Today's Scripture:
John 1:6-8,19-28 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Reflect: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
Can you imagine being sent by God himself to testify and spread His word? How daunting does that sound? John was so certain about who he was and who he wasn't. Bigger than that, he was absolutely certain of who Jesus was and I don't know about you, but I am constantly doubting and questioning God. We are blessed with 2 beautiful children and becoming parents has been a complete joy. But to say it came without struggle, would simply be a lie. Both of our boys were born with rare diseases. Our oldest outgrew his, and after 17 months, he is THRIVING. But our youngest, he still struggles and fights his disease every single day. I often find myself questioning why God picked my kids to have these diseases. When we get poor news from doctors, my first response is to question why God would allow it. I pray for John's faith and confidence. I pray that all who wander in their faith can be given faith as strong as John the Baptist. We need to be confident in who we are in God's kingdom so that we can go out into our own communities to spread the word and the love of God.
Read: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
We are introduced to John. We are immediately reassured that he is not the light, rather he is there to testify about the light. John is then approached by several and he is open and honest about who he is and why he is here.
Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
Heavenly Father, I ask for your guidance as we go through the rest of the holiday seasons. I ask that your love and grace be stronger than our doubt. I pray that you give us the faith to follow in Your word and the confidence to spread Your love.
About Rachel Rocker:
I am a mom to 2 beautiful boys, Bradley and Bentley and my husband, Ashton, and I are expecting baby boy number 3 in late March!
I started going to the mom's bible study on Tuesday mornings last January. Shortly afterward, my family joined me here for Sunday service. We are very excited to become covenant partners in January!