A Faith that Pleases God
Ephesians 5 calls Christians to walk as children of light, having been...
The humble birth of Jesus is so much more than a baby in a manger. As the heavenly host declares the arrival of Christ the Lord, we see the reaction of angels, shepherds, bystanders and Jesus’ mother - reactions of awe, wonder and celebration. When we come to understand who Jesus is and the salvation he brings, what will our reaction be?
In the midst of our day-to-day successes and struggles it can be easy to miss the larger story that God is weaving through our lives and the world around us. In the busyness of life, there’s value in taking time to pause and remember God’s goodness, watching Him work in us and the people around us.
God works through regular, humble people to do His work in the world. When Mary is told by the angel Gabriel that she’s been chosen to carry the Savior, her response is one of humility and willingness to serve as she gives God the glory. Her example serves as a great reminder that when God works through us, we should give Him our praise and worship.
God is faithful to keep His promises. As He orchestrates His plan and purposes throughout history, God proves His love for us as He hears our prayers and perfectly provides for us. As God reveals His answer to Zechariah’s prayer for a child, He reminds us all of His goodness.
The Gospel of Luke is the most detailed and comprehensive telling of the life and ministry of Jesus. It presents Jesus, the hero of the gospel, in every aspect: teacher, servant, healer, miracle worker, savior and king. A study of Luke’s gospel is to encounter the fullness of who Jesus is, leaving the reader with no choice but to make a decision: is Jesus your Lord?
The end of Jonah’s story reminds us of the danger of judging others as ‘unworthy’ of God’s grace. The truth is that we’re all sinners in need of God’s grace. The grace and mercy we receive through Jesus Christ should motivate us to want to share that good news with everyone around us, no matter our perception of them from the outside. Every person on earth is someone God desires to reach with His gospel. Will you go and tell who God is calling you to?
When we think about sharing our faith with others, it can be easy to assume some people aren’t ready to hear it. Maybe they don’t have an interest in spiritual things, or they’re even hostile to the idea of God. But in reality, we can never know what work God is doing in someone’s heart. The story of Jonah in Nineveh proves that the people who appear to be far from God might actually be ripe to hear the gospel. Jesus’ call to us to ‘go and make disciples’ isn’t limited to just the people WE think are ready to hear it. Our job is simply to be faithful to tell others - everyone - and let God do the work inside their hearts that only He can do.
In our lowest moments, where do we turn? As Christians, we’ll all experience times in life where God has our full attention. Jonah’s prayer from inside the belly of a fish is a picture of what humble submission to God’s plan looks like. In his time of distress, Jonah turned his heart to recognize that only God has the power to deliver us.
The story of Jonah is a picture of God’s mercy as He reveals His plan to reach people who are far from Him. His call to Jonah to bring His message to Ninevah is the same call Jesus gives every single Christian: go and make disciples of all nations. The times when we follow Jonah’s footsteps and run from God’s call, God’s mercy and grace is revealed as He pursues us, using often-miraculous means to transform our hearts to be more like His.
Simply put, Christians are people who follow Jesus Christ. Through his life and teaching, Jesus gave us both a model to follow and incredible words to live by. So how do we make sure that we’re following Jesus well in our day-to-day life? How do we follow Jesus in the midst of our work, family, hobbies, joys and struggles? As we look ahead to a new year, now is the perfect time to commit to following Jesus in every aspect of our lives.
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