Team Daily Bible Reading and Commentary Thoughts for December 2024
316Judith
Posts: 11,657 Member
December 1, 2024
Bible Reading
Psalm 77:11
Commentary Thoughts
Remember Who He Was
God loves commemoration. Throughout biblical history, we see Him marking significant events with a monument—or calling for an annual feast to memorialize a specific time when He showed His incredible saving power and love to His people.
Why is it important to keep such observances?
Because God wants us to remember who He is and what He’s done for us in a deeper way. He knows we need to experience a reality with both body and soul to truly understand it in its fullness.
At Christmas, believers have the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate a wonderful event unlike any other: when God put on flesh and came into the world to show us the way back to Him.
Activity: Write an encouraging letter to someone in the armed forces who will be spending Christmas away from home.
Bible Reading
Psalm 77:11
Commentary Thoughts
Remember Who He Was
God loves commemoration. Throughout biblical history, we see Him marking significant events with a monument—or calling for an annual feast to memorialize a specific time when He showed His incredible saving power and love to His people.
Why is it important to keep such observances?
Because God wants us to remember who He is and what He’s done for us in a deeper way. He knows we need to experience a reality with both body and soul to truly understand it in its fullness.
At Christmas, believers have the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate a wonderful event unlike any other: when God put on flesh and came into the world to show us the way back to Him.
Activity: Write an encouraging letter to someone in the armed forces who will be spending Christmas away from home.
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December 2, 2024
Bible Reading
Isaiah 60:1
Commentary Thoughts
Jesus Was God’s Promise
Prophet after prophet foretold the Messiah’s coming. Many of Israel’s customs and feasts were shadows of the substance that would come with His appearing. Yet as one century after another went by, life seemed to go on as usual without the promised divine interruption. Were the words of God to His people only empty promises? Were all the prophets wrong? Was man destined to live in the chains of sin and bondage?
Then, on a day that began much like any other, that longed-for divine interruption came in the form of a baby who would change the destiny of humankind. For all those who were still waiting for Him, Jesus came quietly and without fanfare. But on the day of His birth, the world changed profoundly. Nothing would ever be the same again.
Activity: Reflect on your testimony. Write down the specific ways your life changed when you accepted Jesus. Share it with a fellow believer to spur them on to greater faith.1 -
December 3, 2024
Bible Reading
Matthew 28:20
Commentary Thoughts
Emmanuel
The Old Testament prophets did not know when their words would come to pass; they simply recorded what the Spirit of God showed them.
So when Isaiah wrote, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel” (Matt. 1:23; cf. Isa. 7:14 KJV), he had no idea when this would take place.
Emmanuel means “God with us.” Jesus’ presence on earth was the first step in reestablishing the intimacy man lost in the Garden of Eden.
His life was God’s personal expression of loving intent toward us.
Today, we can rejoice in the incomparable blessing of living within the fulfillment of the promise the Lord gave the world through Isaiah thousands of years ago.
Activity: Enjoy His presence: Watch your favorite Christmas movie and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal something new about God’s nature through it.0 -
December 4, 2024
Bible Reading
Isaiah 9:2
Commentary Thoughts
Light Overcomes
Jesus’ birth came at a time when spiritual darkness covered the land. The people of Israel had all but forsaken the ways of the Lord.
The temple had become a marketplace; sacrifices were offered for the sake of obligation and tradition rather than from an inner hunger to worship God.
And hope for the coming Messiah was often a worldly desire for military salvation and the destruction of the Roman oppressors.
But Jesus came for a purpose that completely transcended these ways of thinking. Truly, He came to destroy the works of the enemy—that is, the enemy of our souls.
He established His kingdom on earth by laying down His life as an offering of love and forgiveness—so that all men and women might have true, abundant life.
Activity: Brighten someone’s day—grab some friends and go caroling. If your neighborhood isn’t an option, try an assisted living community.
