Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
9 But there’ll be no darkness for those who were in trouble. Earlier he did bring the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali into disrepute, but the time is coming when he’ll make that whole area glorious—the road along the Sea, the country past the Jordan, international Galilee.
2-7 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. For those who lived in a land of deep shadows— light! sunbursts of light! You repopulated the nation, you expanded its joy. Oh, they’re so glad in your presence! Festival joy! The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants— all their whips and clubs and curses— Is gone, done away with, a deliverance as surprising and sudden as Gideon’s old victory over Midian. The boots of all those invading troops, along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood, Will be piled in a heap and burned, a fire that will burn for days! For a child has been born—for us! the gift of a son—for us! He’ll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling authority will grow, and there’ll be no limits to the wholeness he brings. He’ll rule from the historic David throne over that promised kingdom. He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always. The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies will do all this.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Isaiah 9:6 Amplified Bible
6 For to us a Child shall be born, to us a Son shall be given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
The season we spend the longest time anticipating is among us.
Advent is here and in four short days, it will be Christmas, and the reminder of our hope being secured sears in our hearts all over again. It’s a beautiful time, filled with celebration that bring comfort and familiarity to our hearts. A time to savor the stillness and deep awe of what God has done and will soon do again.
This Christmas season, however, for too many across the globe, will mark the first time celebrating without their most treasured family members, from war, from famine, from drugs, alcohol, suicide, and cancer, heart attacks, just age. Death is just part of the natural cycle of life ordered by God – no one is immune.
As a global community, as the Body of Christ, our hearts are deeply intertwined with love for each other. Can we imagine how tender our relationship was for them all year round but how this time of Christmas celebration causes anguish?
The scale of the loss of life is earth-shattering, to say the least. It feels like a part of our hearts died the day they went to their graves, prayerfully with Jesus.
Perhaps you, too, count yourselves among the multitude of the grieving, have experienced all the feelings that come with the loss of someone dear to you. It feels more overwhelming during a season when the rest of the world seems to be joyful. It’s new, it’s different, but because of Jesus, hope is no less secure.
As I settled in my cozy brown chair and began writing this devotion, the grief once again washes over me. However, for me and my surgically repaired heart can whisper, for the first time in almost a year and a half, that the grief was met almost instantly with the much needed reminder of the joy I can have within my depressed circumstances because of Jesus. He is the gift of light in the darkness.
He is, as Isaiah 9:6-7 says, our mighty God, our eternal everlasting Father, the gift of peace in the raging tumult of the storms, wisest of the wise counselors.
He is our perfectly ordered Government fully capable, fully prepared, fully and 100% ready, 100% always vigilant and watchful, when disorder rules our souls. (Psalm 13, Psalm 18, Psalm 23, Psalm 46, Psalm 91, Psalm 121, Psalm 139)
We see this by the way God at a time and season of His choosing, sent His Messengers to a girl named Mary and then Immanuel came as a precious baby.
Immanuel, God with us and within us. His promised arrival, though it seemed unexpectedly lowly, pierced the darkness forever. Hope was born that night.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” – Isaiah 9:6-7
When Jesus came as a newborn baby, He brought forth the light of the world and the gospel of peace to a world that was wearily waiting for their Savior.
The night Christ was born was deemed holy and perfect.
The night of His birth delivered the invitation humanity had been waiting for.
The gift of a Savior, the redeemer, the ultimate counselor, the perfect friend, the sustainer through all of life, and the giver of the eternal light that can not nor will never be dimmed or taken away by the darkness in humanities heart.
As you all make the effort to settle into this season, whether filled with joy or finding yourself in waves of grief and uncertainty, cling to the reminder that hope came as promised. Jesus is with you, His light will lead you, and He will meet your every need. Seek Him in the stillness and savor the work He is doing.
Let’s Pray:
Father, thank you for your promises, thank you for the gift of hope you gave us when the baby Immanuel was born. As I journey through my shadows, through those places of great and greatest uncertainty this season, riding the waves of grief and joy, meet me 1:1 in those places. Meet with me, walk with me, in Your promises, tenderly through your Word. In Jesus’ name, alleluia! alleluia! amen.
Psalm 13 New King James Version
Trust in the Salvation of the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed against him”; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we pray always for you, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus [how you lean on Him with absolute confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness], and of the [unselfish] [a]love which you have for all the saints (God’s people); 5 because of the [confident] hope [of experiencing that] which is reserved and waiting for you in heaven. You previously heard of this hope in the message of truth, the gospel [regarding salvation] 6 which has come to you. Indeed, just as in the whole world the gospel is constantly bearing fruit and spreading [by God’s power], just as it has been doing among you ever since the day you first heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth [becoming thoroughly and deeply acquainted with it]. 7 You learned it from [our representative] Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf 8 and he also has told us of your love [well-grounded and nurtured] in the [Holy] Spirit.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
It is so cliché to say life is uncertain, yet Jesus offers us a steadfast promise—eternal life. His words are as reliable as the sunrise, as sure as a parent’s love.
On that miraculous night Jesus’ miraculous birth brought to all of us heaven’s promise to earth, “a heavenly light has been revealed, shined in the dark and the darkness could not do anything about it” and through His teachings and sacrificial death, He paid sin’s death penalty with eternal life. His resurrection affirms exactly what He promised. This, my friends, is as certain as the sunrise.
This promise of eternal life begins with the miraculous birth of our Savior, a child called Immanuel, “God with Us,” an event both prophesied and fulfilled.
1. Christmas Reminds Each One of Us to Trust God’s Promises
Every day, we trust the sun to rise; we never doubt its appearance because it has always been faithful. In the same way, we anchor our confidence in eternal life in God’s faithfulness and the consistency of His promises. Just as we rely on the sunrise, sunset, we can trust that God will fulfill His word regarding eternal life.
Hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold,
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… and His name shall be called Mighty God…” (Isaiah 9:6).
Jesus’ miraculous birth, born of a virgin (Luke 1:27), and the fulfillment of countless prophecies are miracles that only God could accomplish.
With this same divine authority, Jesus declared it was time to get our lives in line with God through repentance, forgiveness of sins and promised eternal life—a promise validated by His resurrection, as steadfast, certain as a rising sun.
Jesus’ humble arrival in a manger was the only One who could ensure salvation and life everlasting as 2 Corinthians 5:21 explains:
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The Savior’s life, His wise teachings, His miracle of feeding the thousands, His healings, stilling the storm, giving life to the dead, His inclusion of all classes of people (Mat. 11:28-30) unveiling before the veiled eyes of humanity, the forever expanding-length, depth, height, breadth, widest possible expanses of God’s own coming Kingdom, providing ample instruction in faith, hope, trust, love.
2. Jesus Unveils God’s Kingdom and Secures Our Faith
The sovereign authority of God upholds, and the law guarantees a legally binding contract—whether for a job, a home, or a covenant commitment.
Similarly, God, the ultimate Lawgiver, “seals” His unbreakable word: “When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal” (Ephesians 1:13-14), the guarantee of inheritance in eternal life. God’s word, unlike earthly contracts, is more enduring, engaging, because they’re backed by His unchanging nature.
Jesus revealed the way to eternity, declaring, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). His sinless life exemplified His teachings as a model of righteousness and eternal values.
His words, like a covenant, indestructibly rooted in God’s authority, are impossible to void. Unlike human agreements, God’s word is absolute and faithful: “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind…Does he promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).
Through Jesus, we can safely place our faith in a covenant as unbreakable as the most binding contract—yet far more enduring, secured by God Himself. Jesus secured this covenant by accomplishing redemption for our sins on the cross.
