When God Says …
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Luke 13:34-35 KJV).
This is such a heart wrenching lament of our Lord Jesus and very poignant even today. Uttered with emphasis, He longs to bless the people of Jerusalem. The Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts remind us again and again of God's love for the great cities of that era - Jerusalem and others including Athens (Acts 16:15-16), Antioch (Acts 11:19-27), Corinth (Acts 17:8; 18), Rome (Acts 19:21), Ephesus (Acts 19:1). The gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles teach us how the Lord longed to reach these cities through the Good News of the Grace of God. Sadly through, those cities rejected the message of our Lord Jesus as Jerusalem did. Their rejection of God's grace and love resulted in disasters for those cities. For Jerusalem, however, its denial of our Lord Jesus was worse, Him being the Jewish Messiah, the promised hope of their Scriptures, sent as their Deliverer. But, instead, they delivered Him to the cross.
For us now, this is a warning not to be guilty of the same act of rejection. We must be conscious always to understand the Lord’s longing to bring us under His wing of protection like a ‘mother hen’ and respond by yielding Him our whole hearts, souls, minds, and being. Let’s cooperate to be loved by Him, resting in His grace through faith. Let us receive Him and declare “blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
These passages speak of the gentle, nurturing, and protective nature of our Lord Jesus Christ, urging us to settle our security and refuge in Him. The Psalmist's testimony proclaims, as it is written: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah” (Psalm 46:1-3 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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