Lamentations 3:22-23 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
A major upheaval in American politics is on the horizon as the Supreme Court will release a verdict in a few weeks re-deciding the issue of abortion across the land. For us who recognize the fundamental value of human life from conception, the decision has enormous portent and consequence, both spiritual and natural.
Pregnancy in a woman involves the intimate, meticulous development of a human life in her womb. The Hebrew word for womb is "rechem". The verb, "rachem" (with the same root letters) means to love, to love deeply, to have mercy and to be compassionate. The connection in Hebrew between "womb" and "love" or "compassion" is literally visceral. A mother's love for her baby, so natural, deep, tender and compassionate, beautifully exemplifies our Father’s love for us. He is compassionate and merciful toward his human creatures.
The Hebrew for "tender mercy" or "compassion" is "rachamim"; another (plural) word with the same root letters. The connection to a woman's womb and her intimate, visceral connection with her growing child, is obvious. A baby in the womb is lovingly protected, sheltered, and nurtured up to the moment of birth.
When discussing the Kingdom of God with Nicodemus the Lord Yeshua said, "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God". This rebirth, a spiritual one "from above", is a profound spiritual parallel to natural birth, and is characterized by the same, even deeper, love, compassion and mercy, of our Heavenly Father.
We are spiritually birthed by, through, and into the compassion and mercy of God. If we truly appreciate the precious relationship between a birth mother and the infant growing in her womb, how much more might we receive the deep comfort of the spiritual birth we have experienced through faith in the Messiah. By His tender mercy, it's a comfort which is not ever "aborted", but continues "new every morning"... even forever.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The apostle Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians contains clear and powerful exhortations concerning the will of God for believers. These exhortations express the specific will of God in relationships with others, with ourselves, and with the Lord. Packed into these short verses are patterns of life and behavior which receive His blessing in all these relationships.
In this day and age, I’m convinced that it’s more imperative than ever to learn to rest! The famed preacher, C.S. Spurgeon, once wrote, “Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength… It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”
In the days of Yeshua (Jesus), the cross was an instrument of death, and crucifixion, a horrible method of torture. Over the next 200 years, in light of the Lord’s resurrection, the cross became identified with Christian faith and was transformed into a symbol of life and hope. Yeshua was able to turn it upside down, transforming an instrument of death into a symbol of life.
When I was growing up, we used to have fire drills in school at least once a year. The fire alarm went off, causing you to shake from the sudden loud bell momentarily, but it was only seconds before you knew.... it was only a drill; you really didn't expect a fire. Nevertheless, everyone present was expected to rush out the door (in an orderly fashion) to the parking lot. It was a nice break from class, that yearly fire drill.
Our true value was expressed at the cross of Messiah, where God valued us according to the redemptive work of His only Son. In the light of our identity in Christ our value is inestimable. We are worthy in Him. Much of our spiritual battle, however, is about maintaining and expressing our true identity and worth, day by day.
Recently, Israel announced it was expanding the Pool of Siloam, which they estimated was about an acre and a half in size. The Pool of Siloam is where Jesus sent the blind man to wash [John 9:6-7] and where he regained his sight. Some scholars believe this was where the first 3,000 souls were baptized upon hearing the gospel in Acts 2. [Acts 2:41]
As we enter a New Year, remember the one constant true for everyone, rich or poor, male or female: each of us is given 8,760 hours in a Gregorian calendar year. That is, 1,440 minutes a day, or 525,600 minutes a year. Sounds like a lot, yet have you noticed how time flies these days?