Happy Friday Friends! It’s New Music Friday. I’ve been so focused on Passion’s new album (Roar)I was sleeping on the fact that my main man, Matt Maher, has a new album out today as well. I’ll be sharing some of those tracks after I get a chance to listen to his new work. But today, I’ll finish up our Passion worship songs by sharing a video I found from Passion 2020 of Hillsong United, which is one of the included tracks on Roar, and one of my favorite worship songs from last year. This performance is pretty amazing.

Today’s Devotion is near and dear to my heart. It shows the inner weaving of God in our history as Children if the Kingdom. God is at work in your life each and everyday. Don’t ever think that your life isn’t full of purpose and design, no matter where you are in, God has steered you there for a reason. Relax, work for the glory of God and God will always work things out for the good.

March 6

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  (Luke 2:4)

Luke sets up the back story and only clear explanation of why Joseph and Mary from Nazareth end up in Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus, which fulfills the prophesy from Micah Chapter 5, verses 2-4:

²”But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

though you are small among the clans of Judah,

out of you will come for me

one who will be ruler over Israel,

whose origins are from of old,

from ancient times.”

³Therefore Israel will be abandoned

until the time when she who is in labor bears a son,

and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.

⁴He will stand and shepherd his flock

in the strength of the Lord,

in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they will live securely, for then his greatness

will reach to the ends of the earth.  (Micah 5:2-4)

Luke shows that due to the census ordered by Caesar Augustus, all families had to return to their hometowns to be counted correctly. Thus, Joseph and Mary made the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem where Jesus would be born in a lowly manger, surrounded only by the Glory of God and known only to those who personally witnessed the miracle of that night. Even from the beginning of Jesus’ life, the world rejected Him as none would make room for the Savior of the World. Over 2,000 years later and the world still struggles to make room for the Savior.

God had a intricate plan to save mankind long before we even knew we needed saving. Prophesies of old were fulfilled with the birth of Jesus and with a tiny babe, God gave all mankind the path to salvation. Don’t let that opportunity go to waste. Live a righteous life and lead as many as you can to know Christ. It should be easy, but the world struggles with this more and more. Let’s be the generation to finally be the change and revival America, and the world, desperately needs.

Reading plan:  Luke 5:1-26

Deeper reading plan:  Judges 17-19

Prayer and meditation:  continue to pray for your request from day 1 and thank God for the glory of His ultimate plan to redeem mankind.

Fitness challenge:  3 sets of our 7×14 challenge:

1. Standard push-up

2. Sit-up or crunches

3. Air squats

4. Hand-release push-up

5. Leg lifts

6. Lunges (7-each leg)

7. Four-count flutter kicks