Category: Encouragement For The Downcast

² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. ~ Micah 5:2

This is Micah’s Christmas prophecy that came to pass over 2,000 years ago when Jesus was born of a virgin, the virgin Mary, right there in Bethlehem Ephrathah. It was just a little place with a little name but a huge promise. Ephrathah, though small and insignificant, would be the birthplace of the Promised Messiah. A ruler so great that there will be no end to His rule nor a transfer of His power. He will have an everlasting kingdom with an everlasting throne.

If such a great promise was spoken over an insignificant place, and fulfilled, how much more us who are called by His name can look forward to great things? We do not have to be from a huge, important city. Nor do we have to have an earthly royal bloodline. Our name does not have to be great upon the earth in order for God to give us great promises. He uses the humble, the meek, and the insignificant and raises them up to greatness.

So, just because you were not born wealthy or come from a prominent family does not mean that God will overlook you. All you have to do is to be a willing vessel and God will fill you and use you. Even if you are broken, just like the potter fixes marred vessels, God will put you back together and mold you into a useful vessel. He is the repairer of the breach and all that is broken.

That is our Christmas promise from our LORD and Savior. He will love us, use us, and take care of us, no matter who we are or where we come from, as long as we are willing and obedient. That is His promise to us.

Father, thank You that I don’t have to be rich and famous for You to see and recognize me. But that you take notice of the lowly and the unimportant. I totally submit to you, LORD Jesus, make me a useful vessel that You can use, although I’m worn and broken. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. ~ Micah 5:2

Micah prophesied that a ruler so great that there will be no end to His rule, nor a transfer of His power will come from this place, Bethlehem Ephrathah. This is Micah’s Christmas prophecy of the coming Messiah that was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth. The Savior of the whole world. This Messiah, Jesus Christ, will inherit an everlasting kingdom, and an everlasting throne.

How is this possible, when kingdoms rise and fall all of the time? There has never been an everlasting kingdom. It will happen because His coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. In other words, His origin is from eternity. Jesus did not begin to exist at the time of His birth. Jesus existed even before time began. For John 1:1-5 declares that it was through the Word, Jesus, that all things was made and without Him, not one single thing was created that was created. Jesus is not only the author and finisher of our faith, but He is the creator and upholder of all that exist in heaven and on earth and in the seas and oceans.

Not only is Jesus the ruler of an everlasting kingdom, but there will be no usurpers in His kingdom. No wars, nor lawlessness. No lack, nor want. No fear, nor dread. Only love, joy, peace, and the fulfillment of a true utopia. The sun will not even burn down on the heads of the citizens of that kingdom, because Jesus will be our light, and the Father will be our supplier.

Let us, therefore, live to this end. Let us purposefully live so that we will be chosen to enter into that kingdom when Jesus comes back to make up His jewels. We are His jewels. We who love Him and keep His commandments, and who look forward with a strong, burning desire to His return.

Father, thank You for choosing me. Thank You that You gave me the opportunity to live for You. Now strength me this Christmas so that I might make my election and calling sure. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

¹⁴ All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the House of the LORD that He had made holy in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against His people, until there was no remedy. ~ 2 Chronicles 36:14-16

According to the Scripture, it was not only the people but the officers of the priests who were unfaithful. Actually, it was the officers that were listed first, suggesting that it was them that led the people into following all the abominations of the nations around them. Meaning that they got caught up in idol worship. The worship of false gods. But not only were they unfaithful, but they were exceedingly unfaithful. Thus, they polluted the House of God with their idols.

Yet God was compassionate with them, not wanting wrath and judgment but mercy and grace. But the people would not listen. In fact, they mocked the messengers that God had sent. By scoffing at His prophets, the people despised God’s words. They did this until their time of grace ran out, and there was no more remedy for them. So, God had no choice but to pour out His wrath on them.

Now, understand this. It was not their personal failure that sent the nation into exile, but rather, it was their corporate decision to reject the LORD their God, Who had brought them up out of the land of slavery into a good and spacious land. A land flowing with milk and honey. They chose to reject the goodness and the mercy of their God for the lies and deceit of the enemy.

Therefore, God had no choice but to send them into exile as He had threatened.

How does that affect me? Well, the lesson here, I believe, is that personal failures, not even those done out of your own self-will, will separate you from God if you will do as David did, repent before the LORD, and not do it again. Always remember, we have an advocate in heaven by the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who makes intercessions for us day and night.

