ON TIME
|
Posted:Dec 26, 2016 5:24 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:47 am 23017 Views
|
Read: Luke 2:25–38
Bible in a Year: Haggai 1–2; Revelation 17
When the set time had fully come, God sent his . Galatians 4:4
Sometimes I joke that I'm going to write a book titled On Time. Those who know me smile because they know I am often late. I rationalize that my lateness is due to optimism, not to lack of trying. I optimistically cling to the faulty belief that “this time” I will be able to get more done in less time than ever before. But I can't, and I don't, so I end up having to apologize yet again for my failure to show up on time.
In contrast, God is always on time. We may think He's late, but He's not. Throughout Scripture we read about people becoming impatient with God’s timing. The Israelites waited and waited for the promised Messiah. Some gave up hope. But Simeon and Anna did not. They were in the temple daily praying and waiting (Luke 2:25–26, 37). And their faith was rewarded. They got to see the infant Jesus when Mary and Joseph brought Him to be dedicated (vv. 27–32, 38.
When the set time had fully come, God sent his . Galatians 4:4
When we become discouraged because God doesn't respond according to our timetable, Christmas reminds us that “when the set time had fully come, God sent his . . . that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Gal. 4:4–5). God’s timing is always perfect, and it is worth the wait.
Heavenly Father, I confess that I become impatient and discouraged, wanting answers to prayer in my own time and on my schedule. Help me to wait patiently for Your timing in all things.
God’s timing is always right—wait patiently for Him.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
WHA CAN I GIVE HIM?
|
Posted:Dec 23, 2016 6:28 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:47 am 23001 Views
|
Read: Psalm 103:1–18
Bible in a Year: Nahum 1–3; Revelation 14
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2
One year, those responsible for decorating their church for Christmas decided to use the theme of “Christmas lists.” Instead of decorating with the usual shiny gold and silver ornaments, they gave each person a red or green tag. On one side they were to write down the gift they would like from Jesus, and on the other they were to list the gift they would give to the One whose birth they were celebrating.
If you were to do this, what gift would you ask for and what would you offer? The Bible gives us lots of ideas. God promises to supply all our needs, so we might ask for a new job, help with financial problems, physical healing for ourselves or others, or a restored relationship. We might be wondering what our spiritual gift is that equips us for God’s service. Many of these are listed in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. Or we might long to show more of the fruit of the Holy Spirit: to be more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind and good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled (Gal. 5:22–23).
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Psalm 103:2
The most important gift we can ever receive is God’s gift of His , our Savior, and with Him forgiveness, restoration, and the promise of spiritual life that begins now and lasts forever. And the most important gift we can ever give is to give Jesus our heart.
You overwhelm me with Your gifts, Lord. In return, I want to give You the very best present that I can. Please show me what You want most from me.
If I were a wise man, I would do my part. Yet what can I give Him—give Him my heart.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
THE BEST GIFT EVER
|
Posted:Dec 22, 2016 4:46 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:48 am 22473 Views
|
Read: 1 Peter 3:8–16
Bible in a Year: Micah 6–7; Revelation 13
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15
Read: 1 Peter 3:8–16
Bible in a Year: Micah 6–7; Revelation 13
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. 1 Peter 3:15
At a winter retreat in northern New England, one of the men asked the question, “What was your favorite Christmas gift ever?”
One athletic man seemed eager to answer. “That’s easy,” he said, glancing at his friend next to him. “A few years back, I finished college thinking I was a sure bet to play professional football. When it didn’t happen, I was angry. Bitterness ate at me, and I shared that bitterness with anyone who tried to help me.”
The best Christmas gift is Jesus bringing peace and forgiveness to others.
“On the second Christmas—and second season without football—I went to a Christmas play at this guy’s church,” he said, gesturing toward his friend. “Not because I wanted Jesus, but just to see my niece in her Christmas pageant. It’s hard to describe what happened because it sounds silly, but right in the middle of that ’ play, I felt like I needed to be with those shepherds and angels meeting Jesus. When that crowd finished singing ‘Silent Night,’ I just sat there weeping.
“I got my best Christmas present ever that very night,” he said, again pointing to his friend, “when this guy sent his family home without him so he could tell me how to meet Jesus.”
It was then that his friend piped up: “And that, guys, was my best Christmas present ever.”
This Christmas, may the joyful simplicity of the story of Jesus’s birth be the story we tell to others.
The best Christmas gift is Jesus bringing peace and forgiveness to others.
At a winter retreat in northern New England, one of the men asked the question, “What was your favorite Christmas gift ever?”
One athletic man seemed eager to answer. “That’s easy,” he said, glancing at his friend next to him. “A few years back, I finished college thinking I was a sure bet to play professional football. When it didn’t happen, I was angry. Bitterness ate at me, and I shared that bitterness with anyone who tried to help me.”
The best Christmas gift is Jesus bringing peace and forgiveness to others.
“On the second Christmas—and second season without football—I went to a Christmas play at this guy’s church,” he said, gesturing toward his friend. “Not because I wanted Jesus, but just to see my niece in her Christmas pageant. It’s hard to describe what happened because it sounds silly, but right in the middle of that ’ play, I felt like I needed to be with those shepherds and angels meeting Jesus. When that crowd finished singing ‘Silent Night,’ I just sat there weeping.