3. Jesus’ Victory Over Death Confirms Our Hope in Eternity
When a close friend promises to help in a challenging time, we believe them based on a long history trust built through shared history and proven loyalty.
We don’t have to question whether or when, they will show up because they have repeatedly revealed that they are 100% dependable. In the same way, God demonstrated His faithfulness in sending Jesus, and we can trust His promise of eternal life as surely as we would trust a BFF friend who has never let us down.
Martin Luther echoed this trust, saying, “When I look at myself, I don’t see how I can be saved. When I look at Christ, I don’t see how I can be lost.”
Through His birth, His teachings, and the ultimate sacrifice on the cross, Jesus proved He speaks the truth as a loving friend and Savior, exchanging our sin for His righteousness. Reverend Dr. A. W. Tozer says, “The only sin Jesus ever had was ours. And the only righteousness we can ever has is His.”
The blood of Jesus “cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7-9). His resurrection and ascension provides the final heavenly assurance that Jesus has paid the ransom, met sin’s penalty and was accepted by God the Father as an atonement.
Jesus’ resurrection captured sin’s death penalty, replaced it with eternal life.
4. Jesus’ Resurrection Proves Our Victory Over Death Is Certain
The resurrection proves that Jesus has power over sin and death, validating His identity as the Son of God and affirming every promise He’s made.
It’s the ultimate assurance that believers, too, will share in victory over death and receive the gift of eternal life. By rising from the dead, Jesus confirmed His role as Savior and Lord, providing us a secure foundation for our trust in God.
Peter declares in Acts 2:24,
“God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.”
Jesus is the resurrection and the life. “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25-26).
Resurrection is the cornerstone and certainty of our own resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22 states, “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Just as basic mathematical truths—2 + 2 always equaling 4—are unchanging, so is the iron clad reliability of God’s word and assurance of victory over death.
Mathematical principles remain constant, and likewise, so do God’s promises.
Author Lee Strobel captures this assurance: “Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; he came into this world to make dead people live.”
Believing in Jesus, “that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16), we live by faith— the very basis of eternal life.
5. Faith in Christ Secures Our Eternal Life
Most of us experience the unwavering love of a parent or close family member. Likewise, God’s love and our security in Him are even more assured. Just as a parent’s love for a child endures, God’s love is even deeper and unending.
The apostle John, known as Jesus’ “beloved disciple,” writes of this confidence in 1 John 5:13: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”
John’s message of assurance is powerful;
he walked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, witnessed His crucifixion, and saw His resurrected body. His words remind believers faith in Jesus is eternal, forever.
Salvation is God’s gift of grace—not earned but received by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Faith isn’t “hoping so” or wishful thinking—it’s a confident trust rooted in Jesus! Faith fully trusts God’s promises, not because we cross our fingers or “hope for the best,” but because He has proven Himself faithful time and again.
This is the faith that gives justification from sin and peace with God (Romans 5:1).
It is certain, like relying on the sunrise or the unchanging nature of God’s Word, rather than the fleeting assurances the world offers.
The great British preacher Charles Spurgeon helps us understand:
“Saving faith is an immediate relation to Christ, accepting, receiving, resting upon Him alone, for justification, sanctification, eternal life by virtue of God’s grace.”
Fully assured of what God promises through faith in Jesus, we can live into, we can live out from that faith, shining out into darkness, the truth of eternal life.
By our spiritual discipline, prioritizing time in God’s presence through prayer and studying His Word deepens holiness and shapes us to be more like Jesus.
As 1 John 2:5 says, ‘If anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them.’
With confidence in the unshakable promise of eternal life, Christmas becomes a sacred invitation to share with others the true message of the season—a Gospel message of redemption, hope, and eternal assurance in Christ that the world so desperately needs.
Finally, as blessed, as miraculous, as certain as the sunrise, as the sunset, as unbreakable as a trusted promise, as enduring as a parent’s love, and presence, as unchanging as mathematical laws, God’s declarations stand steadfast, firm.
The birth, life, teachings, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus all confirm His promise of eternal life. Yes, you can be certain of heaven! Let’s read this verse again: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 121 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 121
A Song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
9 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,7 and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As we are drawing closer to our celebration of Jesus’ birth, it’s so important to remember why Jesus came. Several times in the book of John, Jesus talks about doing the will of God, who sent him. In today’s passage Jesus tells his disciples, “We must do the works of him who sent me.” Though he doesn’t say here what those works are, Jesus shows through his actions who he is and why he came.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, 7 and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
Jesus gives sight to a man who was born blind.
When we read further in John 9, we find that this healing caused quite a stir among the crowds, the Pharisees, and even the blind man’s parents. People born blind don’t get their sight back—at least not until Jesus comes along.
As he sets the stage for this healing, Jesus declares, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me.” In this episode Jesus is making a bold claim and showing those who are present that He is 1000% God’s chosen servant.
As Isaiah 42:7 proclaimed, God’s servant would “open eyes that are blind” (see also Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19).
God’s will for Jesus was to usher in the renewing kingdom of God.
God’s kingdom brings hope, healing and includes all whom he calls to believe in him—from all backgrounds. This healing and the vivid inclusion of all kinds of people provide the joyful evidence Jesus truly is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).
There’s no single day where we are excluded from or excused from being God’s servant even if that day is a family day of great celebration of all the Lord did.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
25 Lord, I put my life in your hands.[b] 2 I trust in you, my God, and I will not be disappointed. My enemies will not laugh at me. 3 No one who trusts in you will be disappointed. But disappointment will come to those who try to deceive others. They will get nothing.
4 Lord, help me learn your ways. Show me how you want me to live. 5 Guide me and teach me your truths. You are my God, my Savior. You are the one I have been waiting for. 6 Remember to be kind to me, Lord. Show me the tender love that you have always had. 7 Don’t remember the sinful things I did when I was young. Because you are good, Lord, remember me with your faithful love.
8 The Lord is good and does what is right. He shows sinners the right way to live. 9 He teaches his ways to humble people. He leads them with fairness. 10 The Lord is kind and true to those who obey what he said in his agreement.
11 Lord, I have done many wrong things. But I ask you to forgive them all to show your goodness.
12 When people choose to follow the Lord, he shows them the best way to live. 13 They will enjoy good things, and their children will get the land God promised. 14 The Lord tells his secrets to his followers. He teaches them about his agreement. 15 I always look to the Lord for help. Only he can free me from my troubles.[c]
16 I am hurt and lonely. Turn to me, and show me mercy. 17 Free me from my troubles. Help me solve my problems. 18 Look at my trials and troubles. Forgive me for all the sins I have done. 19 Look at all the enemies I have. They hate me and want to hurt me. 20 Protect me! Save me from them! I come to you for protection, so don’t let me be disappointed. 21 You are good and do what is right. I trust you to protect me. 22 God, save the people of Israel from all their enemies.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
18-23 But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse. What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Our Creator’s qualities are always and forever on full display in creation.
Without fail, each and every time we go outside to explore nature, we can learn something new, exciting, awe-inspiring, wonderfully different about God.
Romans 1:19-20 explains that those who want to know more about God can discover his qualities in the natural world:
“For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
Whenever we are immersed in the wonder of nature, we are reminded that we have a wise and loving Creator who sustains all of creation – including us – in powerful ways which will forever and ever, echelons beyond our own creativity.
Here’s how five aspects of nature commonly found around the world – the sun, water, rocks, trees, and flowers – serve to reveal the wonder of God’s character,
1. The Sun Reveals God’s Life, Hope, and Wisdom
God is the ultimate light, and the sun shines a spotlight on that reality.
The sun symbolizes life coming from a loving Creator who cares for creation.
