Aaron Hufty

Bloodline

Re:Verse passage – Luke 2:4-7; 3:23, 31-34, 38 (day two)

…the son of God. v. 3:38b

Merry Christmas Eve-Eve! I am hopeful that each and every one of you are blessed sharing the blessing of the season with those close to you. The message and hope of Jesus is meant to be shared, because it is our purpose to help everyone recognize they were created to love and serve the Lord. To see the lineage of Jesus is an incredible testament that reminds us that families matter. More than that, we are reminded we have all been grafted into the family of God to be made joint heirs with Jesus. The hope of Jesus is not limited to those in his ancestral bloodline. We can all claim that heritage because of his shed blood. This week, may you celebrate the child, and may you rejoice in your place in the family.

Promise Fulfilled

Re:Verse passage – Luke 2:21-38 (day two)

For my eyes have seen Your salvation, v. 30

Simeon had been promised that he would behold the Messiah. He wasn’t surprised in the least when he held the baby. Jesus, as a man, hadn’t performed any miracle or told any parable yet. He was a helpless baby. Simeon knew. He knew this was the long-expected savior of Israel, and beyond that, of the Gentiles. It is unclear how long Simeon had waited to behold the Messiah, but he was ready. In both 25 and 26 Luke records that the Holy Spirit was with him/upon him. Simeon was able to discern this child as king because of the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Have you trusted the spirit to ably discern the will of God or His grand purpose for your life? You can read Simeon’s great joy. He was able to witness God fulfilling his promise, and what a promise it was – to see Jesus as Lord and Savior of the world.

What Will They Turn Out to Be?

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:57-80 (day two)

All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him. V. 66

How do you pray over your children, or others you may care deeply about? You may not have prophetic vision, but how do you pray over them? Do you have hopes and dreams for their character, their careers, their families? Do you share those hopes with them? Zacharias’s canticle is an incredible roadmap for his son to follow. As lofty as it was, he likely didn’t have a clue about what his son would endure or how he would pave the way for Jesus. What Zacharias did know was that the Lord had given him a son, and it was his duty to turn him back over to the Lord, and to trust God to direct John’s path.

Pray over your loved ones. While you are at it, sing over them too. If you don’t have a word of prophecy, pray scripture. Pray for their hearts to turn early and often to repentance, that they would be tender to the Lord. Pray that their hearts would be open to being exactly who the Lord created them to be.

Favored One

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:26-38 (day two)

And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” V. 28

At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision. Daniel 9:23

The same angelic messenger that visited Mary had visited Daniel hundreds of years before with an incredibly similar salutation. To Mary the angel says “favored one” and to Daniel “you are highly esteemed.” Isn’t this an incredible picture of the cosmic awareness that Heaven has on our lives. It is understandable to get caught in the narrative that the world is big, there are billions of people, what do I matter, who will notice me? Heaven notices. You are walking this journey of faith with a multitude of the heavenly host standing at your side. The Lord chose Daniel and Mary for a grand purpose. You will not carry the savior of the world in your bosom, but you do have a purpose; and the Lord hears your pleas for help, for courage, for purpose. Even more than that, when you are faithful, when you are walking in step, you also have the voice of angels saying: way to go, favored one!

Waiting and Waffles

Re:Verse passage – Luke 1:5-17 (day two)

They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. v. 6

This is the perfect story to begin our Advent journey together. Israel was waiting and expecting for deliverance to come in the form of a savior. It had been hundreds of years. Zacharias and Elizabeth were faithful, but they were waiting as well. We don’t know the inner dialogue they had within themselves and each other; but they wanted a child, and it appeared they would not conceive. Yet, they remained faithful.

Fast forward two millennia. My daughter Jessica wanted to make waffles this morning, but realized that the mixing bowl was in the dishwasher. She said she could wait until the cycle was complete to make them, but then realized there was an hour and forty-nine minutes left. She quickly declared that she didn’t have time to wait for them to be clean.

