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The True Scope of Life
Andrea Lende • August 14, 2021
Matthew 1:21
The True Scope of Life
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/The-True-Scope-of-Life-e15tu9t
Matthew 1:21
“She will bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus [the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, which means Savior], for He will save His people from their sins [that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God].”
For years I wondered what my purpose on this earth was.
It was the topic of conversation for at least a decade of my life.
I asked the question so many times and sought the Lord for an answer.
One day I heard a gentle whisper say, “It is to worship Me.”
My soul was quieted, relieved, and satisfied.
The question of the meaning of life was answered in a way I could understand.
So, every time I see a glimpse of that answer in His Word, I must share it.
In our passage today, an angel of the Lord had appeared to Joseph in a dream.
We know Joseph intended to quietly break his engagement to Mary when he discovered she was pregnant.
But the angel in his dream advised him otherwise.
Joseph was told Mary would have a son Who was to be called Jesus.
He told Joseph his Son was to save the people from their sins which is further translated to be, “that is, prevent them from failing and missing the true end and scope of life, which is God.”
The true scope of life is God.
I would add it is to recognize Him as the one true God.
To worship Him.
To praise Him for His greatness.
Life will most definitely have its twists and turns, setbacks and heartaches but through it all our Lord reigns.
He is the reason we exist.
He is our Maker.
He desires relationship with His creation.
He desires our admiration and praise.
I have found that when I keep my eyes on Him, He pierces through the chaos, difficulties, and trials of my life with His peace.
Today I choose to worship the Lord and pray He helps me keep Him in the center of my heart and mind.
May you find the Lord is leading you into close relationship with Him as you move through this thing we call life.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for reminding me to keep You the center of my world. Help me worship You with my whole heart. Help me worship You in times of trial and in times of rejoicing. Keep my eyes on You. Keep my heart soft toward You, so I can hear the gentle whispers You so lovingly whisper to my soul. May Your desires be my desires. May my will bend to Yours, Lord. May the rest of my life be lived in service to You. Thank You for sending Your Son to save me and grant me a deep relationship with You. Keep me Yours for all eternity. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I have made you for My special purpose My child and I will keep You Mine forever.
Response: Undeservedly Yours, Lord. Thank You for choosing me to know You and worship You.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.