Foundations Dec 15, 2010

Wednesday, December 15, 2010
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Ezekiel 4-6 and Hebrews 13

SCRIPTURE READING

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV); Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Luke 1:34-35 (NIV); “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

God was coming to earth in an unconventional way, an impossible way. But it was all in accordance with the words spoken by the prophet Isaiah. Strange how the Jews accepted the plausibility of such a miracle when it was a prophecy but scorned it when it became a reality. As the Apostle Paul said, “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (see 1 Cor. 1:22-23). The Jews demanded signs, but when they received signs they demanded more. The Greeks wanted explanation without the miraculous, but God is not confined to natural means. The cross, and even the virgin birth, was a stumbling block – one sign too little and one explanation too far-fetched. But it was God in the pilot seat of redemption. The message of Christ will always be a stumbling block to those who immerse themselves in the world’s wisdom, but to those who seek truth it will be a joy and their salvation.

PRAYER and MEDITATION

1.       What are some miracles that the Lord has done in your life? Ask God to open your eyes to the incredible things He has done for you.

2.       Ask God to show you how you have ever brushed off the miraculous. How have you been blinded to the miracles of God in your life? How have you justified something good as your own doing rather than God’s?

3.       Do you act more like the Jews who demanded more signs from God, or the Greeks who constantly wanted more physical proof and explanation? How is this evident? Ask Jesus how this is affecting your walk with Him. Confess any areas of unbelief or lack of faith.

4.       Where does your faith need to be increased in your life? Ask the Lord to show you and spend some time in prayer.