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December 6, 2024
Bible Reading
Philippians 2;5-7
Commentary Thoughts
The Incarnation
The most famous portion of Michelangelo’s masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling is called The Creation of Adam. Adam reclines on a rock, while God, rushing by in the clouds, extends His creative finger toward the first man. Adam reaches out toward God and their outstretched fingers almost meet—but they do not touch.
Contrast this image with the beauty of the incarnation: God becoming flesh so that He might not only be close to His creation, but also live as one of us, fully human and fully divine. The word “incarnation” may sound like a formal theological word, but it’s really a word that represents incredible intimacy.
Jesus became a baby, then a child, then an adolescent, and then a grown man—so that He could intimately relate to us in every way. There is no sacrifice that can compare with His.
Activity: Spend some time alone in nature. Contemplate how Jesus’ earthly life enables Him to relate to you right where you are.0 -
December 8
Bible Reading
Commentary Thoughts
He Longs for Us
Jesus was God before time began—He was the Word through whom all things were created.
He was in the Garden with Adam and Eve. His heart received sin’s first blow of violence that broke the intimate bond between Him and His beloved creation.
Throughout time, He watched His people struggle.
He freed them and led them through the desert.
He longed for them to desire Him alone, yet their hearts were far from Him as they worshipped worthless, man-made idols.
Think about how Jesus would have watched and prayed from heaven’s doorway year after year.
So when the fullness of time had come, consider His joy in finally coming to us as our Savior.
Activity: Invite some neighbors over for hot chocolate and fellowship.0 -
December 9th
Bible Reading
2 Corinthians 5:21
Commentary Thoughts
Original Fellowship with God
God’s mission of love began even prior to the Garden of Eden. Before the foundation of the world and throughout time, He progressively moved toward one goal: the restoration of His original relationship with man.
Before they were banished from the Garden, Adam and Eve were provided with coverings made from the skins of the animals. This act of God—sacrificing the lives of these animals to cover the shame of man—was a foreshadowing of Christ’s future sacrifice, which provided us with true and complete salvation.
Jesus came to earth on a mission of love. Through His great sacrifice, we are restored to our original place of fellowship with our Creator.
Activity: Do you know someone who doesn’t feel at home in church? Invite them to attend the next service with you so they don’t feel alone.0 -
December 10
Bible Reading
2 Corinthians 5:21
Commentary Thoughts
Original Fellowship with God
God’s mission of love began even prior to the Garden of Eden.
Before the foundation of the world and throughout time, He progressively moved toward one goal: the restoration of His original relationship with man.
Before they were banished from the Garden, Adam and Eve were provided with coverings made from the skins of the animals.
This act of God—sacrificing the lives of these animals to cover the shame of man—was a foreshadowing of Christ’s future sacrifice, which provided us with true and complete salvation.
Jesus came to earth on a mission of love.
Through His great sacrifice, we are restored to our original place of fellowship with our Creator.
Activity: Do you know someone who doesn’t feel at home in church? Invite them to attend the next service with you so they don’t feel alone.0 -
December 11
Bible Reading
Isaiah 26:8
Commentary Thoughts
God’s Surprising Nature
Sometimes it seems that God will never answer our prayers. That’s how it felt for Israel’s people as they waited for the Messiah’s coming.
When Jesus came, His arrival was precisely on time.
But many did not recognize God’s ultimate provision because they were waiting for a Messiah who would exalt them and their nation—rather than the Lord Himself.
Christ came to offer life unlike anything the world can offer.
He could have come armed with the infinite power of heaven.
Instead, He chose to come in humility, as a baby born among the animals.
Yet His unexpected life of servanthood revealed to us the perfection of God’s unconditional love for humankind.
Activity: The next time you eat out, surprise your waiter with a tip that’s more generous than an average gratuity. If that’s not an option, leave an especially encouraging, personal note.0 -
December 13
Bible Reading
Isaiah 61:1
Commentary Thoughts
Jesus Is Kinsman-Redeemer
The Old Testament foreshadows a divine deliverer who would rescue humankind from bondage and captivity.
