ birth.

God’s plan was not to make everyone wealthy or to give us political victory, but to save the world from sin. Adam and Eve fell short of God’s glory by sinning against Almighty God, just as we have all sinned. Yet in the midst of our sin, God promised that He would provide a Savior to save us from our sins.

As early as Genesis 3, God explained what his plan would be: He would provide an offspring of Eve to overcome the devil. This incredible promise, following Adam and Eve’s sin, was revealed to us in Jesus Christ. All of humanity longed for this long-awaited Savior to defeat the deceiver, and with Christ’s birth, God fulfilled His promise to save His people from their sins.

Prayer: Lord, help us to remember the true meaning of Christmas this year. With all of the hustle and bustle that surrounds us, please help us to remember your incredible promise to save the world. This Christmas, help us to look beyond ourselves and to recognize the victory that only comes through Jesus Christ. Amen.