Day 274 Enduring

 

10/1/2026

"People many times must eat their words, 

but God will never eat His."

Daily Walk

"For I am the Lord - I do not change!"  

Malachi 3:6

 

Today I began reading the New Testament beginning with the Gospel of Matthew, a Jewish tax collector who became a follower of Christ Jesus. As a disciple chosen by Jesus to follow Him Matthew wrote a detailed account of the life shared day by day as His follower, beginning with the account of the lineage of Christ beginning with Abraham. I have always loved discussing the descendants within Jesus' family tree, as it gives me so much hope and assurance that God can work miracles and give grace to all. He mentions the mothers in some instances which further is reason to give glory to God, as each named has special significance in the story. 

Over the months I have attempted to "write the story;" I don't know how many times I have mentioned the need to do so, as it is the last thing Abba told me to do. And it has been continuously echoed in my spirit as I seek Him daily for direction. Coming back to this Gospel only reinforces His words forever engraved upon my heart. "The Story" is truly "His Story," the one written on my heart concerning who He is and for evermore shall be.

At the writing of this account by Matthew, from the words spoken by Malachi the prophet to Israel, there have been 400 years of silence before John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, the Messiah, begins his ministry calling for repentance, announcing that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Many responded to the words of this wild, rough around the edges wild-man who dressed in burlap with a rope around his middle and ate locusts and wild honey as his food. John didn't care about what he looked like or about anything other than the message he was anointed to speak to the people of Israel. He did so at great peril, and his boldness led to his death at the hands of Herod, a Roman king who bowed to the whims of a woman, who had brought further shame upon his name, rather than listen to the urging within his own soul. 

After the baptism of John, Jesus is led into the wilderness by Holy Spirit where He was tempted by satan before He emerged victorious over temptation, to begin His ministry on earth proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand. He called for repentance, but now He offered much more as He was and is the Promised Messiah who takes away the sins of the world. 

In Malachi 3:1-4 the prophet gives the warning to the people of the coming of a Messenger of God:

"'Listen, I will send my messenger before me to prepare the way. And then the One you are looking for will come suddenly to His Temple - the Messenger of God's promises, to bring you great joy. Yes, He is surely coming,' says the Lord Almighty. 'But who can live when He appears? Who can endure His coming? For He is like a blazing fire refining precious metal and He can bleach the dirtiest garments! Like a refiner of silver He will sit and closely watch as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, the ministers of God, refining them like gold or silver, so that they will do their work for God with pure hearts. Then once more the Lord will enjoy the offerings brought to Him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as He did before.'"

The same message spoken then to a generation of people who had turned their backs on the living God resounds in our nations today. Jesus comes to offer salvation to those who hear His voice crying in the wilderness to prepare us for the coming Kingdom of God. Everything we do, every person we meet needs to hear the Gospel message, the only message of Truth in this dry and empty land where there is no water - no spiritual life. Even the church that has been given this Good News to spread abroad, across our nation and beyond, has grown cold or lukewarm, straddling the fence, afraid to speak out for fear of retribution, persecution, or worse. In the book of Revelation it is recorded that the saints overcame the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimonies, and they loved not their lives to the death (Revelation 12:11). Many fear those last words "and they loved not their lives to the death." There is coming a time, and indeed that time may be here, when we may be required to make the choice to say "Yes" to Jesus and "No" to anyone who asks us to make the other choice. I have already made that choice in my family, but I will never deny Christ. He is our only reason to live, as God alone is the Giver of Life. The message must be shared. How will you respond?