DEVOTION ~ CHRIST OUR BANNER

Theme: Christ Our Banner

Text: Isaiah 11:10-16

10 “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious.” 11 It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, from Assyria and Egypt, from Pathros and Cush, from Elam and Shinar, from Hamath and the islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nation's, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13 Also the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. 14 But they shall fly down upon the shoulder of the Philistines toward the west; Together they shall plunder the people of the East; They shall lay their hand on Edom and Moab; And the people of Ammon shall obey them. 15 The Lord will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; With His mighty wind He will shake His fist over the River, and strike it in the seven streams, and make men cross over dry-shod.16 There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who will be left from Assyria, as it was for Israel in the day that he came up from the land of Egypt.

A banner usually helps to easily identify a group of people. Our identity as children of God is revealed in Christ Jesus who is our banner. Both Jews and Gentiles can only have a glorious rest in Him that's why He called on all who are heavily burdened to come to Him for rest (Matthew 11:28-30). The banner of Christ must envelope us daily so that our light can shine forth to the world. 

As we celebrate the season of Christmas, it should not just be  for fun but to reflect the purpose of the birth of the Lord. Christ did not come to judge the world neither to to claim it nor seek His own but He came for the redemption of the lost souls of the world. What ever has withheld us from enjoying the glorious rest of the Lord has been removed; from Assyria and Egypt, Pathros and Cush, Elam and Shinar, Hamath and the islands of the sea. 

Christ our banner is calling on all irrespective of our race to come. Once in Christ, there will be no distinction as we've been made members of the body; Now we are the body of Christ and individually members of it (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). By the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been given divine authority over every storm of life. All barriers have been broken and we have our liberty. In your liberty, what have you done for Christ? Raise high the banner of Christ in deeds and in words for the world to see Christ's mark of identity on you. 

Prayer: Give me the strength O God to stand up as a soldier in Christ. To lift high His royal banner to tell the world He is the everlasting King who was, is and is to come. I break away from anything that holds me captive and avail myself to be a warrior for Christ. Fill me Holy Spirit and use me as it pleases You even now and forevermore in Jesus' name have I asked. AMEN!