Devotion for the Third Day of Christmas 2012

On the Third Day of Christmas, we remember the Holy Innocents, the children murdered by Herod in his attempt to kill the baby Jesus.

Matthew 2:16-18 (ESV)

6 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

Heavenly Father, we know You love each and every one of Your children with a love that is greater than we can imagine. Our hearts break, O Lord, when we read of Herod murdering innocent children, babies of two years old and younger. Yet in our own land today, we stand by while millions of Your beloved children are slaughtered in the wombs of their mothers. Pierce our hears so deeply that we demand an end of the murder of children You have created, children for whom You have a loving plan. Strengthen our moral resolve and give us the courage and the love to do what is right. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now Choose Life, so That You and Your Children May Live

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. ~ Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV)

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court chose death and made abortion legal in the United States.

Since that day, nearly 55 million children created by God in His image have been murdered before ever being given a chance at life.

This joyous story of a reunion of a birth mother with her daughter conceived in rape and given up for adoption is unlikely to happen today. Children conceived in rape are routinely aborted, as if the children should be punished for the crimes of their fathers.

Added 1/23/12: I learned about a pro-life advocate who herself was conceived in rape. Rebecca Kiessling has a dramatic story to tell that changes hearts and minds about exceptions to abortion.

Through the years, I have written a number of posts about abortion and the sanctity of life, especially on the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that made the lives of unborn children less valuable under the law than the convenience of their mothers. Here are links to some of them:

• Absolute Truth vs Personal Opinion
• Abortion: Legalized Murder
• A Thirty-Six Year Tragedy
• The Most Basic Human Right: Life
• Slavery and Abortion – Moral Relatives
• The Case Against Abortion

O Lord Jesus Christ, who dost embrace children with the arms of thy mercy, and dost make them living members of thy Church; protect unborn children from being murdered in the womb; turn the hearts of lawmakers and people to end the evil abomination of abortion; and allow every child created by thee to fulfill thy plan for their life; through thy merits, O merciful Saviour, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen. (adapted from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer

photo credit: Caitlinator

Abortion: Legalized Murder

My heart is breaking today. In the 38 years since the Supreme Court handed down the decision in the Roe v Wade case, more than 52 million precious babies have been legally murdered in the womb.

Nearly half of all pregnancies to American women are unintended; four in 10 of these end in abortion. ~ Guttmacher Institute

Millions of human beings made in the image of God have decided their desires and needs are more important than the lives of other human beings made in the image of God. Millions of human beings have decided they have the right to decide who lives or dies–a right that belongs to God alone.

• So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. ~ Genesis 1:27
• Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. ~ Isaiah 49:1b
• Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. ~ Jeremiah 1:5a
• Your hands have made and fashioned me. ~ Psalm 119:73a
• You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, so wonderfully you made me; wonderful are your works! My very self you knew; my bones were not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, fashioned as in the depths of the earth. Your eyes foresaw my actions; in your book all are written down; my days were shaped, before one came to be. ~ Psalm 139:13-16
• You shall not murder. ~ Exodus 20:13
• For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ~ Jeremiah 29:11
• I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. ~ Deuteronomy 30:19b-20

Follow these links to information about abortion and thoughts of people a lot smarter than I am:

• An Overview of Abortion in 2 Minutes from Abort73.com
• Abortion Facts from The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform
• It’s Time to Stop Pretending Abortion Is Anything Other Than the Ruthless Killing of an Innocent Human Being by Randy Alcorn
• Worshiping Moloch by William J. Murray
• On the 38th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Most Americans Still Don’t Understand the Court’s Decision by Father Frank Pavone
• The Philadelphia Horror: How Mass Murder Gets a Pass by Michelle Malkin

Here are some of my thoughts on abortion:

• Another Year, Another Million and a Half Dead Babies
• A Thirty-Six Year Tragedy
• The Most Basic Human Right: Life
• Slavery and Abortion: Moral Relatives
• In Memory of 40 Million Aborted Babies

Some say the language of this post is too strident, not conducive to compromise and cooperation. When millions of lives are at stake, we can’t compromise. We must be peaceful and do everything in love, but we must act. We must stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.

God forgive us all for murdering the most innocent and vulnerable among us.

O GOD, Almighty and merciful, who healest those that are broken in heart, and turnest the sadness of the sorrowful to joy; Let thy fatherly goodness be upon all that thou hast made, especially those who have not yet breathed outside the womb. Protect them from the hands of those who would take their precious lives and allow thy plans for them to be fulfilled. Remember in pity such as are this day frightened, confused, cast down, and tempted to end their sufferings by spilling innocent blood. By thy heavenly grace preserve them from falling into sin; though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they be perplexed, save them from despair and show them the better way. Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him, who for our sakes was born and lived and died, thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

photo credit: Theodore Scott

A Thirty-Six Year Tragedy

Today is the 36th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the US. In those 36 years, nearly 50 MILLION babies have been denied the right to life.

• How many of them would have been scientists or researchers who discovered cures for diseases or improved food production methods?
• How many of them would have been city council members, state legislators, Senators, Congressmen, even President?
• How many of them would have composed beautiful music, created masterpieces of art, or written inspiring books?
• How many of them would have become entrepreneurs or doctors or lawyers or ministers or social workers or factory workers or teachers or maintenance men or managers?
• How many would have brought joy to their loved ones by their lovely smiles, their generous natures, their giving hearts?

Their deaths in the womb destroyed their chances of being the persons God created them to be. The Bible talks about the sanctity of life created by God in His own image.

I’ve written about the sanctity of life in The Most Basic Human Right: Life and Slavery and Abortion: Moral Relatives. In the post In Memory of 40 Million Aborted Babies, I linked to this powerful message: Think of Me Turning 34 Today. Just change 34 to 36 and realize how many more people aren’t turning 36 today.

O GOD, merciful and compassionate, who art ever ready to hear the prayers of those who put their trust in thee; Graciously hearken to us who call upon thee, and grant us thy help in this our need; end the evil of abortion and let the children live. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.