Luke 2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

The circumcision of male children on the eighth day went back to Abraham.  The ceremonial procedure acts as a symbol of the convenient between God and the descendants of Abraham.

Today is the eighth day of Christmas and the anniversary of when Jesus was circumcised. In this ceremony, He received his name.  On this day, the baby was given His name Jehovah’s Salvation or as we know it–Jesus.

There are Christians today who circumcise their sons and there is nothing wrong with that.  But from the time of Christ’s death and the start of the new covenant, we are no longer required to circumcise the flesh.  We are called to circumcise the heart.  This concept is actually an old testament concept as well.

Jeremiah 4 mentions the need to circumcise the heart.

4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

Roman 2, Paul tells us our circumcision is to be of the heart and not the flesh.

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Circumcision removes the protective cover making what lies beneath more sensitive. When we circumcise our heart, we remove the protective cover from our spirit to make it sensitive to the Holy Spirit.  We remove those things in our nature which cause us to ignore the Desires of God in our life.  We cut away the fear, the anger, the selfishness and seek to obey the Lord.

Journal exercise:

Does fear prevent you from doing something you know God desires you to do?

Does worldly business?

Does desire for things, money, position, fame prevent you from obeying God?

Write those things you believe God desires you to do in your life.  Maybe pray more, or tell others about Him or help someone in need.  God does not intend for his children to live lives of doing nothing.  If you do not know God’s will in your life write a prayer asking Him to tell you.

Why do you not move to do what God is calling you to do?

Write a prayer asking God to cut away the foreskin of your heart so you will be sensitive to his desires.

Seek His purpose in your life and ask Him to cut away all that prevents you from serving Him.