Luke 1:16-17
New International Version (NIV)
16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
As I was reading through these verses, I was intrigued by the fact that this turning of parent's hearts to their children was part of the preparation for the coming of Jesus. I know this is a restating of the last verses of the Old Testament - Malachi 4:6, but I think there may be more to this than just linking what was happening at that moment with what God had promised.
My experience with God is that His words are perfect, and often times have more than one meaning and application. I believe that in addition to being the first prophetic words heard in about 400 years in Israel, these spoken by an Angel, they are also significant in exactly what they say. There is something that changes the spiritual environment that prepares the way for the Lord to come, when parent's hearts are turned toward their children.
As I think about my own heart during the Christmas season, I am always more aware of my children's needs, wants and state of mind. My heart is warmed towards them, more than normal, as they open the gifts that I have given them.
As I put that in the context of this verse, I think that the Lord's desire for all of us is that we would turn our hearts toward our children (as parents) and towards our parents (as their children) and that this would not just be a seasonal change, but something that has lasting affects in our lives. Additionally, as we see our relationships changed for the positive, we are preparing the way for the Lord to come again!
As I was reading through these verses, I was intrigued by the fact that this turning of parent's hearts to their children was part of the preparation for the coming of Jesus. I know this is a restating of the last verses of the Old Testament - Malachi 4:6, but I think there may be more to this than just linking what was happening at that moment with what God had promised.
My experience with God is that His words are perfect, and often times have more than one meaning and application. I believe that in addition to being the first prophetic words heard in about 400 years in Israel, these spoken by an Angel, they are also significant in exactly what they say. There is something that changes the spiritual environment that prepares the way for the Lord to come, when parent's hearts are turned toward their children.
As I think about my own heart during the Christmas season, I am always more aware of my children's needs, wants and state of mind. My heart is warmed towards them, more than normal, as they open the gifts that I have given them.
As I put that in the context of this verse, I think that the Lord's desire for all of us is that we would turn our hearts toward our children (as parents) and towards our parents (as their children) and that this would not just be a seasonal change, but something that has lasting affects in our lives. Additionally, as we see our relationships changed for the positive, we are preparing the way for the Lord to come again!
No comments:
Post a Comment