But what will permanently separate you from God is your open rebellion and your blatant rejection of Him by choosing other gods and despising His Word. If you have strayed away from God, repent. Ask for forgiveness and come back to Him; the Father is waiting with open arms. He loves you much more than you even know.

Father, I have sinned; please forgive me. I repent before You with a broken heart. I am so sorry for my rebellious actions. Thank You, Jesus, for Your shed blood that cleanses me from all sin and shame. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

³ So His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. ⁴ For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” ⁵ For not even His brothers believed in Him ⁶ Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. ⁷ The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. ⁸ You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” ⁹ After saying this, He remained in Galilee. ~ John 7:3-9

Jesus’ brothers were on their way to the Feast of Booths, but before they left, they spoke with Jesus. They attempted to cast doubt into Jesus’ mind because they themselves doubted. That’s really hard. It’s actually discouraging when not even your family wants to be a part of your ministry.

See, the Devil will use those closest to us in order to try to cast doubt into our minds. Not everyone will see the LORD’s call for your life. Not everyone will believe it; they’ll even try to discourage you. Here’s the thing tho, even though other people may not believe, if you believe, God will be faithful to you. He will see you through. Jesus didn’t have the support of His brothers, but He had the support of His Father. God’s support is all that truly matters.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Believe Regardless of Others.

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! ~ Psalms 107:1

God is good even when things are happening in your life that are out of your control. Even when you are suffering terribly and God seems to be far away. Understand this, His love is never far away, even in those instances, for His love is a steadfast love that is forever. There is nothing that can come between or separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Paul said in Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” Well, the short answer to these questions are a resounding NO. Nothing can or will separate us from the love of God because God is good, and He wants good for us, even when it does not seem like it. But even in trials and the tribulations, which are hard for us Christians who live in the West with all our freedoms that we enjoy to imagine, God is still good.

But there are those living in our world who are not so fortunate. They suffer all of those things for God: persecution, tribulation, and even death, yet they believe in His goodness, and they trust in His steadfast love. Just yesterday, I read about an Egyptian Christian who was kidnapped, tortured, killed, and then mutilated until unrecognizable and then fed to the dogs. Even in horrific events like that, God is still good. His love is still a steadfast love.

We look at the temporal, but God considers the eternal, which is by far the best. Suffering in this world is not even a second in eternity. Paul said, for him to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Because no one can even imagine the good things that God has in store for everyone who loves Him and is obedient to His commands.

The very last verse (Psalms 107:43) says, “Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the LORD.” So, let us consider, think, ponder, meditate on, and celebrate the goodness of God, for He alone is good.

Father, thank You that You are good, and Your steadfast love is forever. Help me to consider and understand Your goodness, even in times when it does not seem like You are around or that You even care. Help me to hold on and to never doubt Your goodness to me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

⁴ Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: ⁵ Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. ⁶ Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. ⁷ But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. ~ Jeremiah 29:4-7.

This is the beginning of a letter that God had Jeremiah send to the Israelites in captivity to encourage them. Think about this. They were in punishment for abandoning their God. But listen to the letter. Build houses and enjoy your house. Plant gardens and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Go on and get married and have a family, and then let your children also get married and have families of their own. I don’t just want you to increase and not decrease, but I want you to multiply.

Understand that multiplication is way much more than addition. God’s mercy is so great that even when He punishes His people for wrongdoing, He can’t help Himself by blessing them because of His steadfast love. Please realize that God was very angry with them, yet in His anger, He remembered mercy, and in His wrath, He remembered to bless. That is mind-blowing. That would be like us putting our children in timeout because of their disobedience and bad behavior, then turning the TV set toward them so that while they are in timeout, they can watch a little TV while munching on their favorite snack on a nice soft cushion.

The letter goes on to say that after seventy years, I myself (the LORD God) will come and visit them and bring them back to the place He had promised them. Their own homeland of Jerusalem in Judah. He will give them back their land. It is amazing that even in punishment, God’s mercy is very, very great. You can never outlive or run away from God’s mercy. He doesn’t want them miserable in their punishment, He want them to have hope and be comforted in their hope. It’s just amazing.

Thank You, Father, for Your great mercy that does not end and for Your steadfast love that endures forever. Help me never to take advantage of Your great mercy and Your steadfast love. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.