Month: January 2024

Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV) 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

As we mentioned in Wednesday’s devotional, sometimes small details can make a big difference!

Sometimes those small details may not be obvious or easily spotted unless we have the right tools.

Good study Bibles can be super helpful when it comes to finding and digging deeper into these small nuggets of truth that often open whole new levels of understanding and revelation for us.

Let’s look at a huge nugget of understanding in the verse above that is also referenced in the New Testament (Matthew 1:23).

It is one word; Immanuel.

The verse above is a prophecy from Isaiah regarding the coming Messiah.

Isaiah proclaimed that a virgin would conceive and bear a Son, and His name shall be called Immanuel.

That doesn’t seem overly deep or meaningful until we dig a bit deeper.

The lights start to come on, so to speak, when we look more closely at the name, Immanuel.

Immanuel literally means, “God-with-us”.

Once we understand the enormity of this, we will begin to see some things in a whole new light.

It’s important that the Bible we use doesn’t translate this as “God is with us”. That is not the literal meaning of it.

“God with us” means that Jesus was literally God on earth, living, walking, and talking with the people.

When Jesus was here on earth, He was not a representative of God. He was God, with us.

Small changes in a translation, whether intentional or not, can make major differences in whether we learn the proper meaning of specific things.

And those things can seriously alter the doctrine that we learn and grow with.

Let’s be sure to allow God to show us His truth, and that we equip ourselves with the proper tools, that we may be “a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Amen

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!

Mark 14:13 (NKJV) 13 And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him.

It’s important to pay attention to the little things as we read and study God’s word.

Sometimes little details can give us greater insight into God’s word and a stronger faith in Him.

The verse above is an example of this.

Jesus instructed two of His disciples to go into the city and watch for a man carrying a pitcher of water.

Then He told them to follow that man.

Wait. Did you catch that?

Jesus told them to go into the city. That doesn’t seem like a big deal. But He then told them specifically to look for a man carrying a pitcher of water.

Now, that’s a serious detail that He could have known only if He was truly God in the flesh. It was purely prophetic.

But wait. Look at what He told them next.

He said that as they followed that man, he would lead them to a specific place.

Mark 14:14-15 (NKJV) 14 Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’ 15 Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

“He will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared.”

Now I am fully blown away.

First, a man carrying a pitcher. Then, a room, fully furnished and prepared.

This is not something minor.

It may not begin to compare to Him dying for us on the cross. It doesn’t come close to the blood that He willingly spilled for mankind, to offer us forgiveness and redemption.

But consider the ramifications of these smaller details.

His disciples must have seen this and been in awe of Him as they lived and walked with Him daily. It could only strengthen their faith in Him as they saw these kinds of things repeated many times.

So, let’s look at ourselves.

How can we, as Children of God, not have incredible faith in Him when we begin to see and recognize details like these?

These kinds of revelations and understanding should help us move beyond the basics, so we begin to see God for who He is in a much deeper way.

Again, this is not necessarily a deep mystery of God. But it is significant enough that we should pay attention to it.

Let’s take the time necessary to study and discover God’s word in a most detailed manner. And watch Him grow us and transform us in ways that we might never have imagined could happen.

Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie

Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443

401-439-3780

If you know someone who will enjoy this or be encouraged by it, please feel free to share it with them!