16th. December. 2020. Daily Devotion.
2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’ 3 Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labour bears a son, and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. 4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.5 And he will be our peace Micah 5:2-5
Micah lived roughly 700 years before the birth of Christ. Here he predicts that the saviour of Israel will be born in the tiny town of Bethlehem Ephrathah. There were two towns called “Bethlehem” in Canaan; one of them had been previously called Ephrathah, so Micah uses the word to specify which of them he meant. And there is no confusion — this is the exact town in which Christ was born seven centuries later. The area was actually famous from early in Hebrew history, as the birthplace of Benjamin (and the home of the small tribe that remained under the rule of David’s blood descendants after the split of the Kingdom of Israel.)
This passage is, truly, one of the great miracles of the Bible, for it is historically proven that the prophecy was made prior to 701 BC, when Micah died. The birth of Jesus of Nazareth in that very town, and his role as the saviour of Israel (and all of humanity), standing and shepherding his flock in the strength of the Lord, “great to the ends of the earth,” can be nothing except the fulfilment of this ancient prophecy.
Prayer to Dedicate This Day to God
Holy God, as I face another day, I know I am going to face many challenges: to my faith, to my patience, to my love for others. I am going to have constant temptations to lapse into sin. Come to me now, Lord, and stay with me all day. Let your Spirit encompass my mind. Let me know your presence. Steer my hand, direct my words, guide my thoughts in everything I think, say, and do. I resolve to live this day as a beacon of your glory, the best I can, with your help. I commit myself to give this day to you. In the name of Christ, be with me and help me. Amen.
Prayer to be Free of Anger
Lord Christ, you taught us that anger with our brethren is a violation of your law, that it condemns us just as murder condemns us. Let me see clearly that anger is moral filth, as your servant James taught us. And yet, anger arises in my mind. [Pause to remember occasions when you have been angry recently.] I repent my anger, and ask that I be forgiven for this sin, by my faith in you.
Holy Spirit be with me now and help me to recognize my anger instead of denying it. Teach me to forgive each and every act that makes me angry. Where I have been directly offended, grant me the spirit of forgiveness; where I have become angry over what I have seen other people do or heard them say, imbue me with such a powerful sense of acceptance that my anger will disappear. Let me remember always, Holy God, that I am not in charge of the world; You are. Give me total faith that you know what you are doing.
I pray not to live with suppressed anger, nor to deceive myself by denying my anger when I have merely suppressed it, but let it be utterly abolished within me. Grant me true forgiveness, that I might live in love and peace, as my Saviour did and taught us to do. Let my anger be crucified, I pray in your name, Lord Christ, Amen.
Dear Lord, we lift to You our concern for people who are more likely than others to become severely ill from COVID-19 — the elderly and people with chronic health conditions. Protect them from harm and be their comfort in this time of uncertainty and, for many, preventive isolation from loved ones. We pray this especially during the upcoming season when people may be tempted to risk relaxing their vigilance because they wish to see those whom they love. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