Wanting a child and wanting waffles aren’t even close to being the same; but as I sat down to write this morning, I was reminded of how little patience any of us have to wait on the Lord for things big or small. There are even times when the Lord has a completely different plan for us than we hope or desire, and in the waiting we can learn to want what he wants more than what we want. This is often a painful lesson.

Each Advent season, we remind ourselves that waiting is part of the journey. God is working out his perfect will among us, and we often are left in a place that doesn’t feel like it is ever going to move. God wasn’t asleep with the nation of Israel, and he is not asleep in your life.

Zacharias and Elizabeth were able to get the desire of their hearts. Jessica, also found a clean bowl and got the waffles she desired.

Opportunity

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 3:10-18 (day two)

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…v. 14

In last week’s reading we were reminded that if we perceive God as slow, it is because he desires all to come to repentance. Peter goes on in our reading this week to warn that there will be an end to his long-suffering patience. There will be a time when the waiting is over, and a reckoning will be required. Peter isn’t saying this to scare people into salvation, but rather to sharpen and refine how we live in the now. Too often we put off spiritual conversations. We think we have time to share with a friend or family member about Jesus’ love. If we have an anticipation for his return, we should take the opportunities given to us to love, serve, and share Jesus’ love. Don’t miss an opportunity.

Not Yet

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 3:8-9 (day two)

…not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. v. 9b

We are all anxious these days. We look around and lament government, education, health care, and a whole litany of woes that are legitimate and worthy of our concern. The cry of the church is ‘how long, O Lord, how long’? How long will these things continue to plague our homes, jobs, churches, and nations? It is instinctive to want to throw our hands up in despair and think about giving up. What we must remember is that none of this is a surprise to the Lord. He hears our groaning, but the very fact that he is tarrying is an indication that he’s not done yet. There is still work to do, and we are called to be a part of it. There are still those who need to hear that Jesus loves them, and our job is to tell them; to show them. You are right to be concerned, but don’t lose sight that he waited long enough for you to respond to him; be patient for your brothers and sisters walking in darkness, and help show them the light.

We Have the Word

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 3:1-7 (day two)

…that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. v. 2

Peter has railed against false teaching for much of his letter. The passage this week provides our path through the jungle of misinformation. Our constant companion throughout our faith journey is God’s Word. As we grow in our faith, we will better understand the mysteries of faith. It is our duty to weigh everything we hear, even by people we trust, against the Word of God. As you ask questions and begin conversations, you strengthen those muscles of discernment so that you may more easily recognize truth and falsehood. Be on guard, be in the Word, ask questions.

Our Gain is Jesus

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:17-22 (day two)

These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. v. 17

Promises given by false teachers will always be what you want to hear. They will always guarantee success, happiness, or gain. That is why they are so popular. We don’t want to hear about struggle, about sacrifice, or about self-denial. Those things don’t get votes, they don’t excite the masses, and they don’t fill seats, but they are often the reality of any believer’s journey. I don’t want to paint a picture of a dire strife-filled existence in Christ, but I want my teachers to be honest about what it means to put your faith in something eternal rather than something temporal. We may not get the brass ring we are reaching for here on earth, but each follower of Christ WILL achieve the eternal glory of life with Jesus. Is your faith dependent upon whether you get wealthy? Are you needing some material gain in order to serve the body of Christ? This kind of thinking will only end in disappointment. Our gain is Jesus. This will be sufficient.

Unexpected Voices

Re:Verse passage – 2 Peter 2:10-16 (day two)

…but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. v. 16

When was the last time you were stopped in your tracks by something unexpected? There are times when we are so focused on ourselves, or the path that we believe to be right, that we miss the obvious warning signs of danger. In Balaam’s case it took a donkey speaking before he took notice of the angel in the road. We all make decisions based on what we think is best for us, for our families, for the church. How often are we challenging our own convictions against the Word? If we don’t have a constant connection to the Lord, we will go off course. That is inevitable, but we don’t have to stay there. Don’t be afraid to course correct. Don’t be afraid to go against the flow. Don’t be afraid to listen to the voice of the Lord in unexpected places.