Scripture Reading:

Luke 2

Please comment below with your conversation with God and/or insights from today’s Scriptures.

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1. What are your overall thoughts about the chapter?

2. What part of this chapter did you most resonate with?

3. What is your prayer to God brought on by this chapter?

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Chapter Notables:

1. John the Baptist Prepares the Way - verses 1-6

2. John preaches repentance - verses 7-14

3. John dispels the notion that he was the Messiah - verse 15-20

4. John baptizes Jesus - verses 21-22

5. The genealogy of Jesus - verses 23-38

The Voice | Lemuel Ayudtud

Everyone of us has a voice. Even the mute can speak. It’s what we do with that voice that really matters, though. We can speak with dreadful accusations, we could speak of woe and worry, we can speak of self deprecating statements, or we can be bold as lions and speak greatness and the word from the Lord. It’s our voice: it’s our choice.

Often times we downplay the power of our voice. If we would be honest, most times it’s because we don’t know our own influence and power. And other times it’s because we just don’t think anyone would listen and so there’s no boldness behind our words. But if we would recognize and maybe realize that God spoke the worlds into existence, and by His voice most things exist in subsists, then maybe will be more careful and/or intentional with what we say and how we say them. (Almost everything was created by the Voice of God. Adam was the only one created by the Hand of God—then God’s breath gave him life! That same breath is what gave Adam his voice. Consider that.)

The Bible tells us that our words, what we say, either commends or condemn us. What we say will be weighed in the balance. The word of God also tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will speak. Therefore we may be able to conclude that our understanding of our “voice” is connected to our sense of personal worth and value, as well as purpose and mission.

John, the cousin of Jesus, was prophesied to be the voice of the one crying in the wilderness. His place was to prepare the way of the Lord. The “Lord” being Jesus. His boldness came from God resting on his life; but, I also believe, it came from his knowledge of his purpose.

We understand that both Jesus and John came from the town of Nazareth. And our study of Nazareth from the book of Matthew, we understand that that town was the rough and grimy part of the city of Galilee. It’s possible that in their lifetime both Jesus and John experienced disenfranchisement and abuse from local governments as well as religious leaders. We can imagine that’s such upbringing gave them the passion to go hard on what God truly desired (and desires) from people, specially from those who lead. So that when they came to and age of accountability, they did not hold her voice. They spoke with great boldness and courage because they understood their passion and their purpose.

We know John as the Baptist today. That’s his given moniker. But Jesus declared him to be the greatest of all the prophets. Sure, he baptized people as part of his ministry, but his real gift was not baptizing. John’s true gift was vocalizing.

John, the prophet, was the voice of his generation. Before him, the people of Israel hadn’t heard the voice of God for 400 years. John came out like gangbusters. He spoke with great power, stirring the people to change their lives and to repent. Of course, the anointing of God was on his life and therefore he shared without hesitancy.

I suppose when you feel God’s unction and direction over your life you will speak with great boldness, too, wouldn’t you? Yet, how often do we fear or allow outside voices to determine our own voice? John, the prophet, the Baptist, was heard not because he was loud. He was heard because he was bold. And he was bold because he knew that God was with him. How bold would we be if we truly embraced that God is with us?

As John the Baptist was The Voice in the wilderness declaring Jesus, we too are the voice for Jesus for our “wilderness”. The world that we live in today needs the message of Jesus. Because of its corruption and self-serving, the world can use voices that speaks of the need for God. We may not be standing on the edges of our city like John the Baptist did, but we can still be a great voice like John the prophet’s.

What shall we say? How shall we say them? To whom shall we say it to? These are questions whose answers are better found during times with God. And when we do find them, The answers will give us our voice.

There are many voices out in the world today. Most of them do not reflect the glory or the will of God. So as believers in Jesus, we must embrace the fact that we are the voice of God now. Therefore we must seek His face and know Him. We must desire His word with true hunger. We must study it and love it like our daily bread. Only this level of commitment to God’s Word will we be raised in boldness and courage to be the voice. Our own experiences give the father for what we will say. Our own connection with God will give us the clarity to speak. And our passion for the things of God will give us the boldness.

John, the prophet, did not speak for himself when he spoke. The only way he did not consider, I believe, the voices of the people was because he only considered the voice of God. We resolve to know and then to express only what God wanted from his generation. With love and reverence for God, John the Baptist spoke. And with the same love and reverence for God we can speak.

Lord, help us to be bold like a lion. Teach us how to speak for You in this present world. Give us a desire to know You more and to love You with everything that we have. Help us not to be afraid of the world around us or their voices. God, grant us the resolve to speak Your word for this generation. I pray this in Your Name, Jesus, amen.