Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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 Annunciation to Joseph 

 Zephaniah 3:14-20

 v.14-15. “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.” 

In today’s Bible passage, we see Zephaniah talk about the restoration of the Israelites after their exile. He tells them to rejoice and sing for joy because “the Lord has taken away [their] punishment and has turned back [their] enemy.” He reminds them that the Lord will be with them and because He is with them they will no longer fear any harm. The Lord will restore their honor in the land they once suffered shame and He will bring them home and restore their fortunes. 

This week we have been focusing on the theme “Annunciation to Joseph.” We can only imagine the shame Joseph may have suffered in his hometown, and the honor he may have lost. However, once the angel Gabriel speaks to Joseph in the dream, he takes Mary as his wife. The restoration was only possible through divine intervention. The angel Gabriel tells Joseph that he shouldn’t be afraid to take Mary as his wife. 

During this Advent season, are we ready to let God restore us? God is able to liberate us from our physical and spiritual exile. He is able to replace our shame with honor and restore our fortunes. He will take away our sadness, fears, worries, diseases, conflicts, etc. by this restoration, we can rejoice!     

Prayer

Dear Lord, during this time of Advent we ask that you liberate us from the different exiles which we face. We thank you for sending us your Son by whom we are restored. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen 

Thought of the Day

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalms 51:12

Riya Varughese
St Andrews MTC, NY

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