It shows us the full length, breath, depth, and height of God’s fiery love, which motivates him to give us life and sustain our lives.
The Bible calls God the “sun of righteousness” in Malachi 4:2, “true light” in John 1:9, “light of the world” in John 8:12, “consuming fire” in Deuteronomy 4:24 and Hebrews 12:29, “refiner’s fire” in Malachi 3:2, and “bright morning star” in Revelation 22:16.
Just as all forms of life on Earth need sunlight to grow physically, we need the light of unbreakable loving relationships connected to God to grow spiritually.
The sun sheds light on how God shines hope into the darkness of this fallen world.
The Bible uses light imagery in Ephesians 1:18-19 when describing the hope God offers: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.”
Physically, light always overpowers darkness. The photons in light can dispel darkness, but darkness cannot dispel light. You can see this by entering a dark room and turning on a flashlight there. The light will be visible in the darkness, even if there’s just a small amount of light in a greater amount of darkness.
This same principle applies spiritually, as the light of hope is always stronger than the darkness of discouragement and despair.
No matter how dark our circumstances are, God can change them for the better by shining his light of hope into our lives.
Also, the sun reveals how God enlightens us with wisdom to know the truth and make the best choices.
The Bible connects light with wisdom in 2 Corinthians 4:6, proclaiming that God “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”
Jesus says he is the source of enlightenment: “‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
2. Water Reveals God’s Salvation Work, Clarity, Purity, and Mercy
Water splashes God’s salvation work into our focus.
In John 4:10, Jesus uses the term “living water” to declare his role as the world’s Savior.
A few verses later, Jesus uses the imagery of water to describe his gift of salvation: “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14).
Water, which is essential for our bodies to thrive, points us toward saving relationships with God so our souls can thrive.
Water is constantly moving around our planet through natural cycles such as precipitation; evaporation; freezing, melting; currents in oceans, rivers, and lakes; the flow of groundwater, etc.
God is moving in our lives in every single moment, often unseen but always at work. Water contains wondrous power that people tap into for hydropower energy, which reminds us of God’s even greater power to transform our lives.
Water, which has reflective qualities, also shows how the Holy Spirit counsels us with wise guidance.
God does so when we reflect on our lives and ask for his help to live well.
Water symbolizes clarity and purity.
It inspires us to look clearly at our lives and purify them by working with God for positive change to happen.
Finally, water symbolizes God’s great mercy toward us. (Psalm 23:2)
Just as water cleanses our bodies from dirt, God cleanses our souls from sin.
The ancient practice of baptism in water shows this.
As people immerse themselves underwater, they accept God’s forgiveness and let their sins wash away.
As they rise from the water, they celebrate God’s salvation gift through Christ, made possible by his resurrection.
Rocks, which are reliably strong, point to the fact God is trustworthy.
The Bible calls God “rock” in First Corinthians10:4, “living stone” in 1 Peter 2:4, and “cornerstone” in Isaiah 28:16.
Any type of rock can inspire awe in us, which deepens our trust in God.
As Deuteronomy 32:4 declares: “He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.”
The wonder of God’s handiwork is on display in every rock – from small pebbles at a creek to huge boulders on a mountain.
Beautiful gemstone rocks called crystals display God’s craftmanship in special ways.
Chapter 28 of the Book of Exodus describes how God instructed Moses to have the Hebrew people make a breastplate with 12 different gemstones.
Each gem stone represented one of the 12 tribes of Israel and included crystals with a deep beauty people continue to admire today: amethyst, ruby, sapphire, emerald, topaz, turquoise, and more.
Rocks also reflect God’s eternal yet dynamic nature.
The 3 different types of rocks on Earth all have long-lasting durability yet are formed through dynamic processes.
Metamorphic rocks come from intense heat and pressure, igneous rocks result from volcanic explosions, sedimentary rocks form when layers of sediments compact together and harden.
Rocks literally and figuratively set the ancient history of our planet in stone.
4. Trees Reveal God’s Wisdom, Protection, and Connected Presence
Trees grow our perspective so we can understand more of God’s wisdom and protection for us.
Jeremiah 33:15 uses tree imagery in a prophecy about Jesus coming to Earth in the future.
“In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.”
Trees, which stand tall as silent guardians of all around them, can help us put deep roots into the solid unshakeable ground of God’s loving care for us.
Experiencing the wonder of trees can teach us invaluable lessons when we take the time to learn them. Trees, which tower over us, easily exceed our lifespans, enlarge our perspective. They show we are each part of something much bigger, echelons more ancient than ourselves, can look beyond circumstances to God.
Since trees stand in the same places for years, they also reflect God’s constant presence in our lives. God’s love constantly flows through the living branches of relationships between us and other people. Trees remind us our personal stories are firmly connected, rooted to a greater story of what God is doing on Earth.
5. Flowers Reveal God’s Order, Fun, and Beauty
Flowers make our minds blossom with an awareness of God’s beauty.
They display the mix of God’s orderly intelligence with fun, playful ideas.
The wonder of flowers reminds us that God is the ultimate master gardener.
God formed the first human being out of soil (Genesis 2:7) – the same environment that nourishes flowers – and loves to see us grow and bloom.
Jesus empowers that to happen when we’re in relationship with him.
He compares himself to a flowering plant (a vine) when he says,
“I am the true vine and my father is the gardener” (John 15:1) and “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).
Jesus was resurrected from a garden tomb, redeeming humanity’s fall that had happened in the Garden of Eden.
All flowers have short lives.
They bloom briefly, only to decay soon afterward.
Yet God sees value in the wonder of all creation – even a lowly flower.
The Bible compares people to flowers numerous times and describes God’s care for both:
“Consider how the wildflowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you – you of little faith!” (Luke 12:27-28).
Flowers are living reminders of the beauty of our Creator’s love for creation, and the wonderful joy we can each experience when we’re connected to him.
The wild beauty of nature resonates deep in our souls, reminding us that a powerful Creator cares for us.
Whether we’re hiking through a forest, swimming in a lake, or sniffing a rose, God will meet us there. Simply going outdoors in any natural setting can reveal something echelons beyond wonderful to us about God’s perfect character!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 19
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, 5 which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. 12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. 13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
It’s easy to overlook Joseph’s role in the Christmas story. However, when you look ever more closely to the text, you realize his obedience to God was a critical component of the story. In fact, without his obedience, we can wonder how this story would have played out. Thankfully, we don’t have to wonder about that.
Joseph is commanded by God to by faith, step into a role that truly is beyond extraordinary, and he does it with an immense measure of counter cultural courage. He listens, responds to God’s call repeatedly, with a resounding yes.
That’s why it’s enormously important for us to explore some important lessons from Joseph’s obedience. Going against the grain of what he had been taught, these lessons from his life should mightily inspire you to trust God even more deeply than you do now, to listen closely, and walk confidently, especially when you realize God is ordering your every step of your life and its not a normal step.
Go, and learn what this vital piece of God’s wisdom means …
Proverbs 16:9 New International Version
9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.
We know what the law will allow us to do and so we seek to obey the laws.
There are specific laws governing the granting of a divorce which comes from the writings and the teachings of the Mosaic laws and its rabbinical applications throughout the years. Joseph, being a man with high integrity sought them out.
Clearly, Joseph was an ardent adherent to these laws not wanting to disgrace his fiancé’ Mary. In obedience to them, he sought out to quietly, but legally divorce.
Then the angel of God interceded … Matthew 1:20-21 NIV
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
Now, the inner conflict becomes …
Strict obedience: the Laws of Moses, to the teaching of generations of Rabbi’s which he had been educated and taught in the Temple from his early boyhood?
