Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to
OurChristianWalk@aol.com.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep My
covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This
is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to
keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo
circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. For
the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be
circumcised.” Genesis 17:9-12
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived. Luke 2:21
The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts
and the hearts of your
descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. Deuteronomy 30:6
This ends this
reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Today was a typical microcosm of what happens to me every
day. All I can say is it is an amazing experience to be in the presence of the
Holy Spirit every day, driven to the Lord’s purpose.
So I was sitting here wondering what I would write about on
this first day of the new year when all of a sudden, a thought rushes into my
mind saying to me, “Look at New Year’s traditions.” And that’s what I did,
using my trusty Google search engine to look at how people had celebrated this
day in years past.
I’ll be honest with you, most of what I looked at initially
failed to appeal to me let alone drive me toward any inspiration to write a
devotion. But then I ran onto something amazing in the history of our Christian
church that taught me something new and led me to today’s subject of
circumcision of the heart.
You see, this day, January 1st, is not just the first day of
the year but also the eighth day after the birth of our Savior, who was unnamed
at first. Did you know that?
By Jewish tradition and custom, a male was to be circumcised
eight days after birth as a sign of the covenant between God and His people
Israel. Look at this word from Genesis:
“Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep My covenant, you
and your descendants after you for the generations to come. This is My covenant
with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every
male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it
will be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. For the generations to
come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised.” Genesis 17:9-12
And so it was with Jesus. Joseph and Mary had Him
circumcised on the eighth day and it was then that He was names Jesus, just as
Gabriel had commanded Mary to name Him. We find this truth on Luke’s Gospel:
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, He was
named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived. Luke 2:21
This day, January 1st, is the day Jesus was circumcised and
named. It reflects that at the time He was fully child and fully Jewish – One
who would reign as the King of the Jews and King of all kings. He was not bound
by the law but rather came to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). In the history of the
Catholic Church, this day was once a celebration called the Feast of the
Circumcision held on the Octave Day of Christmas or the eighth day following
Christmas. The holiday was observed with a Mass which recognized that Christ’s
blood was first shed at His circumcision, a precursor to the blood He would
shed at crucifixion. During the Mass, Mary the Blessed Virgin would also be
recognized with special prayers.
I have to admit, I had lost sight of today, New Year’s Day,
being the day when our Lord Jesus was named and circumcised. It has shed a
whole new light on the way I look at today and opened up new doors to
celebration. It also opens up a new prayer for the new year for all believers.
Look at this final passage from Deuteronomy and I’ll explain:
The Lord your God will circumcise
your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that
you may love Him with all your heart
and with all your soul, and live.
Deuteronomy 30:6
The circumcision of males at age eight was an outward sign
of one’s commitment to the covenant God made with Abraham but it was far from
meaning that the circumcised person had given themselves inwardly to God. This
is why this scripture from Deuteronomy is crucial to us and our faith walk. For
God wants our hearts to be crucified, turned toward Him and His ways, committed
to follow His will in all things. For when we turn our hearts fully to Him, we
will experience His grace, mercy, and love to the fullest extent.
In other words, we will love Him with all our heart and
soul, and with all our life.
Friends, has your heart been truly circumcised? Has it fully
turned to God the Father in obedience and submission to His will and ways?
If so, then I praise God that you are living for Him to the
fullest. May you continue to do so in the New Year.
If you haven’t allowed your heart to be circumcised by God,
my prayer is that today will be the day you do so, the day when our Savior was
circumcised and given the Name above every name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every
tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
(Philippians 2:9-11). Won’t you submit to Him and love Him with all your heart
and soul as He loves you.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com
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