Today's Word
You are welcome to use the writings on these pages or pass them on to others who might find a touch from God in the words. Our purpose is always to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you everything, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring these words to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom its been shared. All rights reserved. Peggy Hoppes
Christian Bible Study Pages
Proverbs 31,
A Study on Christian Living
Archives
Travel Pages
Salisbury PlainClimb a Hill, Look at a Rock Day
Our Lord is so good, He grants us many blessings. We can see Him in the daily course of events, in our homes, our jobs, our lives. I pray that these words help you to grow in your faith and recognize His hand in even the most mundane circumstances.
The picture to the right is of a Celtic Chapel located in Cornwall England. This building is approximately 1700 years old, and contains a holy well known for its healing powers.
(Click for enlarged)
“Who is a God like you, who pardons iniquity, and passes over the disobedience of the remnant of his heritage? He doesn’t retain his anger forever, because he delights in loving kindness. He will again have compassion on us. He will tread our iniquities under foot; and you will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:18-19, WEB
Corrie Ten Boom is known around the world as a forgiver. She spent many years in a German concentration camp where she was embarrassed and degraded by so many. The women in the camps were not even able to take a shower without leering eyes watching their naked bodies. The guards never let them alone. The humiliation was great, but she eventually believed that she forgave all who had harmed her, including those creeps. She went on to preach forgiveness to audiences around the world.
One day a man approached her at a speaking engagement in Munich Germany. She immediately recognized him as one of those guards who had humiliated her all those years ago. She suddenly realized that she had not truly forgiven that man. She could not greet him with love or mercy. She could not even shake his hand. She was so ashamed of herself, unable to do what she had preached for so long. The man said to her, “It is wonderful that Jesus forgives us all our sins, just as you say.” She prayed, “Lord, forgive me, I cannot forgive.” She knew as she prayed that she was forgiven, and she was able to forgive.
I doubt any of us have or will face such terrible experiences, but we all have been hurt over the years. It is easy to say “I forgive,” but what happens when we see them again? Can we face them with grace and mercy? Can we even say hello and shake their hands? Can we work or fellowship with them? It is easy to say the words, but very hard to actually act out the forgiveness we are called to give. It is true for those whose faith is weak and for those whose faith is strong. It is impossible for us all without the love and forgiveness of God. We need to truly know God’s forgiveness for ourselves before we will every really know how to forgive others. It is by God’s forgiveness that we can forgive.
The most incredible promise of the Lord our God is that He will forgive us and not remember our sin. He has mercy and compassion on His people. He removes those things that affect our relationship with Him. Unforgiveness builds walls between people that can’t be overcome, and it builds walls that block our relationship with God. Corrie’s lack of forgiveness for the guard made it impossible for her to even speak to him. It is even more difficult when the relationship is with someone close to us. Families have been divided, friendships broken, and workplaces destroyed because people are unable to forgive one another. Those broken relationships then become a barrier that disrupts our life with God.
Corrie was ashamed because she thought she had gotten over the humiliation and anger. She may have even felt like a hypocrite, preaching forgiveness even as she still hurting over what that man had done to her. In her prayer she realized that the only way she could forgive him was to realize that she too was a sinner in need of forgiveness. When she prayed in faith that God does pardon those He loves, she knew it was true. Only then could she forgive. She could forgive because she was forgiven.
That’s how it is for all of us. When we face those that have harmed us, unable to even shake their hand, we can pray the same prayer: “Lord, forgive me, I cannot forgive.” God is faithful to His promises and He will always forgive those who pray in faith. Jesus Christ tramples our iniquities underfoot because He death on the cross fulfilled His promise. We are forgiven. Sometimes we need a reminder, especially when we realize we have not truly forgiven another. When we remember our own sin has been removed, that we have been forgiven, then by His grace we will have the strength to reach out and shake the hand of the one we thought we could never forgive.
If you would like to contact me, please use the following address, replacing the bracketed words with the symbol. Thank you for your continued interest, prayers and messages of encouragement.
A WORD FOR TODAY is available daily through a mailing list. Visit the link below and you will receive the WORD in your box Monday through Friday.