Strict obedience to the words of an angel, message from God, in one dream?
How seriously should Joseph consider that one specific dream?
Do we take .01% seriously the supposed messages and images from our dreams? seriously enough to dramatically change the course of our lives, families lives?
Can we acknowledge or recognize, confess we believe the dream is 100% divine?
How eagerly are we to acknowledge this dream as being from God, then enter, with everything we have and everything we are (Matthew 22:34-40), to utterly set aside all of what our Father’s and Mother’s and Temple educators taught us? (read, study, apply, pray over too these Words of God-Psalm 16, 23) and choose.
powerful lessons from Joseph’s obedience in Christmas story.
1. Obedience Sometimes Forces You to Make the very Toughest of Decisions.
“Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19).
When we meet Joseph in the gospel of Matthew, he is facing a dilemma.
The woman he has pledged to marry finds herself pregnant.
Because he knows he didn’t do it, he decides to divorce Mary, but he wants to do it quietly. In Jewish law, being pledged to be married was seen as being married.
According to Jewish law, when Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant, and he was not the father, he had a right to divorce her.
The fact he wanted to do it quietly speaks to his character, because he saved Mary from shame, judgment, and possibly even an egregious death.
Joseph faced a challenging decision because he first had to believe that Mary could be pregnant and still be a virgin.
We look back now and understand, but imagine you were the one the angel told that to. How long would it take you to believe it? Once he overcame that hurdle, his obedience also meant he had to take on the responsibility of raising a child that was not his biological child.
Yet, the Bible does not indicate that he was reluctant or scornful in doing that.
Joseph probably had to deal with his own level of shame because his fiancée winds up pregnant not by relations with her husband but by the Holy Spirit and he must come to a place of total Shalom to accept it. Who knows if others tried to talk him out of marrying Mary, and we don’t know what people said of him.
Yet, his obedience to what God told him to do meant that he was willing to handle all those hard decisions and whatever consequences came with them.
One hard truth about our Christian walk is that God will walk with you through every step. However, obedience does not mean those steps will always be easy.
Joseph most likely faced serious scorn and ridicule for his obedience to God, yet he made the decision, stuck with it and endured it. Ironically, the one child Mary gave birth to also faced scorn and ridicule, and his obedience led him to die on a cross. While obedience is necessary, don’t assume it will always be easy.
When You Know It’s the Lord, Don’t Delay Your Obedience
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife” (Matthew 1:24).
One quality that stood out in Joseph’s obedience was his immediate response to God’s command.
When God spoke, Joseph didn’t hesitate or question; he moved.
Think about the changes he had to experience in his life.
Here’s a man ready to marry Mary when his life takes a complete turn.
He marries a pregnant woman carrying a child that he did not father.
Yet, instead of arguing or delaying, Joseph trusts God’s voice and takes action right away.
Here is one thing we can learn from Joseph’s obedience – when you know it’s God speaking, the time to act is now.
The longer you delay, the greater the chance that doubt, distractions, or even disobedience can creep in and pull you away from what God wants you to do.
Joseph models for us a powerful principle of quick obedience. When God asks something of us, we may not always understand the “why” behind it. But it is not always about why, more importantly, it is about trusting the “who.”
Joseph may not have understood the entire process, but he trusted the God who was leading him.
Rarely in life will God give us the complete picture, at least not immediately.
However, once you know it’s God leading you, then it is time to move and not put it off.
There is a blessing in obeying without delay, following God’s lead, trusting he knows best, even when the request seems challenging or even overwhelming.
When you obey without delay, like Joseph did, that is when you will see how God’s plan unfolds powerfully in your life.
Sometimes Obedience Requires Sudden Changes
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.’ So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt” (Matthew 2:13-14).
God’s call doesn’t just require immediate obedience.
Sometimes sudden and radical changes accompany it.
This happened to Joseph.
Put yourself in his shoes for a moment. Joseph is settling in Bethlehem, starting his new life with Mary and their child.
Then, out of nowhere, God interrupts with a new command.
He now must leave the comfort of his home and move his family to Egypt.
A new country, new land, and they must go now with no advanced warning.
This was, by no means, not a gradual transition; this was an immediate one.
Think about what that would mean for him and his family.
The journey from Bethlehem to Egypt could have been anywhere from 40 to 300 miles, depending on their starting and destination points.
That’s similar to the distance between NYC and Pittsburgh, but without the convenience of modern transportation.
Joseph couldn’t fly, take a train, or drive. He had to take his young family, likely on foot or on a donkey, all while facing the truest uncertainty of what lay ahead.
However, again we see Joseph obeyed immediately and without complaint.
So what is the message for us?
Sometimes, God’s instructions will require a drastic, sudden change.
There will be times where you may even be in a comfortable position, yet God requires you to move, anyway. Obedience may mean shifting your plans and embracing the unknown, all because you trust God sees what you cannot.
Joseph teaches us to respond to God’s voice, even if it requires sudden, hard moves. Your confidence lies in the fact that when God calls, he equips too, he provides, and in every step, he is right there with you, so you don’t walk alone.
Obedience Requires us; Be in Tune to How God Is Speaking to us
If you think Joseph’s rapid obedience came from nowhere, it didn’t.
Joseph was quick to obey because he understood and recognized when God was speaking to him.
When God spoke to Joseph in a dream, he didn’t hesitate or second-guess; he moved.
Why was he able to do that?
Because he recognized how God was speaking to him.
He didn’t need a second sign or another confirmation.
He knew it was God, and that was enough for him to act immediately.
Joseph’s response challenges me, and I wonder if it challenges you, too. I
n your walk with God, the key to obedience often starts with tuning your heart to hear Him clearly.
Here is the question that is challenging – God still speaks today, but are you listening?
The challenge isn’t God speaking, but do we recognize his voice?
God might speak through Scripture, prayer, a gentle nudge in your spirit, through the counsel of others, or even through the circumstances of life.
But if we’re not familiar with his voice, then we can miss it because we don’t know it is his voice.
Joseph teaches us that if we are going to be in a relationship with the Lord, then we must know his voice.
Listening to God is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing part of your relationship.
As you cultivate your relationship, you will be able to fine tune your ear to his voice and know when he is speaking.
The more familiar you are with his voice, the better positioned you will be to respond, even when he asks something unexpected.
So, let’s make it our priority to tune our ears and hearts to God’s voice and recognize it quickly, just like Joseph did, so we, too, obey without hesitation.
There Cannot Be Great Obedience without Great Faith
Hebrews 11:4-8 New International Version
4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.
5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.
The last lesson to share with you from Joseph is the reality that there cannot be great obedience without great faith.
We have established that obeying God is not always easy, sometimes it is very hard. Was it easy for Joseph to marry Mary?
Was it easy to pack up his family and move to Egypt without knowing how long they would be there?
These are difficult decisions, and the only way you can follow God in these situations is if you have great faith.
When Joseph did what God asked him, all he had was trust that God would work everything out.
Let’s not pretend his obedience did not come with some trepidation, because it probably did.
After all, he was human, just like you and me.
However, when you have faith in God, your faith can calm those fears.
There is something unique about obedience.
The more you obey, the more your faith grows.
Each moment of obedience is an opportunity for God to prove himself faithful and that’s why when you walk in obedience it helps your faith to grow.
As you obediently think about Joseph today, is there something God is asking of you?
Something where you don’t know the outcome and all you can do is trust him?
These are the difficult moments that come with obedience.
I know these decisions are not always easy, but you can trust God because he will not steer you wrong.
You may not see it at first, but God has already worked out the other side of your obedience.
As you walk and obey, then things will become clearer.
