March 13 | Matthew 3:1-12

David Thompson
Mar 13
3 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

TITLE

By David Thompson

Did you read the scripture carefully? Perhaps reading it twice and checking the cross-references to Isaiah and other books might make this devotional more effective. I did that and it was so much more than how I have read those scriptures in the past.

I am always amazed by those who can make predictions of events coming in the new year. I am a skeptic though and I wonder how one of the most famous future tellers predicted John Kennedy's assassination in 1963. My skeptical mind thinks about the fact that Kennedy was not as popular in Texas as in other more northern states. He had angered the mob and was negative toward Cuba. An astute person might think that riding in an open limousine in Dallas, Texas that day, might not have been a good idea. So, predicting that he might get assassinated might not have been a big stretch.

However, when Isaiah made his predictions about John the Baptist and Jesus, it was about 700 years before either man was born. Even my skeptical mind can't argue away that one. The 700 years even included the last 400 years as the silent years. God did not speak through prophets or give any word that might be tell-tale. I would think that the Jews of that time might have given up on the whole prophetic, hearing from God thing.

Isaiah said that there would be two special men coming. He is quoted as saying, “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, was getting folks believing that there would be another one that would come. He baptized many people for repentance. He also predicted future events saying, “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

There are 1817 prophesize in the Bible. Most have come true or haven't happened yet. I think that the most famous future teller should be God. The last line in the quoted scripture above predicts that we Christians will be going to Heaven and those that do not believe will be burned up. I don't know about you, but I want to be the wheat in that story and not the chaff.

PRAYER

Lord God, thank you for all of you promises and prophesize that are 100% true. Help us to "hide your Word in our hearts, so we might not sin against you." We are human and will fail, but I pray that you will teach us about the right path and we will sin less. We are sinless due to Christ on the cross if we believe, but the more we know about You and Jesus Christ, the less we will be tempted by Satan to sin overall. Amen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Thompson

I am the administrator of the Daily Worship Blog. My wife, Carla, and I have been attending UALC for seven years at the 9 o'clock service at Mill Run. We have two children, Catherine and Aaron. I have been a Christian for 53 years and am thankful that my Savior has given me two spiritual gifts that have carried me both spiritually and vocationally all my life: they are teaching and administration. I look forward to spending many years here at UALC to serve my Lord and Savior.