Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of images from an album of Dennis Jernigen songs with Dennis joining Annie Herring in singing … Faithful and True … poignantly singing of how our God is so faithful to us, which calls us to be faithful and true to Him.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Haggai 2:23 [NKJV] …
23 “But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”
… As with Zerubbbel, we are God’s chosen signets with His authority to bring witness in His Name.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Haggai 2:15-23 … USE THIS LINK …
… God chooses Zerubbabel to be the Lord’s signet ring to rebuild His Temple.
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Reference Passage #1 [NKJV] : … Matthew 28:19-20 [NLT] …
19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
… As Christ’s disciples, we are to carry His Name and message to the world … with HIS authority.
Reference Passage #2 [NKJV] : … Acts 1:8 [NLT] …
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
… We are sealed by His Spirit to become His witnesses.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Amy Boucher Pye, used a personal and historical reference to illustrate how we, as Christians, are given the authority of Christ to carry His Gospel message to the world. The ODB author wrote: When I first made the acquaintance of a new friend from abroad, I noticed his posh English accent and that he wore a ring on his little finger. Later I learned that this wasn’t just jewelry; it revealed his family’s history through the family crest engraved on it.
It was a bit like a signet ring—perhaps like the one in Haggai. In this short Old Testament book, the prophet Haggai calls for the people of God to restart the rebuilding of the temple. They had been exiled and had now returned to their homeland and begun rebuilding, but enemy opposition to their project had stalled them. Haggai’s message includes God’s promise to Zerubbabel, Judah’s leader, that he had been chosen and set apart as their leader, like a signet ring.
We’re about to move into a new year; and it’s important that we look back, perhaps for the last year, and determine whether we, as Christ’s witnesses, have been His signet followers, carrying His Gospel message to the world as we’re called to do (see the reference passages above).
In more ancient days, a signet ring was used by one sending a message or letter (see photo) to carry the seal of authority from a king or leader for the message being sent. And that’s a picture of what we need to be to the world, … just as we were charged to be as Christ’s disciples (again, Acts 1:8 and the Great Commission).
Therefore, … in looking back at the last year, … I must confess I probably should’ve done more to carry the Spirit-imparted seal of Christ’s Gospel to others; … so, my resolution and commitment should be to be a clearer, more obvious signet for my Lord in the New Year.
How about you?
My Prayer Today: Heavenly Father, … You’ve charged me to carry Your seal to those who need Your Gospel message. Help me to fulfill that calling, Lord! ... Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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