If you don’t believe me, just look back at the life of Joseph.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 8 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 8
To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
8-16 “If I were in your shoes, I’d go straight to God, I’d throw myself on the mercy of God. After all, he’s famous for great and unexpected acts; there’s no end to his surprises. He gives rain, for instance, across the wide earth, sends water to irrigate the fields. He raises up the down-and-out, gives firm footing to those sinking in grief. He aborts the schemes of conniving crooks, so that none of their plots come to term. He catches the know-it-alls in their conspiracies— all that intricate intrigue swept out with the trash! Suddenly they’re disoriented, plunged into darkness; they can’t see to put one foot in front of the other. But the downtrodden are saved by God, saved from the murderous plots, saved from the iron fist. And so the poor continue to hope, while injustice is bound and gagged.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
These verses from Job highlight the miraculous insight the author of Job made thousands of years ago regarding God’s unlimited power. How does one who is living in such ancient of days rightly conclude that Our God is a God of miracles?
When I see countless videos of countless Christmas lights shining brightly on a dark night all over the globe, I like to think about the fact God is constantly up to something miraculous–much higher and more often than I could ever count.
From the very beginning we read, in wonderment we see God’s light is always overcoming the darkness in our world. Do we ever pay attention to notice it? (Genesis 1 and John 1:1-14)
God operates in ways that are far beyond our limited human understanding.
God’s wonders are too great to fully grasp, and this is precisely what makes them so miraculous. When we encounter situations in our lives that seem impossible, we must remember that nothing is too difficult for God to do.
These verses also speak of the authors incredible insight of God performing so many miracles they can’t be counted. God’s miraculous power is not confined to a few select moments in history. Instead, God is continually doing miraculous work in such an over abundance that we can’t even understand or count it all.
From His timely answering of our prayers to working through creation, God is 1000% performing miracles all the time – even if we don’t always recognize it.
When you pray about it, over it, try to count how many times you have been protected, provided for, or blessed without even realizing it was God at work?
The breath in your lungs, the beating of your heart, the peace that sustains you through difficult times are all evidence of God’s wonderful work in your life.
God is always ready and willing to do something wonderful for you, if you ask him to do so. God invites you to walk unto him with your needs and dreams.
He wants you to pour out your thoughts and feelings honestly, and to seek his help. God is approachable, compassionate, and eager to intervene in your life.
We don’t need to hesitate to ask God to perform a miracle when we need one.
God’s miracles are often linked to faith. While God is not limited by your faith, God loves to know that you implicitly trust him and his vast power to help you.
When you come to God with faith, believing that He is really able to help you, you open innumerable long locked doors for God to do miracles in your life.
One of the hardest challenges you face is waiting for God’s miracles, especially when you’re going through those difficult seemingly unassailable challenges.
But just because you and I and we don’t see an obvious miracle immediately doesn’t mean that God is not at work.
God’s timing is always going to be different from yours because He sees the bigger picture. God’s delays are not necessarily denials. Instead, they’re divine setups for something immeasurably infinitely, greater than you can imagine.
Not all miracles are dramatic or spectacular. Some miracles are as simple as a timely word of blessings, encouragement, an unexpected provision, or a broken relationship healing. It’s important to learn to recognize and appreciate these everyday miracles because they’re just as significant as extraordinary miracles.
God never sleeps, God is ever vigilant, is constantly working behind the scenes, constantly, continually orchestrating events for your good. (Romans 8:28)
So, live life, love life, with the unyielding expectation that God is always ready to do something wonderful in your life. His wonders are beyond what you, I, we, can understand, and believe his miracles are beyond counting. Approach God with faith, lay your causes before him, wait expectantly for God to answer you.
No matter what you’re facing today – a financial burden, a health crisis, a broken relationship, or a season of uncertainty – know that God is always able to perform miracles beyond what you can imagine. He is not only capable, but also willing to intervene on your behalf, reveal such miracles for others to see!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you reach for Bibles, read through His promises, consider how God is busy with something wonderful, miraculous in your life, reflect on these questions:
When was the last time you witnessed or experienced a miracle, big or small? How did it affect your faith?
In what areas of your life do you need to appeal to God and lay your causes before him? What is holding you back?
How can you start expecting God to work wonders in your life?
Are there any “small” miracles in your life that you may have overlooked or taken for granted? How can you develop a greater sense of gratitude for God’s daily blessings?
How can you encourage someone else who is struggling to see God’s miracles in his or her life? What testimony can you share to inspire faith?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 105:1-6 The Message
105 1-6 Hallelujah!
Thank God! Pray to him by name! Tell everyone you meet what he has done! Sing him songs, belt out hymns, translate his wonders into music! Honor his holy name with Hallelujahs, you who seek God. Live a happy life! Keep your eyes open for God, watch for his works; be alert for signs of his presence. Remember the world of wonders he has made, his miracles, and the verdicts he’s rendered— O seed of Abraham, his servant, O child of Jacob, his chosen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
10-12 The altar from which God gives us the gift of himself is not for exploitation by insiders who grab and loot. In the old system, the animals are killed and the bodies disposed of outside the camp. The blood is then brought inside to the altar as a sacrifice for sin. It’s the same with Jesus. He was crucified outside the city gates—that is where he poured out the sacrificial blood that was brought to God’s altar to cleanse his people.
13-15 So let’s go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This “insider world” is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let’s take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus’ name.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
True or False …
We have so much to praise God for every day, there’s great power in giving full honor to Him. The Bible is filled with examples of praise and worship when we see His power released, life-changing miracles, dramatic stories of the enemy being halted or defeated, stone hearts being changed and drawn closer to Him?
Yet the supposed reality which we rationalize forward and backwards, is that way too often, we over emphasize or hyper dramatize the 1 daily struggle or 1 constant life demand serving to “crowd out” our praise and worship to God.
We might check the “go to worship” box at church and somehow think we’re good for the week. And yet, all the while, with souls distant and ice cold, we sing our praises, we listen to music and words, and then we go home. Unchanged.
Sometimes it really is a sacrifice to offer praise.
We may not feel like it.
We’re struggling.
We’re weary.
We are not feeling well. Or maybe, we feel like God has let us down too often.
He may seem distant to us, like He doesn’t really care about what we’re now struggling through or worrying about.
Painful life blows and losses may have recently sent us spiraling. We’re still trying to get our feet on the ground and put broken pieces back together again.
Here’s what can make a lasting difference.
When we make that decision to fix our eyes on Him, and daily give Him just one praise, no matter what’s staring us straight in the face, we may suddenly realize that God has already begun to release the grip those struggles can have over us.
We have a myriad of choices and decisions we have to make every day in this life. We can choose to live absorbed in worry and stress, on the fast track of busy, focused only on what surrounds us, and tuned into the roar of the world.
Or we can ask God to help us take our eyes off all that may be swirling around, our problems and mess, tearing up our insides and the voices of others. We can look up to Him, the One who holds it all together, who holds us in His hands.
Even from within our worst laments (Psalm 13, 137) God always desires our whole heart, without one single regard to the very worst of its inner condition.
He always waits for us to return if we’ve drifted away. He longs for us to know the power of His presence in and through our lives. He desires to bless us more than we could ever imagine. His Holy Spirit urges us onward, calling us closer.
Hebrews 4:12-13 The Message
12-13 God means exactly what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one can resist God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.
As bad as your heart may now feel in this moment, our first and best effort at our recovery, at our restoration, Continuous streams of prayer and continuous completely ransom outbursts of praise. May He help us to look up again today, remember His goodness, power in our lives, to offer Him worship and praise.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 The Message
16 1-2 Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.
3 And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make!
4 Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names.
