March 6 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The victory of Christ does not mean that the armies have laid down their weapons. The war continues with undiminished fury. What, then, is the benefit of Christ's victory? "The dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth." In other words, the devil has been thrown out of the driver's seat. But Jesus, the "male child," has gone from earth to heaven. He moved from the place being governed to the seat of government. He is in the control center. He was "snatched up to God and to his throne" (v. 5).

The devil is still free to attack, but he can never again gain control. The control belongs to Jesus. For "to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders" (Isa. 9:6).

The dragon spends his fury on the woman who has borne the male child. She is the daughter of Zion, the weeping woman of Bethlehem. She is the mother of the people whose history is written in blood and tears. She represents God's people, the church of all ages.

Don't think for a minute that since Christ has been under attack, those who follow him will go scot-free. That would be contrary to everything Jesus predicted. In faith we know today that Jesus is Lord, but we don't see it yet. We must live by faith and act out of faith. That means that we obey our Lord without fear, for the authority belongs to God and his Messiah (v. 10).

Hope in the Lord. He will provide. We will be carried on an eagle's wings (v. 14). Keep God's commands and bear testimony about Jesus (v. 17).

"Since I must fight if I would reign, increase my courage, Lord; I'll bear the toil, endure the pain, supported by thy Word" (Isaac Watts).

REFLECTIONS

Sing or say the words above from Watts's hymn as your prayer.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.