The Message!
one who delivers a message, or as the dictionary says – a messenger is a person
who carries a message or goes on an errand for another especially as a matter
of duty or business. Just to be sure, let’s see what the thesaurus
says: emissary, forerunner, courier, go-between, crier, harbinger, herald, or
envoy.
asked me to take a message to a foreign land, known as The Principal’s
Office. I thought I had grown two more
feet in stature and was surprised my head didn’t reach the top of the doorway
of the office. It is an honor to be
chosen to be a messenger, for trust is involved.
and this a beginning of a higher calling. When I read Romans 10:15, I began
looking at feet of messengers. “How beautiful are
the feet of messengers
who bring good news!” To my
astonishment, everyone who gave messages had feet just like every one else. Whether
the message was good news or not.
Beautiful feet must mean something else.
At the least, I expected glitter-adorned feet!
wondered if an important message would be lost with inappropriate facial
expressions and body language? A
messenger has an important work to clearly speak the message.
delegate of the one who sends the message.
A courier may deliver a plan for battle, or may give direction to follow
a different path, be summoned for a specific purpose. Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman telling him
to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times to rid himself of leprosy. (2
Kings 5:9-11) Naaman received the
message with anger. The message was
meaningless to him. Eventually Naaman’s officers convinced Naaman to follow the
instructions of the prophet and the leprosy was healed. When Naaman tried to pay Elisha, he would not
accept the gifts.
than one hundred references for Messenger or Messengers in the Bible. Some
Messengers come as angels and some Messengers are appointed by God and walk this
earth.. At times the messages were
welcome, some sound foolish, some are dreaded, some are not heeded, and some
are followed.
of a lifetime, He wants us to know He loves us. He needed a messenger. For the Children of Israel, he chose Moses to
be the Messenger. In this instance God
chose Jesus to make the ultimate sacrifice on the cross to cleanse our sins.
think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as
Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.
But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who
builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself.
Hebrew people contains the words above. God wants us to know and believe and
sent His Only Son. The ultimate messenger
of God wrote this to all who read or hear God’s Word.
existed. It is the Message of Eternity. God’s
Word survives because it comes from God Himself and is alive. Hebrews 4:12-13 – For the
word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged
sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes
our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from
God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom
we are accountable.
or changed, added to, or forgotten? The
Word of God can be tossed into the Circular File away from our minds and hearts
and lives. It is an intentional choice
we make every day. We fill our lives
with other things, and the messages from the Lord God often take the back seat
or disappear from our hearts. Sometimes
we simply change the message God has given us and try to place ourselves in the
‘god-seat’.
we wonder why our way is not easy, but filled with troubles. James wrote:
brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an
opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance
has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed,
you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If
you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not
rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God
alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a
wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such
people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
is the greatest message ever given to man?
“but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to
all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in
Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will
recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of
cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the
armies of heaven —praising God and saying, “Glory to God
in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2:10-14
God’s ways, prove it by
living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from
wisdom. James 3:13
wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions
and his ways!
Romans 11:33
of Jesus, May we remember the greatest message of all and live a life that
honors our Lord. God gave us the
greatest gift of all, His Son. Raise up
and sing Glory, Glory to God in the
Highest. Be a messenger of God with
every thought, action and word that we live!
Christmas Eve Addendum: Have you ever felt as if you could dance all day? Throw your arms up and lift your eyes to the sky and just sing? That is
called JOY! Jesus JOY! Suddenly life is sweet because you know Jesus,
you love Jesus, there is only room for Jesus and that joy captures
everyone. That joy is because of love — Love that overflows and
forgives others as God’s love forgives us.
This is what Christmas is all about – the recognition of that Joy can
only be found in Jesus. As I left my husband in the care of our
daughter-in-law, I wondered if I had the strength to shop one more time
for groceries. Little did I know that in the produce aisle I would
receive a Gift of Joy wrapped up in a song that day. Since I know few
people in this city we moved to recently, I do not expect to see anyone I
know today. As I stopped at the Roma Tomato bin, I was vaguely aware
of a man standing near me and he was humming. All I remember are grey
whiskers on a black face and the song he was humming.
I realized I knew that song. “Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it Jesus is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.”
That’s not a Christmas Carol, I thought, and then suddenly I began
humming and smiling. Maybe it IS a Christmas Carol! The words sang
themselves to me, and I felt my spirit come alive. I laughed out loud.
Nothing matters except loving Jesus. The fact that my husband is
slipping away in a dementia fog, or our oldest son died with brain
cancer last February, living in a new place, impending surgeries in the
new year. Nothing matters. The words of the song became a feast of joy
— a feast of thanksgiving. Eighty-five year old women don’t dance in the middle
of the grocery store, but I felt the rhythm all the way through my body
as I stood by the display of the bananas.
What a Christmas Gift from a stranger…a heart filled with joy. A
blessing beyond measure. At this Christmas Time, I send you the Joy of
Christmas and be glad! Lift up your praise to our Lord! He is coming!
Let the heavens be glad, and the
earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let
the fields and their crops burst out with joy! Let the trees of the
forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he is coming! He is coming to
judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations
with his truth. Psalm 96:11-13
Comments?eacombs@att.net
Really enjoyed your post! Messengers do come in all shapes and sizes. I have often seen myself as a messenger –as we all are — with God's Word. I remember one person saying something like give God's message and duck, that we if they don't like what they hear they can aim their reply to him.
I like the way you write. It is very relatable.
Really enjoyed your post! Messengers do come in all shapes and sizes. I have often seen myself as a messenger –as we all are — with God's Word. I remember one person saying something like give God's message and duck, that we if they don't like what they hear they can aim their reply to him.
I like the way you write. It is very relatable.