5-6 My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!
7-8 The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.
9-10 I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!
11 Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
12 Now the Lord said[a] to Abram, “Go from your country[b] and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”[c]
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
When God called Abram to suddenly leave his country for a promised land filled with Milk and Honey, He made one of the most beautiful promises ever.
God promised to make Abram into a great nation and to bless him to become a blessing to all peoples on earth. That nation was the people of Israel, and the promise was fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ. Through his coming all peoples on earth are invited to enjoy the salvation of the one true God.
It was a one-time promise to Abram. But God’s covenant of grace made with Abraham has continued through every generation since then.
God’s promise to bless people to be a blessing is also for his New Testament people, the church of Jesus Christ.
God has blessed us with hosts of creatively gifted people and almost unlimited resources. In many lands God has blessed us with the freedom to worship, and today we can use many forms of sophisticated technology to spread the gospel.
Blessed to be a blessing!
God blessed us that we should be the same magnitude of blessing unto others.
That explains why we are privileged to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
That explains why we-through our churches, our congregations. our ministries and other Christian ministries–can work with others to plant churches, extend the hand of God through clothing and food giveaways, hold community events for all age groups, support our communities with resources that educate and inform them, spread the gospel in our neighborhoods, out into many countries, publish Christian literature, and minister in mercy and mission in some of the most remote vulnerable areas on the planet. There are no shortage of blessings.
If We Are Ever Asked; What Does a Blessed Life Truly Look Like?
Perhaps you’ve asked an acquaintance, or been asked by an acquaintance, or by a complete stranger, how we/they’re doing, gotten the reply, “I’m blessed.”
In some ways, it’s tempting to think the term “blessed” is synonymous with any of the other social niceties we hear: I’m doing well, all is great, just fine.
But “I’m blessed” is actually an head turning, far better, richer, and deeper response than any of these others, filled with complex and nuanced meaning about someone’s genuine state of being and right relationship with the Lord.
Blessedness is a state of being that stands beyond every-day, surface-level circumstances. Indeed, a person who is living a blessed life is filled with a sense of true joy, hope, peace, and contentment even in extremely difficult situations.
The word “blessed” used in the New Testament comes from the Greek word makarios, which means bestowed with God’s favor, happy, or fortunate — not fortunate because of fortune or luck, but because of God’s providence and favor.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, considered herself to be blessed by the honor of carrying the Christ child (Luke 1:48). In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called “blessed” those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who are meek and merciful, who are peacemakers, hunger and thirst for righteousness and so on.
While on earth these things might not always seem like obvious blessings to everyone for those countless future generations, God has a different standard.
Let’s a take a look at what a blessed life truly looks like.
A State of Hope
A blessed life is a life spent in righteous relationship with God. One who is blessed understands life is far more that the days we spend on this earth.
They know we’re what the apostle Paul termed “citizens of heaven,” with one foot in this world and one in the next (Philippians 3:20). We long for God’s goodness, long to do our best to stay in alignment with God and on his path.
While we might inevitably stray, we correct our course as best as possible and then return to him. We value what God values: love, peace, justice, and mercy.
Because of this, and because we devote ourselves to God’s way, we are assured of our salvation. We know that whatever might befall us in this life — sickness, suffering, persecution, poverty, etc. — our eternal reward awaits us in heaven.
As the psalmist writes in Psalm 1:1-3,
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.”
Blessedness does not mean everything is perfect in their life.
It simply means they know how their story will end, and who they belong to — the Lord. Because of this, they can live their days filled with blessed hope no matter what measure of adversity comes knocking on their door. (Job 1:20-21)
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
A True Relationship
A blessed life is also one that transcends feeling. Blessedness, like hope and joy, doesn’t necessarily mean happiness, though one who is blessed may feel happy.
In fact, like Job, often people who are blessed are experiencing deep affliction and difficulty. Still, they take this in stride, understanding that their joy and hope and faith are steadfastly rooted in the Lord, not today’s circumstances.
They hold fast to what Jesus taught in John 16:33:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
They know genuine contentment doesn’t come from things of the flesh, from material items or worldly success, but a personal relationship with the Lord.
An Internal State of Well-Being
Sometimes, blessedness feels a little like “opposite day,” a game I played when I was a kid. On opposite day, I’d say, “Bad evening,” when I meant to say “good morning,” or “No” when I meant “yes.”
Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount by flipping upside down what many people of his day thought about a life favored by God.
Back then, people thought if you had a lot of money or kids, perhaps a lot of land or cattle to pass on as a legacy, then you were somehow favored by God.
Perhaps many of us think the same thing today, that worldly prosperity is somehow interictally tied up with God’s favor and His high regard for us.
But Jesus taught us that blessedness is actually an internal, not an external, state of well-being, and sometimes those who are most “blessed” are those who seem to have very little.
As he said,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3-10).
Later, in Matthew 19:23-25, Jesus said it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God — worldly prosperity isn’t the blessing we think it is, are led, taught to believe.
In fact, it’s too often a hindrance.
True blessedness is living life in line with Jesus, following him and making him Lord of our whole lives. (Psalm 23)
23 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing. 2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures, he leads me by quiet water, 3 he restores my inner person. He guides me in right paths for the sake of his own name. 4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines, I will fear no disaster; for you are with me; your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me, even as my enemies watch; you anoint my head with oil from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me every day of my life; and I will live in the house of Adonai for years and years to come.
A Filling of the Spirit
Perfect unity with Jesus is the goal of a truly blessed life. While Christians are those who follow Jesus and strive to live as he commanded, the true mark of a Christian life is someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Everyone who believes has a part of the Triune God, the Holy Spirit, alive inside their hearts.
As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:16, we are God’s temple, and God’s Spirit dwells within us.
He elaborated on this in Ephesians 1:13-14, noting,
“When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.”
We who believe are blessed because we have a portion of the Lord within us, steering and guiding us through all of life’s rocky situations.
The Holy Spirit is our friend and our advocate, a gift from God, (John 14:26).
Whatever we do, and wherever this earthly life takes us, we can implicitly trust we’re 100% blessed because this immense, extravagant gift is with us always.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve appeared to live in a state of perfected blessedness, one with the Lord and able to talk and walk with him freely.
Their sin drove a wall between them and God, and God exiled them from his perfect garden. While he loved his creation, they no longer lived in a state of perfect favor and blessedness because they had broke sacred trust with him.
Today because of Jesus, we have the opportunity to have that blessed state restored. We, who were sinners, are now forgiven because of Christ.
And because we believe in Christ as our Savior, we’re made right with the Lord once more.
That is the epitome of blessedness.
So this coming Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, New Year’s eve, or New Years Day, the next time someone asks you how you are, take a look at your heart. Are you a believer, filled with the Holy Spirit and doing your best to walk in the way, truth of the Lord? If so, then you can rest assured that you are indeed blessed.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God, for you are my refuge. 2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good outside of you.” 3 The holy people in the land are the ones who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god multiply their sorrows; To such gods I will not offer drink offerings of blood or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup: you safeguard my share. 6 Pleasant places were measured out for me; I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor; at night my inmost being instructs me. 8 I always set Adonai before me; with him at my right hand, I can never be moved; 9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices, and my body too rests in safety; 10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol, you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss. 11 You make me know the path of life; in your presence is unbounded joy, in your right hand eternal delight.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
In the beginning, it began looking allot like Christmas …
Do any of us plan on taking the time this Christmas to tell your children or our friends about the real purpose of Christmas? If so, what will we tell them?