“There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.” Luke 1:5-7, WEB
God was silent during the four hundred years that passed between Malachi and Matthew. The people still believed that God had not forgotten them. They were living by the Law of Moses, but God’s promised Holy Land was occupied by foreigners. They longed for a sign from God, anything to might give them courage to get through their suffering and pain. They longed to hear His voice again, a genuine word that God was still with them. They longed for the fulfillment of the promises.
God promised to send a messenger to prepare the way for the Lord through the prophet Malachi. Isaiah spoke of a voice crying out in the wilderness that would make the people turn to the LORD. This forerunner would preach repentance and baptize the people for the forgiveness of sin. Luke tells us that in the time of Herod king of Judea, that man was born into the house of a priest named Zechariah who was married to a woman named Elizabeth.
We know very little about Zechariah (or Zacharias) and Elizabeth, only what we are told about their role in the birth of Jesus in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, their story lasts a mere seventy-five verses in the Bible. None of the other New Testament writers included them in their stories, but Luke saw their role as important enough to not only include them, but to begin his story with theirs. They mark the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the fulfillment of all God’s promises in Jesus.
When Zechariah was in the Temple on duty, he had a vision of the angel of the Lord who appeared to tell him that his prayers would be answered. Zechariah and Elizabeth would bear a son. The angel gave Zechariah specific instructions about the child: he was to be named John and was never to drink wine or other fermented drinks. The angel promised that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth, and he would bring Israel back to God.
Zechariah asked, “How can I be sure of this?” It was not a surprising question, after all he and Elizabeth were well beyond child-bearing age and Elizabeth was barren. This doubtful response to the message from the angel Gabriel, left Zechariah speechless until the child was born. He was in the Temple longer than normal, and when he came out without his voice, the people knew he had seen a vision. Zechariah went home to Elizabeth, and they conceived a son. Elizabeth praised God for taking away her disgrace. The angel Gabriel went to Mary to give her the news of her own pregnancy and used the miraculous story of her cousin Elizabeth as a sign of the truth of the promise. Mary went to visit Elizabeth and when she heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leapt for joy. Even before he was born, John knew Jesus was the Messiah.
The one thing we do know about Zechariah and Elizabeth is that they were both righteous in God’s eyes, without any fault in keeping God’s commandments. They prayed, studied God’s Word, and lived according to His teachings. They prepared to do God’s will, then God favored them with a child even though it was impossible. Sometimes God’s answers to our prayers come in the most extraordinary ways.
Zechariah and Elizabeth are commemorated today; we learn to be faithful even when it seems that we are not blessed by God through their story. The world around us will seem to prosper and will ridicule us for our struggles, but God has a plan for those who love Him. His plan does not always meet our expectations. Our hearts are shaped by our prayers and our obedience to God’s Word, making us willing to conform to the will of our God who is loving and merciful. Zechariah and Elizabeth lived long and faithful lives but didn’t seem blessed until the very end when God used them in a small but miraculous way. We won’t give birth to the forerunner, but our task will be just as extraordinary when we respond with praise to the life God has given to us, no matter what it holds today. Tomorrow we might just see God’s plan unfold in a miraculous way that will change someone’s life forever.
The following links provide some specially chosen scripture that tell the stories of the Birth and Passion of our Lord as Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as a fictional perspective of the Crucifixion. Spend time in God's Word, read about His life and learn of the wonderful gifts He has for you. Know Jesus Christ and honour Him today. Thanks be to God.
The Story of our Saviour's Passion
The Crucifixion, a fictional perspective
When researching, I use several versions of the bible, including the New International Version and English Standard Version. Due to copyright restrictions, I have not included quotes for the scriptures on some of the archives, but highly encourage you to open your own bibles to read the scripture passages for yourselves. Where scripture is quoted, it is usually the American Standard Version or World English Bible which belong to the public domain. Any other versions used in quotes are identified.
The devotion posted on Wednesday is based on the Lectionary texts used by millions of Christians each Sunday. The Lectionary consists of four texts: an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, a passage from one of the Epistles and a Gospel text and follows the church calendar. Archives for these writings are found at Midweek Oasis.
You are welcome to use these words to share the Gospel of our Lord Jesus. Please remember to give credit to the Author who has given you these gifts, and keep in remembrance the vessel which He used to bring them to you. We pray that this site may be a blessing to you and anyone with whom you've shared it. Peggy Hoppes
 |