One symbol of this coming redemption was the role of the kinsman-redeemer, a close family member who could choose to rescue a relative by paying his debts.
As the fulfillment of this sign, Jesus became our Kinsman-Redeemer.
He became flesh and blood so that He might share in our humanity, becoming the Son of Man as well as the Son of God.
He walked with us, identifying with us so that He could pay our debts and show us the way back to our Creator.
No one else could have delivered us from our sins and freed us from bondage.
Activity: Bake some goodies and treat your neighbors or co-workers to something sweet.1 -
December 15
Bible Reading
Isaiah 26:8
Commentary Thoughts
God’s Surprising Nature
Sometimes it seems that God will never answer our prayers. That’s how it felt for Israel’s people as they waited for the Messiah’s coming.
When Jesus came, His arrival was precisely on time. But many did not recognize God’s ultimate provision because they were waiting for a Messiah who would exalt them and their nation—rather than the Lord Himself.
Christ came to offer life unlike anything the world can offer. He could have come armed with the infinite power of heaven.
Instead, He chose to come in humility, as a baby born among the animals. Yet His unexpected life of servanthood revealed to us the perfection of God’s unconditional love for humankind.
Activity: The next time you eat out, surprise your waiter with a tip that’s more generous than an average gratuity. If that’s not an option, leave an especially encouraging, personal note.0 -
December 16
Bible Reading
John 14:6
Commentary Thoughts
Love Everlasting
Our current world isn’t much different from the one into which Jesus was born. Political unrest, war, oppression, and heartache were daily realities back then—just as they are now. The people of His time were seeking the same things we long for today: peace, love, security, and a sense of purpose.
Jesus came to reveal Himself as the way for the human heart to experience true peace, contentment, and love that lasts forever. Anyone who has lived solely for worldly satisfaction knows that its sense of substance is always fleeting. Not even the most wonderful experience of human love is able to truly fill that inner void.
The soul-satisfying, unconditional love Jesus came to show us is ours when we embrace Him and receive His freely given gift. And in His love, we finally find what we were always searching for.
Activity: Check out the Christmas lights around town with your family.0 -
December 17
Bible Reading
Psalm 33:11
Commentary Thoughts
Historic Redemption
The book of Matthew begins with the most important family tree in all of history: the genealogy of Jesus Christ. While Matthew’s list is condensed, it gives us a powerful picture of Jesus’ earthly family.
The original Jewish audience would have been familiar with all of these prominent names.
Matthew wanted to emphasize that Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit—and also into a messy human family of very real people with whom God had involved Himself throughout history. Jesus came from heroes and unheralded commoners, pioneers and refugees, redeemed prostitutes and unrepentant kings.
The lists of names may seem dense and unpronounceable. But within this list are stories of God’s love and power, weaving redemption with countless threads and culminating in Jesus.
Activity: Write a list of all the things God has done for you this past year. Praise the Lord for each specific way He has cared for you.0 -
December 18
Bible Reading
Luke 1:38
Commentary Thoughts
Responding to God
Mary and Joseph’s betrothal was probably something their families had long prayed for.
Both were from King David’s lineage—a perfect match that would have given both families reason to rejoice.
But suddenly God interrupted their celebration.
The swiftness of the angel’s descent into Mary’s story gave her no time to prepare for his message:
She had found favor with God and would give birth to His Son—even though she was still a virgin.
She must have experienced a torrent of emotion—besides her awe, thoughts of what her family and community would think must have poured into her mind.
Mary had to decide:
Would she surrender to God’s plan, one that seemed impossible and frightening on the surface?
Mary’s courageous and humble response blazed a trail for every believer.
When we surrender to God’s interruptions, we can rest in the knowledge that He always has a higher purpose for our lives.