Although we usually meditate on the birth narratives of Jesus from Luke and Matthew’s Gospels at this time of the year, His true purpose in coming to earth was not to give us the sweet picture of a baby in a Bethlehem manger. That little baby was born to die for you and for me and thus pay for the forgiveness of our sins. He was announced by the angels, the Messengers of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, Immanuel, God with us, born with a singularly unique purpose no one else would ever have-die on the Cross that we might be reconciled to God.
That is a whole lot to absorb when we are too busy trying to absorb all the food list we will have to go shopping for, for all of the people who will be coming to our lunch or dinner tables from everywhere across the world where there is a place to travel from. Shall we similarly receive Christ who came from eternity?
For this reason, as the opportunity arises, declare to folks, “Don’t just think of a baby in a manger” at Christmastime, don’t just brag and boast and gloat over all the effort it took just to travel through all kinds of terrible weather conditions. I would not want to be first to brag about all the sacrifices I always have to make!
Christmas is about so much more than that. It is about God coming to earth in human flesh so He could die on the Cross to pay for our salvation and destroy all the sinister works of the devil in your lives! That is what Christmas is all about!
People rarely think of the Cross at Christmastime because it is the time set aside to celebrate Jesus’ birth. But in Philippians 2, Paul connects those two thoughts.
As Paul writes about God becoming a man, he goes on to express the ultimate reason God chose to take this amazing action.
Paul says in verse 8, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Because today is one day closer to family and friends gathering for Christmas Eve, I want to use this Sparkling Gem of a moment to share that real reason for Christmas, which is contained in the truths carefully weaved into this verse.
Philippians 2:8 says that Jesus was “…found in fashion as a man….” That word “fashion” is the Greek word schema. This is extremely important, for this was precisely the same word that was used in ancient times to depict a king who exchanged his kingly garments for a brief period of time for the clothing of a beggar.
How wonderful that the Holy Spirit would inspire the apostle Paul to use this exact word! Did, would, anyone of us, take the time to teach others this truth?
When Jesus came to earth, it really was a moment when God Almighty shed His glorious appearance and exchanged it for the clothing of human flesh.
Although man is fearfully and wonderfully made, his earthly frame is nothing more than temporal dust and cannot be compared to the eternal and glorious appearance of God.
However, for the sake of an indescribable measure of love, for the sake of our redemption, God laid aside all of His radiant glory, He sacrificed, took upon Himself human flesh, was manifested in the very likeness of a human being.
This is the true story of a King who traded His kingly garments and took upon Himself the clothing of a servant.
But the story doesn’t stop there. Jesus – our King who sacrificed His royal robes for the itchy, tattered temporary clothing of flesh – loved us so much that He “…humbled himself, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross”!OMG
The word used here “humbled” is the Greek word tapeinao, and it means to be humble, to be lowly, and to be willing to stoop to any measure that is needed.
This describes the attitude God had when He took upon Himself human flesh.
Think of how much humility would be required for God to shed His glory and lower Himself to become like a member of His creation.
Consider the indescribable greatness of God’s love that drove Him to divest Himself of all His splendor and become like a man. This is amazing to me, particularly when I think of how often the flesh recoils at the thought of being humble or preferring someone else above itself. God sent His Son, Jesus who humbled Himself “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
The word “obedient” tells me that this was not a pleasurable experience that Jesus looked forward to in anticipation. To have humbled Himself to this extent, from eternity down to fragile humanity required Jesus’ deliberate obedience.
As preexistent God, Jesus came to earth for this purpose. But as man dressed in flesh, He despised the thought of the Cross (Hebrews 12:2) and could only endure its shame because He knew of the results that would follow. For Jesus to be 100% obedient as a man, He had to choose to obey the eternal plan of God.
The word “obedient” is used to describe Jesus is the Greek word hupakouo, from the word hupo, which means under, and the word akouo, which meansI hear.
When these two words are compounded together, they picture someone who is hupo – under someone else’s strictest authority, and akouo – listening to what that superior is speaking to him. After listening and taking these instructions to heart, this person then always carries out the exacting orders of his superior.
Thus, the word hupakouo tells us that obedient people are
1) alwaysunder authority, 2) alwayslistening to what their superior is saying, and 3) alwayscarrying out the very exacting orders that have been given to them.
This is what the word “obedient” means in this verse, and this is what truest obedience means for you and me. But how many of us are teaching this truth?
You see, even Jesus had to come to this place of obedience. Although He knew that He was the perfect Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, that didn’t mean His flesh was excited about dying as the Lamb of God on the Cross.
According to this verse in Philippians 2:8, Jesus had to humble Himself and become “obedient” in order to follow God’s very exact and exacting plan.
He wasn’t looking forward to the experience of death on a Cross; He made a choice to humble Himself, to go to any and every single measure in order to exactingly, obediently accomplish the complexity of His Father’s great plan.
Part of the Father’s plan was for Jesus to humble Himself “…unto death, even the death of the cross.”
The word “unto” is from the Greek word mechri, which is a Greek word that really means to such an extent.
The Greek word mechri is sufficient in itself to dramatize the point, but the verse goes on to say that Jesus humbled Himself unto death, “…even the death of the cross.”
The word “even” is the Greek word de, which emphatically means EVEN!
The Greek carries this idea:
“Can you imagine it! Jesus humbled Himself to such a lowly position and became so obedient that He even stooped low enough to die the miserable death of a Cross!”
I heartily recommend you take the time today to read the Passion Narratives again inorder to refresh your memory on the full extent, process of crucifixion.
It was genuinely the worst death a person could ever endure. For Jesus to choose to humble Himself to the point of gruesome death, EVEN the death of the Cross, demonstrates how much He was willing to humble Himself to redeem you, me.
Just think of it
– Almighty God, clothed in radiant glory from eternity past, came to this earth formed as a human being in the womb of a human mother for one purpose: so He could one day die a miserable death on a Cross to purchase our salvation!
All of this required humility on a level far beyond anything we could ever want to comprehend or anything that has ever been remotely requested of any of us.
Yet this was the reason Jesus came; therefore, He consciously chose to be 100% obedient to the very end, humbling Himself to the point of dying a humiliating death on a Cross and thereby purchasing our eternal salvation.
So as we go to every imaginable extravagance to celebrate Christmas, be sure to go to similar lengths to extravagantly remember the real purpose of Christmas.
It isn’t just a time to reflect on the quality or quantity or hilarity of our gifts.
But on quality and quantity of the gift of baby boy who was born in Bethlehem so long ago. That baby was God manifest in the flesh. He was born to die for you and for me. Jesus was so willing to do whatever was required in order to redeem us from Satan and sin that He humbled Himself even unto death on a Cross!
That is what Christmas is all about!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord, I thank You for the sacrifices you made – coming to earth so You could redeem me. When I think of the extent to which You were willing to go in order to save me, it makes me want to shout, to celebrate, and to cry with thankfulness. You love me so much, and I am so grateful for that love. Without You, I would still be lost and in sin. But because of everything You have done for me, today I am free; my life is blessed; Jesus is my Lord; Heaven is my home; and Satan has no right to control me. I will be eternally, extra extravagantly thankful to You for everything You did to save me!
I pray this in Jesus’ name!
MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY
I sacrifice my ego to now confess that Jesus Christ loves me! He demonstrated His love to me by leaving behind Heaven’s glory and taking upon Himself human flesh. And He did it for one purpose: so that one day He could go to the Cross and die for me and thus reconcile me unto God. There is no need for me to ever feel unloved or unwanted, because Jesus went the ultimate distance to prove that He loves me!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’ name!
Psalm 100 The Message
100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.
3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.
4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.
