About the Heart

Today marks the 4th day of Christmas, otherwise known as Childermas or Holy Innocents Day by some denominations. This event paying homage 🙏🏻 to all the innocents killed by King Herod 👑 that I referred to in yesterday's post, remembering them as we remember victims of 9/11 on 9/11 and our fallen soldiers on 11/11 and victims of the Holocaust on 27th January to name a few.

Such disasters truly disturb our spirits when we hear of such atrocities, but even more worse when we see it. Remembering the twin towers on TV 📺 when I was young and more recently the attack on Manchester Arena. Why, it doesn't have to be a big event to shock the system when you hear of something happening here and there, it all tallies up. Though when it affects the young, the innocent 💔, it is even moreso. Making us ask the question why?! 😭🤔

The Bible tells us that the reason for it is man's heart 💟 (Jer 17:9) at a time where Israel had largely turned from God and its Kings no longer pursued righteousness but oppressed the poor 😠👎. Over and over God sent prophet after prophet to take heed to what He was saying, to challenge the course of what the corrupt leaders 😈 were saying and losing their heads in the process 😢. Thankfully democracy is still free and open that petitions can be made and petition leaders aren't facing such penalties 😅 but we can see in the Old Testament how God continues to 'fight the good fight' for His people ❤️. 

Now you may wonder 🤔 why is God getting involved or why don't He just take over?

>>> To answer the first is best understood on a contractual basis. We should all be familiar with contracts 📝 where we have agreed to do our end of the deal and the other party has agreed to do theirs. God sending his prophets (just as we send lawyers) was because Israel hadn't done their part 👎 after agreeing to it (Exo 19:8) again (Exo 24:3) and again (Exo 24:7). 

>>> While the answer to the second is His respect towards us and our freewill, even in his Law "IF a man do" them (Lev 18:5) and to us in the New Testament "IF ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Just as Christ came out of love ❤️ how Christmas 🌟 came out of love ❤️, so is the Law of God now out of love ❤️ to motivate us to follow it and not merely out of duty or necessity. 

To quote from Joshua what he told the people of Israel and the same applies to everyone today:

"if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, CHOOSE you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served...or the gods [of] whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15)

Though now.....you are probably thinking, why did He get involved at Christmas then? 🤔 Especially with what you are telling me about Israel not doing their part 👀 and I'd say: Good question! 😂

.....and that's due to the fact that God didn't just make contracts but covenants, covenants where He said He would do something and require nothing! in return. This was from what He promised 🙏🏻 and did with Abraham (Gen 15) that I mentioned on Christmas Day + as a Father that I spoke about yesterday, how can a Father stand by 💔 and watch as His estranged children face all the evil in their path. Such was the reason for sending Jesus ✝️ and yet! the most amazing part is that He didn't have to ☺️😇

This event that we celebrate as Christmas was so important back in the day that the wise men would come from the East in pursuit of this great Discovery 🔭, this great phenomenon 🤩 and although they did not make it to Bethlehem at first to consider a King would be at a King's Palace 🏰 where they saw Herod 😈👑, there was the 🌟 at the end of their journey.

The Jews of the day thought Jesus would come in military might ⚔️ and overthrow the Romans 🔥, but His purpose was much more than that. From the time of the flood to Herod ordering the deaths of innocent children, it was the mindset 🧠 that had to be changed and the same can be said for today. For as it is recorded in the Gospel of Luke to paraphrase, what a man does/says depends on the heart (Luke 6:45) ♥️ and Christ came to soften our hearts, for us to seek forgiveness than revenge.

Many reading are having their own journeys, life is but a journey, but the story of Christmas shows that you can be as the wise men of the East - travelling far, travelling long, travelling hard but there's light 🌟 there's hope 🙏🏻 and peace 🕊️ at the end of the tunnel.

#JesustheReason4theSeason

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