The writers of Encouraging.com are celebrating their fifteen year landmark by making their 365 daily devotional book, God Moments, available as a free digital download! A total of thirty-six GABC writers have faithfully captured “moments of God’s presence” in their lives to encourage your own spiritual journey. You can find God Moments on amazon.com, iTunes, and BarnesandNoble.com.


NIV is used unless otherwise noted.



The Work of Christmas . . . to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners.” 
Luke 4:18


When the song of the angels is stilled
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the Kings and Princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flocks,
The work of Christmas begins: 
To find the lost…To heal the broken
To feed the hungry…To release the prisoner
To rebuild the nations…To bring peace among brothers and sisters
To make music in the heart.
—Howard Thurman (1899-1981)

Ladies, the Reverend Howard Thurman worshipfully framed Jesus’ proclamation from Isaiah in his captivating poem, set to music by Dan Forrest. I came across it last December at my grandson’s Christmas choir concert. Could hardly wait to share it with you. I am so guilty of getting caught up in the angels and the carols and the star of Bethlehem, in the wise men and the shepherds. You too? How convicting, to be jarred back to the reality of the work of Christmas, the work Jesus was born to do.  

To preach good news to the poor pinpoints Jesus stated mission to mankind. The shepherds got it straight from the mouths of the heavenly host that Christmas day so long ago: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). A Savior. Mankind was in desperate need of a Savior. Good news is an understatement.

Jesus, now grown, fresh from His desert temptation (Luke 4:1-13), says He’s anointed and ready to define the good news for them. All these years they have been prisoners of the law, poor, paupers, far short of the glory of God. The law is no longer the way. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6), says Jesus. “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40).

Confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9), and you are free, free, free!


Nancy P
Posted by encouraging.com
ARCHIVES

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)