Thursday - "Fortune Cookies"

Luke 2:20 (TV) The shepherds returned to their flocks, praising God for all they had seen and heard, and they glorified God for the way the experience had unfolded just as the heavenly messenger had predicted.

Have you ever opened up a fortune cookie? To me, no Chinese food meal is complete without reading the little slip of paper that can be found in the center of one of those cookies. They always say something like "Prosperity comes to those who look inward" or "Wealth from afar is headed your way soon."

Have you ever wondered why those things don't come true?

I might know why. I think you know the reason, too. The messages are totally and completely random. Just scraps of thought jammed into an almond cookie. No emotional connection...no personalization...no specifics... Vague ramblings meant to entertain you.

Look back at today's passage. The last line mentions that the shepherds were rejoicing because the coming of Jesus had been predicted by the heavenly messenger...and actually happened!

That's the difference.

The Bible is full of prophecies, predictions, and forecasts that have all come true. The exciting thing is that they point directly at things in our own lives that matter.... The Old Testament prophets proclaimed the Messiah was coming...that He would do miracles...that He would be crucified...and that He would rise again...

All came true...every one of them. In one man...Jesus.

The Bible is not a book full of vague fortunes that may or may not happen in your life. It is not a guess at the future or a weak attempt at explaining our eternity. It is rock-solid evidence of a loving God. A perfectly penned love letter that talks directly to our hearts.

I don't have to guess about God's character...that He has a plan for my life...or how to get to Heaven. It's all been put out there between the covers of the Bible. Prophecies fulfilled...truths reinforced...babies born... just like we knew would happen. Why?

Because the Bible was written for you. Every truthful word in it. Every scripture. Every fulfilled prophecy. Every bit of it for your future.

You don't need a cookie to tell you that...

See you for prayer Friday...
Pastor Brian