Day #354 - Dedicated
The Presence - A Devotional for living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder
”When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”“
Luke 2:22-24 NIV
Have you been to a child dedication in the church?
One of my favorite things for Grace and I to do as pastors is dedicate children unto the Lord. It is a holy thing for parents to bring their babies before the church and set them apart to the Lord in prayer so that they might be consecrated unto God’s purposes. We dedicated our four children to the Lord. Our church tradition is to also sing the classic “Jesus Love Me” song over the children we dedicate.
When Jesus was firstborn Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to present Him or dedicate Him to the Lord. The Lord was being dedicated unto the Lord. The incarnation is such a wonder to marvel over. God in the flesh going to God’s house to be consecrated unto God. Jesus was fully human while being fully God and as our representative He had to perfectly fulfill the law of God for us so we could be consecrated and set apart unto the Lord.
Chid dedication is not a mere ritual but is also the pattern of our Lord Jesus. When someone or something is set apart unto God, it is holy. “The Presence” of God comes upon people and things offered unto the Lord. Our sacrifices and dedications touch the Lord’s heart and He is pleased with our obedience to put Him first. Setting ourselves and our child apart to Him is about putting Him first and reminding ourselves that we are not our own, we belong to Him. Jesus life was God’s gift to us and His life being set apart unto God was also His gift back to the Father.
If you have children or you will have children, dedicate them to the Lord. Follow the example of Jesus. This Christmas when you exchange gifts, remember you can give God a gift. The greatest gift we bring God is ourselves. Jesus came to offer His life for our redemption. Our response to yield to Him and honor His coming and sacrifice for us touches His heart like nothing else. The offering of our livers as worship was the purpose we were made for and brings us joy as we bring it to Him.
Lord Jesus, I love you! I dedicate and offer my life to You. I present myself to You so that I might live in Your presence. There is none like You! You are worthy of my life. My life is not my own. Be first in my life Lord. I give You the highest place. In Your name, amen.
We all love child dedications, and I am so glad our church does them! Wonderful commentary on being set apart to be holy and for God's purposes - thank you, Pastor John! Simeon is one of my favorite people in the Bible. He's only there for a minute, but what he was able to experience! It goes beyond what I can imagine - beholding the Savior he had waited for his whole life! ✝️🕊️💝
“God in the flesh is going to the temple to be consecrated to God”…
He is MY LORD! 🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻♥️🙏🏻