“I got my best Christmas present ever that very night,” he said, again pointing to his friend, “when this guy sent his family home without him so he could tell me how to meet Jesus.”
It was then that his friend piped up: “And that, guys, was my best Christmas present ever.”
This Christmas, may the joyful simplicity of the story of Jesus’s birth be the story we tell to others.
The best Christmas gift is Jesus bringing peace and forgiveness to others.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
A PERSONAL STORY
|
Posted:Dec 21, 2016 12:11 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:48 am 22019 Views
|
Read: Exodus 1:22–2:10
Bible in a Year: Micah 4–5; Revelation 12
Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close.
Psalm 27:10
A baby just hours old was left in a manger in a Christmas nativity outside a New York church. A young, desperate mother had wrapped him warmly and placed him where he would be discovered. If we are tempted to judge her, we can instead be thankful this baby will now have a chance in life.
This gets personal for me. As an adopted myself, I have no idea about the circumstances surrounding my birth. But I have never felt abandoned. Of this much I am certain: I have two moms who wanted me to have a chance in life. One gave life to me; the other invested her life in me.
Share the love of Christ.
In Exodus we read about a loving mother in a desperate situation. Pharaoh had ordered the murder of all baby boys born to the Jewish people (1:22). So Moses’s mother hid him as long as she could. When Moses was three months old, she put him in a watertight basket and placed the basket in the Nile River. If the plan was to have the baby rescued by a princess, grow up in Pharaoh’s palace, and eventually deliver his people out of slavery, it worked perfectly.
When a desperate mother gives her a chance, God can take it from there. He has a habit of doing that—in the most creative ways imaginable.
Father, today we pray for those facing desperate and lonely times. We pray especially for poor and defenseless everywhere. Help us meet their needs as we are able.
Share the love of Christ.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
SPREADING JOY
|
Posted:Dec 20, 2016 5:36 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:48 am 21972 Views
|
Read: John 16:16–24
Bible in a Year: Micah 1–3; Revelation 11
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10
When Janet went to teach English in a school overseas, she found the atmosphere gloomy and depressing. People did their jobs, but no one seemed happy. They didn't help or encourage one another. But Janet, grateful for all that God had done for her, expressed it in everything she did. She smiled. She was friendly. She went out of her way to help people. She hummed songs and hymns.
Little by little, as Janet shared her joy, the atmosphere at the school changed. One by one people began to smile and help each other. When a visiting administrator asked the principal why his school was so different, the principal, who was not a believer, responded, “Jesus brings joy.” Janet was filled to overflowing with the joy of the Lord and it spilled over to those around her.
Take the joy of Christmas with you every day.
The gospel of Luke tells us that God sent an angel to ordinary shepherds to deliver an extraordinary birth announcement. The angel made the surprising proclamation that the newborn baby “will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10), which indeed He did.
Since then this message has spread through the centuries to us, and now we are Christ's messengers of joy to the world. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we continue the practice of spreading the joy of Jesus as we follow His example and serve others.
How might you spread the joy of Jesus to others today?
Take the joy of Christmas with you every day.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
ENEMY LOVE
|
Posted:Dec 19, 2016 3:01 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:49 am 21523 Views
|
Read: Jonah 3:10–4:11
Bible in a Year: Jonah 1–4; Revelation 12
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Luke 6:32
When war broke out in 1950, fifteen-year-old Kim Chin-Kyung joined the South Korean army to defend his homeland. He soon found, however, that he wasn’t ready for the horrors of combat. As young friends died around him, he begged God for his life and promised that, if allowed to live, he would learn to love his enemies.
Sixty-five years later, Dr. Kim reflected on that answered prayer. Through decades of caring for orphans and assisting in the education of North Korean and Chinese young people, he has won many friends among those he once regarded as enemies. Today he shuns political labels. Instead he calls himself a loveist as an expression of his faith in Jesus.
God, please give us the grace to be more like Jesus.
The prophet Jonah left a different kind of legacy. Even a dramatic rescue from the belly of a big fish didn’t transform his heart. Although he eventually obeyed God, Jonah said he’d rather die than watch the Lord show mercy to his enemies
(Jonah 4:1–2, 8.
We can only guess as to whether Jonah ever learned to care for the people of Nineveh. Instead we are left to wonder about ourselves. Will we settle for his attitude toward those we fear and hate? Or will we ask God for the ability to love our enemies as He has shown mercy to us?
Father in heaven, like Your reluctant prophet, we are inclined to love only those who love us. Yet You loved us even when we cared only for ourselves. Please give us the grace to be more like Jesus than Jonah.
Love conquers all.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Another Side Of Comfort
|
Posted:Dec 16, 2016 4:38 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:49 am 22644 Views
|
Read: Jeremiah 7:1–11
Bible in a Year: Amos 4–6; Revelation 7
Hear the word of the Lord. Jeremiah 7.2
The theme for our adult camp was “Comfort My People.” Speaker after speaker spoke words of assurance. But the last speaker drastically changed the tone. He chose Jeremiah 7:1–11 and the topic “Wake Up from Slumber.” Without mincing words and yet with love, he challenged us to wake up and turn away from our sins.
