Zechariah 8:1-23 ~ Revelation 16:1-21 ~ Psalm 144:1-15 ~ Proverbs 30:29-318
Today is December 25th. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. Today is Christmas Day. May we rejoice in the arrival of the Savior of the world.
1st SONG played on today’s DAB “Joy To The World” Francesca Battistelli http://apple.co/2hKhKh9
Merry Christmas, everyone. And on this Christmas morning or afternoon or evening or wherever you are in the world, Christmas blessings to you. Here we are at the beginning of a new week and it is because of Christmas Day that we continue in this rhythm that we have with one another of daily inviting God to speak through his word. So we will continue with that rhythm. It’s a new week and we’ll read from The Voice. And today, from the book of Zechariah, we’ll read chapter 8 verses 1 through 23.
Commentary
And, yes, that proverb is true: As the king goes out with his army. So here on Christmas Day we celebrate the arrival of the infant baby Jesus, but as we are reading through the book of Revelation, we are reading about the second advent, the second coming, arrival of the Savior that we wait for. And, yes, as we read through the book of Revelation, its symbolism can be confusing or even terrifying, but what we’re reading about is the disruption of all things that have set themselves against God. This is what it looks like for the mission that began in Bethlehem to reach its conclusion.
So Jesus came and lived a life that showed us what humanity was supposed to look like and then he gave his life to make it possible and he has left us to do the work of reclaiming the hearts of mankind and then he will come again. The disruption that happened spiritually in the world at his first arrival will be disrupted utterly in his second so that there can be a new heaven and a new earth. If we’re going to have the Christmas Story we have to have the whole story.
Prayer
Father, here we are in between these two advents, these two arrivals. Here we are today in the warmth of our homes around our families or wherever we are or whatever we’re doing celebrating that you would come for us. And the story is deeply heartwarming. All over the world, whether people know it or not, people who have completely rejected you outright are giving gifts in your name today. The world is rejoicing that you came for us. And we are also longing for all things to be made new, for all to be well and right and whole in this world. So Father, as we’re moving toward that, we should, as your children, be moving our own hearts, our own lives, and all of those within our sphere of influence toward this, toward wholeness, because your death, resurrection and ascension, your work in this world has changed humanity utterly. We are reunited with you, so Father, as we move through this day celebrating, contemplating, holding onto the fact that you would come for us, may we also take to heart that this has to mean something, that we are changed, that we are different than we were. And may we live into that. Come Holy Spirit, we pray. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Merry Christmas, everybody. May this day be filled with absolute peace no matter what it is you’re going through in your life and no matter the circumstances, may wholeness flood your soul and the Spirit of the Risen Christ well up within you and may you marvel that your God would not leave you stranded in the darkness. He came for you. And he came for me. And may we give our lives back as an act of worship to him. Merry Christmas.
2nd SONG played on today’s DAB “The Promise” Michael W. Smith http://apple.co/1XVZpup