Luke 1:33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
The angel Gabriel is speaking to Mary, announcing that she will be the Mother of Christ, what that means, and who He will be.
Him reigning over the house of Jacob, can not be confused with ruling just Israel. He is stressing the point that this Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom, not an earthly throne like that of Saul, David, or Solomon. This is important to us because this is how we get in, we as believers are ingrafted into the family by Christ's blood. We are descendants of Abraham through Jesus therefore we are of the house of Jacob.
And it is forever, there is no end. All earthly Kings reigns' eventually come to an end but not Christ’s Reign. He is our King eternally as we will forever live and be with him even after we die.
He reigns in our hearts right now. And He allows us to be apart of building and bringing glory to Him and His Kingdom every day!
I pray that this glorious truth of why Christ was born will resonate in your heart. As you reflect on this truth, here are a few suggestions . . .
Think about and Journal: Christ came to reign over me and in me as a perfect King. What have I allowed to dethrone Him in my life and heart?
Confess & Share: Spend time confessing those things and acknowledging to God that He is the only one worthy to sit on the throne of your life and heart. Get time #acrossthetable with a sister in Christ and share the areas that the Lord has revealed to you and ask for prayer and accountability.
Meditate: Here are the lyrics of the hymn, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, they are rich lyrics that can echo the cry of our hearts this Advent season as we celebrate that Christ came and look forward to his coming again To Reign.
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.
My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe
I’ve made sugar cookies in the past but they were mostly just okay. That is until I came across this recipe from Grandbaby Cakes that reminds me so much of shortbread cookies. Second to my all-time favorite cookie - chocolate chip - is shortbread. It’s simple yet has loads of buttery goodness.
Here are a few pointers I have when using this recipe.
Make sure you mix them well but don’t overdo it.
If you leave them in the fridge for over the 30-40 minute time span (like we did) let them sit out on the counter for a little while. Mine was really hard to roll out because I didn’t do that.
Don’t roll them out too thin or the edges will brown.
The link to the recipe and a picture of Josephine decorating her cookies are below - you’re welcome for both ;).
Do you have a favorite sugar cookie recipe, please share?
I've been using this sugar cookie recipe: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/107664247330213965/
I cut back the sugar, but they are still sweet and soft.