A king is coming! Of that we can be certain. His arrival was foretold nearly three thousand years ago. He was brought to us by the zeal of His father. A heavenly father so powerful and so in love with His beautiful Son and His beloved creation that all the forces in the universe could not stop this incredible miracle.
Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV)
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Zeal is synonymous with the word, passion. Our Heavenly Father was jealously passionate to send the world His Only Begotten Son, so that we might have eternal life with Him.
John 3:16 (AMP)
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
What are we passionate about? What do we get excited about and look forward to with great enthusiasm? Is it a long-awaited promotion? A new job? A move? At Christmas, many children excitedly look forward to presents under the tree, special cookies, and time off from school. But are these long-lasting gifts that will be remembered? Can we remember the first time we asked Jesus Christ into our hearts and made Him Lord over all? (Romans 10:13) Wasn’t that a lasting change that has endured the joys and tears of our lives? Has the heart of passion for Jesus faded due to hardships, sickness, or delayed hopes? Have we put our dreams, our heart’s desires on the “back burner”?
Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.
This is the “season of the King” and our hopes and dreams can be reignited from the truths in the Word of God. As we reflect on the birth of God’s Son this Christmas season, let us also reflect on the zeal of the Lord. How can we not be in awe of a God, who with fervent compassion for His creation, sent His only begotten Son so that we may live. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts has done great and mighty things for us. Let us rejoice in all things and be filled with the joy of the Lord. In His presence is fullness of joy! (Psalm 16:11) The song “Joy to the World” describes how men and creation declare the wonders of the Father’s love.
♪ Joy to the World
Joy to the world! the Lord is come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world! the Savior reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonder wonders of His love ♪
Luke 2:10-12 (NKJV)
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
We wish a very joyful and blessed Christmas season to all our readers and their families.
~ Sarah and Joanne
