Scripture Reading: Luke 1:65-66 (New King James Version)
“Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him.”
Thought for the day:
I know of many people who read the Scripture and yet have no knowledge of the Saviour. They don’t have a personal relationship with God and some of them don’t actually believe in God. They read the Bible as a piece of literature just as if they were reading the works of Shakespeare.
Proverbs 1:7 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge”. In our verse today, the NKJV uses the word ‘fear’ but in the NIV, the word is ‘awe’.
If we are ever to begin to understand anything of God and His plan for our lives, then we must first have a reverence of Him. Fearing the LORD is a good thing provided we don’t distance ourselves because of fear. He is an awesome God and yet He calls us to come to Him. As His children, the Scripture teaches us that we can ‘come boldly’ to God. When we see what God can do, it is perfectly understandable that we are sometimes afraid, but fear is the beginning of our understanding in who He is and who we are because of Jesus. Perhaps then we can truly stand in awe of Him and praise Him for all He is.
Lastly, we note that ‘the hand of the LORD was with him’. The phrase ‘hand of the Lord’ is used numerous times in the Scripture and speaks of many things including provision, protection and purpose. We too can know God’s hand on our lives in a similar way to John. Many of us can recall occasions where God has been faithful to His word and has provided for us in miraculous ways. We can also testify of God’s protection over our lives. Not so long ago at a Prayer Watch at Oasis Community Centre, we heard amazing stories of how people knew the certainty of God’s protection in really difficult circumstances. Some recounted of deliverance from seemingly fatal accidents due to the preserving power of God.
As a church, we definitely are aware of the hand of purpose in our lives. Looking back over the last few years, we are amazed at what God’s purpose has proved to be. He promised that we would experience growth and praise God we’ve seen many come to know the Lord for the first time. His Hand has definitely been on us and He’s promised many great things for us. As you read this verse, rejoice in the fact that He’s the same God today as He was back then. His protection, His provision and His purpose are just as real today. Thank God that He’s in our lives and that His plans for us are fantastic!
Prayer and Application:
Think about definite times where you’ve known God’s provision or His protection. Pray through each one praising God for placing His Hand on your life.