A Prayer To Live The Life God Created Us To Live - Fearless, Holy, Righteous

 DECEMBER 22 – Fearless, Holy, Righteous

There are so many wonderful characters and scenes in the Christmas story - especially the lead-up events. 

Here we are just a few days before the celebration.  For kids the anticipation is growing even during this unique celebration of 2020 during the pandemic.

Zechariah - the father of John the Baptist - prayed out an amazing prophecy about the coming of Jesus - the one God was providing for His people to save them from their enemies.  I was struck today with the purpose behind that saving.  Let me read the words from the Bible and explain what I mean.

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago.

Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham.

We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live.

Luke 1:68-75

We have such a great purpose for living each day - a purpose given to us by God who lovingly created us and then saved us from the troubles that came our way in this sinful and broken world.  It is God's heart for us that we would live without fear, that we would live beautiful lives that are free from ugliness and filth, and that we would speak and act rightly for as long as we live.  What an amazing life that can be for each of us.

This has always been God's heart for us from the time we were in His mind before the world was created.  This is the life for which God was willing to give His all - give Himself in the form of His beloved son Jesus - Jesus born in Bethlehem that we  celebrate at Christmas and Jesus who died on Mount Calvary in Jerusalem for our sins that we celebrate every spring at Easter.

One devotional writer I look to each day typed this prayer:

Redeeming God, Rescue us.  Save us from the temptations of the world around us that dazzle but do not deliver.  Save us from the damaging thoughts we let loose in our minds, that create walls, that foster resentment, or that spread unworthiness; anything that limits how we love each other or appreciate your love for us.  Save us from ourselves. 

I love the big idea behind that prayer.  I might change a couple of words and have us asking God to save us from the false selves the evil one has tricked us into thinking that we were and behaving as if we were.  The true self that God created us to be is a person without fear, holy and righteous.  We need this new vision of ourselves today. 

To live without fear, holy and righteous might mean there are some actions we need to take today.  It might mean that we have to make a fresh start in surrendering our broken-down false self to God and receive forgiveness and cleansing for the impact of all the wrong choices we've made when we lived independently in self-will. 

It might mean that we resolutely choose to think about ourselves only as God says we are instead of letting the past define us or the voice of the evil one condemn us.  God has given us the power to listen to our own thoughts and filter them according to His truth.  We can reject certain thoughts and "tell them the truth."  What a difference it makes when we do. 

Lord Jesus, we thank You today for coming to earth so we could have a life that is without fear, holy, and righteous.  On this day, just a few days before we celebrate Christmas, we pray that You would renew us in every way - body, soul, and spirit, in our conscious, our sub-conscious, and our unconscious so we walk with You every minute of every day. 

We give ourselves to You once again, You who are the God who is able to keep us from falling away and bring us with great joy into Your glorious presence without a single fault.  All glory to You, God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  All glory, majesty, power, and authority are Yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!  Amen

Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.  Jude 1:24-25