Day 8
Take a moment to pause, be still, and prepare your heart and mind to receive God’s word.
Today’s Scripture:
16 When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. 17 The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
19 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.[a]”
20 He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. 21 Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
Luke 4:16-21 NLT
Have you ever sat in a crowded area and thought about how different you are to every person around you? I have often try to picture what it would be like to trade places with someone else. I imagine what talents, problems, or priorities I would have. Then reality hits and it blows my mind that there is only one person who has lived the exact life I have: me.
Prophecy in Isaiah foretold the coming of the Messiah. The prophecy was so specific that only one person could satisfy it. Then Jesus came and declared that this distinctive prophecy is fulfilled in Him.
This word “ministry” may lead us to disqualify ourselves, thinking that ministry is only done by the most spiritual of Christians. But the truth is that, as followers of Christ, we are all entrusted with ministry. Our ministry is to bring the world to know Jesus. While the way I do ministry may not look anything like how you do ministry, God has equipped us with unique gifts, passions, and talents to share Jesus with everyone!
Reflect
What ministry has God set apart for you? How do you walk in faith that God equips you for this ministry?
Pray
Thank the Lord for choosing you as a minister of the Good News. Ask Him how He can use your unique gifts today.
Family Moment
As a family, write down ways in which you feel called by God to serve others and minister to His Kingdom.