“Don’t hide behind the grace of God and continue to live in secret sin,” he exhorted, like the prophet Jeremiah. “We boast, ‘I am a Christian; God loves me; I fear no evil,’ yet we do all kinds of evil.”
Jesus, thank you that Your correction is never to harm us but only to heal us.
We knew he cared about us, yet we shifted uncomfortably in our seats and listened to our own Jeremiah declare, “God is loving, but He is also a consuming fire! (see Heb. 12:29). He will never condone sin!”
Jeremiah of old quizzed the people, “Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury . . . follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, ‘We are safe’—safe to do all these detestable things?” (7:9–10).
This speaker’s brand of “Comfort My People” was another side of God’s comfort. Like a bitter herb that heals malaria, his words were spiritually curative. When we hear hard words, instead of walking away, may we respond to their healing effect.
Heavenly Father, You love us too much to let us continue defying Your instructions. Your correction is never to harm us but only to heal us. You are the God of all comfort.
God’s discipline is designed to make us like His .
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
ONE SHORT SLEEP
|
Posted:Dec 15, 2016 4:43 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:49 am 21115 Views
|
Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18
Bible in a Year: Amos 1–3; Revelation 6
We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8
Henry Durbanville, a Scottish pastor from another era, told the story of an elderly woman in his parish who lived in a remote part of Scotland. She longed to see the city of Edinburgh, but she was afraid to take the journey because of the long, dark tunnel through which the train had to pass to get there.
One day, however, circumstances compelled her to go to Edinburgh, and as the train sped toward the city, her agitation increased. But before the train reached the tunnel, the woman, worn out with worry, fell fast asleep. When she awoke she had already arrived in the city!
I love the life you've give to me, Lord!
It’s possible that some of us will not experience death. If we’re alive when Jesus returns, we will “meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thess. 4:13–18. But many of us will pass into heaven through death and for some that thought causes great anxiety. We worry that the process of dying will be too difficult to bear.
With the assurance of Jesus as our Savior we can rest in the confidence that when we close our eyes on earth and pass through death, we will open our eyes in God’s presence. “One short sleep past we wake eternally,” John Donne said.
I love the life You’ve given to me, Lord, yet I wonder what it will be like to see You personally. Help me to trust You with the future. I look forward to that day when I meet You.
To see Jesus will be heaven’s greatest joy.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
LIVING IN THE LIGHT
|
Posted:Dec 14, 2016 4:17 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:51 am 19787 Views
|
Read: 1 John 2:3–11
Bible in a Year: Joel 1–3; Revelation 5
The darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2.8
It was a dark morning. Low, steel-colored clouds filled the sky, and the atmosphere was so dim that I needed to turn on the lights in order to read a book. I had just settled in when the room suddenly filled with light. I looked up and saw that the wind was pushing the clouds to the east, clearing the sky and revealing the sun.
As I went to the window to get a better look at the drama, a thought came to mind: “The darkness is passing and the true light is already shining” (1 John 2:8.
The apostle John wrote these words to believers as a message of encouragement. He went on to say, “Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble” (v. 10). By contrast, he equated hating people with roaming around in darkness. Hatred is disorienting; it takes away our sense of moral direction.
Dear God, I want to live in the light of Your grace and mercy.
Loving people is not always easy. Yet I was reminded as I looked out the window that frustration, forgiveness, and faithfulness are all part of maintaining a deep connection with the love and light of God. When we choose love instead of hate, we are showing our relationship with Him and reflecting His radiance to the world around us. “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
Dear God, help me to experience Your love more fully so that I can share it with others. I want to live in the light of Your grace and mercy.
Choosing to love people well shows the world what God is like.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
GOOD NEWS!
|
Posted:Dec 13, 2016 5:28 am
Last Updated:Jan 2, 2017 1:52 am 20176 Views
|
Read: Nahum 1.7–15
Bible in a Year: Hosea 12–14; Revelation 4
Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Nahum 1:15
World news bombards us from the Internet, television, radio, and mobile devices. The majority seems to describe what’s wrong—crime, terrorism, war, and economic problems. Yet there are times when good news invades the darkest hours of sadness and despair—stories of unselfish acts, a medical breakthrough, or steps toward peace in war-scarred places.
The words of two men recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible brought great hope to people weary of conflict.
Lord, we praise you for the good news of Jesus’s birth and for His powerful presence in our lives today.
While describing God’s coming judgment on a ruthless and powerful nation, Nahum said, “Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!” (Nah. 1:15). That news brought hope to all those oppressed by cruelty.
A similar phrase occurs in the book of Isaiah: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation” (Isa. 52.7.
Nahum and Isaiah’s prophetic words of hope found their ultimate fulfillment at the first Christmas when the angel told the shepherds, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11).
The most important headline in our lives every day is the very best news ever spoken—Christ the Savior is born!
The birth of Jesus is the best news the world has ever received!
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
