Today’s Reading:
Luke 1:57-80
"To grant us that we, being delivered from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness….”. (vv. 74-75)
God is purposeful and perfect in all his ways. He does not do things randomly, by mistakes or thoughtlessly (Eccl. 3:1). He is a promise-keeper and the covenant-keeping God. In Today’s reading, Zacharias the father of John the Baptist, being filled with the Holy Spirit at his son’s eighth-day naming ceremony, said from verse 68 a great deal about the goodness, promises and covenants of God to the children of Israel. In verse 74, he mentioned specifically the fact that the people had been delivered from the hands of their enemies. To “deliver” means to rescue or set free or liberate, from bondage, danger or enemies, or the devil and his agents, and so on. The Scripture is full of stories of God’s deliverance of many people, especially the children of Israel, individually and collectively. Other stories include those of Daniel who was delivered from the lion’s den in Babylon (Dan. 6:1-27); the three Hebrew youths who were delivered from the fiery furnace also in Babylon (Dan. 3:1-30); under various Kings of Israel and Judah, the children of Israel were delivered from battles waged against them by many other kings of the world then.
Enemies are: foes; opponents; competitors; jealous people; those who don’t want the good of others; antagonists; haters; some things (including animals) which are harmful to or which act against another; hostile nations or forces; and common to all mankind is the arch-enemy – the devil/Satan and his cohorts, who appear as spirits and through humans; and also, death is an enemy of man. These enemies of man carry out their activities through torment, fear, injury, sickness, terror, pain, conquer, deprivation, persecution, loss, rejection, affliction, caused by sin, and so on. God has been in the business of delivering mankind from enemies right from the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, and up till today. While fellow human beings do deliver physically from their enemies, it is evident that only the deliverance of God is total, complete and not reversible by man, and it includes both physical and spiritual (Ps. 34:15). When on earth, Jesus delivered people from both physical and spiritual enemies of sicknesses, diseases, evil powers. the devil, his cohorts and his agents. The New Testament abounds with assurances of the victories won already by Jesus for believers, just by confessions (Col. 2:14-15; 1 John 5:4; Rev. 12:10-11).
Like the Nation and people of Israel whom Today’s reading refers to as being delivered from the hand of their enemies, believers can boldly say today that we have been delivered from our enemies, especially our arch-enemy – the devil. Through the cross, the blood, the death and resurrection of Jesus. The devil had, once and for all, been defeated, and Christ has given us victory forever. As earlier said, God is not a wasteful or purposeless God. His deliverance is always all for His purposes. In verses 74b – 75, the deliverance is to serve God, without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, that is, serving him without distractions! Other purposes for which God delivers include salvation, promotion, safety, greater anointing, higher services, for the good or sake of others, and so on.
As believers, God, through Christ, has delivered us completely from the power and hand of the devil and his kingdom of darkness and translated us to the kingdom of light, of God our Father (Col. 1:13). We have been delivered to serve Him wholeheartedly, not for our personal or selfish purposes. For one to qualify for all-time and all-purposes deliverance, there is a need to become a believer, just by believing and accepting the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ. One must be born again, saved and become a candidate of heaven.
CHRISTIE KUPOLUYI
To surrender your life to Christ, say this prayer aloud. “Father, I have your voice today, and acknowledge my sin against You. I repent and ask for forgiveness (Confess your sins), in the name of Jesus. I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, take control of my heart, lead me in Your path of righteousness and write my name in Your book of life. Thank you, Lord.”
If you said the prayer, Congratulations! Prayerfully look for a Bible-believing and living church and report to the resident reverend, pastor or priest.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, we appreciate that you are a purposeful God.
Precious Lord, we acknowledge and thank you for carrying out the purpose of redemption of mankind on earth.
Lord our saviour, please help us to walk in the total and complete deliverance and victories you have won for us.
Father, help the church see and key into the total deliverance the Holy Spirit has been promised to give to it.
Father in Heaven, please deliver our nation from all its enemies, including the workers of iniquities, in the form of humans, living in it.
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