5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
57 (0) For the leader. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” By David, a mikhtam, when he fled from Sha’ul into the cave:
2 (1) Show me favor, God, show me favor; for in you I have taken refuge. Yes, I will find refuge in the shadow of your wings until the storms have passed. 3 (2) I call to God, the Most High, to God, who is accomplishing his purpose for me.
4 (3) He will send from heaven and save me when those who would trample me down mock me. (Selah) God will send his grace and his truth.
5 (4) I am surrounded by lions, I am lying down among people breathing fire, men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongues sharp-edged swords.
6 (5) Be exalted, God, above heaven! May your glory be over all the earth! 7 (6) They prepared a snare for my feet, but I am bending over [to avoid it]. They dug a pit ahead of me, but they fell into it themselves. (Selah)
8 (7) My heart is steadfast, God, steadfast. I will sing and make music. 9 (8) Awake, my glory! Awake, lyre and lute! I will awaken the dawn.
10 (9) I will thank you, Adonai, among the peoples; I will make music to you among the nations. 11 (10) For your grace is great, all the way to heaven, and your truth, all the way to the skies.
12 (11) Be exalted, God, above heaven! May your glory be over all the earth!
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
continually surrender to God when a blank canvas is before you.
2 (1) Show me favor, God, show me favor; for in you I have taken refuge. Yes, I will find refuge in the shadow of your wings until the storms have passed. 3 (2) I call to God, the Most High, to God, who is accomplishing his purpose for me.
Surrendering to God is an indelible, unavoidable part of the Christian faith.
We know because countless times Scripture reminds us of our need to repent, turn from sin, crucify selfish desires, so we may be attuned to the will of God.
Surrender isn’t just a “one and done” common struggle people face when fully engaged in their trusting of God in the beginning of their faith, but as they grow and experience the most diverse trials, and develop in their walk with Him too.
While many of us would like the apparent ease of “raising their arms or falling to their knees” surrendering to be a one-and-done phenomenon, it just isn’t.
Surrender is something required day after day.
It’s a continual, progressive, and life-long sacrificial pursuit of chipping away at our hyper graffitied self until all that’s left is Christ and His desires for us.
To understand surrender, we have to biblically define the task itself: Letting go of our over active self control, yielding to God’s purposes—no matter the cost.
Understanding Surrender to God
In Mere Christianity, writer, scholar, and theologian C.S. Lewis pens these words:
“Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time, and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. . . Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked–the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’”
In Psalms 57:2, the King James Version reads:
“I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.”
This verse, attributed to David as the author, is a heartfelt plea to God for help and protection. In this verse, David acknowledges the sovereignty and power of God, expresses his ‘white flag’ trust and dependence on Him in times of trouble.
The theme of trust and reliance on God is central to this verse.
David, who often found himself in perilous situations throughout his life, regularly turned to God for guidance and protection.
In this verse, he affirms his faith in God as the “most high” and the one who “performeth all things” for him.
This demonstrates David’s unwavering confidence in God’s ability to intervene, work His healing on his behalf, no matter what circumstances he may be facing.
The context of this verse is crucial to understanding its significance. David composed this psalm while fleeing from King Saul, who was seeking to kill him.
Despite being in a perilous situation, David’s focus remains on God and his unwavering faith in His ability to save and deliver him.
This psalm serves as a reminder that even in the midst of adversity, we can find comfort, strength, in turning to God’s wisdom versus our own, asking for help.
The symbolism of God as the “most high” conveys his supreme authority and power. This title highlights the transcendence of God and serves as a reminder of His ability to rule over all things.
By addressing God as the “most high,” David acknowledges his subordination to Him and affirms his abiding belief in God’s capacity to intervene in his life.
Additionally, the phrase “God that performeth all things for me” emphasizes God’s role as the ultimate provider and sustainer.
This recognition of God’s sovereignty and control over all things reflects David’s unwavering trust in God’s ability to orchestrate events in his favor.
David’s acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty serves as an inspiration for today’s generation of believers, all generations yet to be, to wave their ‘white flag’ trust in God’s providence and faithfulness, even in the face of adversity.
This verse also carries a universal message about the nature of God and His willingness to respond to the prayers of those who seek Him. It serves as a comfort to believers, reminding them they can confidently bring their concerns and needs before God, knowing that He is able and willing to act on their behalf.
Psalms 57:2 is the Psalmist’s powerful declaration of ‘waving his white flag’ trust and reliance on God, even in the midst of challenging circumstances.
David’s unwavering faith and trust in God’s ability to intervene and provide for him serves as a model for believers of all generations to struggle to emulate.
This verse serves as a reminder of the sovereignty and faithfulness of God and encourages believers to turn to Him in times of trouble. Through its themes of struggle, surrender, faith, trust, dependence, and the sovereignty of God, this verse offers that fortress of comfort, strength to those who seek refuge in Him.
While there are numerous examples of surrender in the Scriptures, Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and Abraham’s willingness to leave his homeland for a promised land of “milk and honey” sacrifice Isaac are 2 of the most profound.
In Matthew 26:36-46, Jesus’ desires matched God’s.
We often have a misconception that surrender means God will make you do things you hate. I spent years wrestling with the idea of getting out of nursing because I was fearful it was my life’s purpose, God’s will, and I am being selfish.
But friends, the wholehearted desires God’s given us should, can, bring us joy.
If we believe in Jesus and fully trust Him with our lives, our hearts and desires should align with His. Yes, He may ask us to do impossible, scary and confusing things, but never without true reason or cause. Just look at Jesus and Abraham.
Jesus died on the cross for our sins because He loved us and trusted that God must have something better for Him. It wasn’t painless, pretty, enjoyable, or fun for Him to endure. But He surrendered His life to the point of death for us.
Meanwhile, Abraham had been promised a son.
And not just any son, but a son through which his descendants would be named.
When God commanded him to put his promised Isaac on the altar as a sacrifice, he surrendered to God, he didn’t falter. Abraham knew what God had promised but also trusted if this was God’s plan He must have something better in store.
In both of these biblical examples of surrender, we learn that faith plays a role.
Surrender isn’t just about blind obedience but steadfast trust and unwavering respect. It’s our struggle; trusting God’s goodness and sovereignty that as we grow in our relationship with Him, the desires of our hearts will match His.
1. Realize that surrender doesn’t mean throwing your dreams out the window.
2. Know that God asks us to surrender for our good.
3. Focus squarely on the Word of God and God’s indelibly faithful promises.
4. Acknowledge and confess the absolute sovereignty of God in all things.
5. No one is more righteous than God, is smarter or more wiser than God.
6. We can never be perfect, or more perfect or more powerful than God.
7. God’s purpose for us will always be better than any purpose we “design.”
8. God is always going to have His “way” His “truth” and His “life” with us.
9. We can never overpower God nor can we ever outlive him, out create Him.
10. Therefore, cease striving, know that only God is, can be, will be, GOD!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 29 Complete Jewish Bible
29 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Give Adonai his due, you who are godly; give Adonai his due of glory and strength; 2 give Adonai the glory due his name; worship Adonai in holy splendor.
3 The voice of Adonai is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, Adonai over rushing waters, 4 the voice of Adonai in power, the voice of Adonai in splendor.
5 The voice of Adonai cracks the cedars; Adonai splinters the cedars of the L’vanon 6 and makes the L’vanon skip like a calf, Siryon like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of Adonai flashes fiery flames; 8 the voice of Adonai rocks the desert, Adonai convulses the Kadesh Desert. 9 The voice of Adonai causes deer to give birth and strips the forests bare — while in his temple, all cry, “Glory!” 10 Adonai sits enthroned above the flood! Adonai sits enthroned as king forever! 11 May Adonai give strength to his people! May Adonai bless his people with shalom!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 