Activity: As a family, research how different cultures celebrate Christmas. Consider adopting some new traditions.
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Sorry all, for some reason MFP will not allow me to post in this thread: not sure if it’s them or something else. Will try tomorrow and see if I can post the Commentary and Bible Reading.0
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Thank you Barb, trying Friday now 🙏0
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December 20
Bible Reading
Matthew 21:1
Commentary Thoughts
His Higher Purpose
It’s often in times of great disappointment that God gives us opportunities to discover His higher purpose for our lives.
Some time after Mary’s engagement to Joseph, she came to him bearing unthinkable news. She was pregnant—and she claimed it was the result of a great miracle.
Joseph’s heart must have felt crushed.
There were no good options—marry an unrighteous woman and endure the blame or publically shame this woman he’d respected and cared for.
How could God have anything to do with this bizarre turn of events?
As Joseph tried to sleep that night, an angel came to tell him to believe Mary—and whole-heartedly partner with her in this unique calling to be the earthly parents of God’s Son.
Joseph could have responded with disbelief or bitterness.
Yet through his faith, God accomplished an incomparably higher purpose that would bless mankind for all eternity.
Activity: Take time out of your day to read a favorite storybook to a child in your life.
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December 22, 2024
Bible Reading
Luke 1:38
Commentary Thoughts
Responding to God
Mary and Joseph’s betrothal was probably something their families had long prayed for. Both were from King David’s lineage—a perfect match that would have given both families reason to rejoice. But suddenly God interrupted their celebration.
The swiftness of the angel’s descent into Mary’s story gave her no time to prepare for his message: She had found favor with God and would give birth to His Son—even though she was still a virgin. She must have experienced a torrent of emotion—besides her awe, thoughts of what her family and community would think must have poured into her mind. Mary had to decide: Would she surrender to God’s plan, one that seemed impossible and frightening on the surface?
Mary’s courageous and humble response blazed a trail for every believer. When we surrender to God’s interruptions, we can rest in the knowledge that He always has a higher purpose for our lives.
Activity: As a family, research how different cultures celebrate Christmas. Consider adopting some new traditions.0 -
December 27, 2024
Bible Reading
Galatians 1:12
Psalms 119:98-99
Psalms 119:130
Commentary Thoughts
The Light
No spiritual transformation in history compares to
the apostle Paul’s. Within only three years of his
conversion, he went from persecuting Christians to their death, to debating religious teachers and astonishing listeners with his fearless preaching of Jesus as the Son of God.
He could do these things because he immersed himself in the teaching of Christ as a new believer. “I received my message from no human source,” he explained later. “I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:12 NLT)
Like us, Paul didn’t have the advantage of knowing Jesus while he walked the earth; he had what we have: the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, and a relationship with Christ. That was his seminary, so to speak. Through that training, God equipped Paul to instruct pastors, plant churches, and evangelize the unsaved all over the ancient world, and the ripple effect of his ministry reaches to us today.
His experience excites me so much! What might God do through us as we invest time in Bible reading and prayer?
Clearly, God doesn’t care how long we’ve been a Christian. He doesn’t disqualify us because we’re in the early days of our faith. He can teach us, purpose us, use us from the start of our salvation or at any point thereafter.
His Word makes the difference, illuminating who Jesus is and God’s incredible plans for us. Nothing else turns up the light so quickly.
What a gift Your Word is! Knowing that the Holy
Spirit will take Your teachings and enlighten my soul every time I open up my Bible is a game changer.0 -
December 28
Bible Reading is included in the Commentary
Commentary Thoughts
Take Heart
Recent studies have declared millennials, especially women, the most anxious generation of all. But it’s not just millennials. Surveys by the American Psychiatric Association reveal that our national anxiety is increasing, from baby boomers to the teenagers of Generation Z.
Today’s sixteen-year-olds now have the anxiety levels of fifty-year-olds in the past.
Which means we are no longer a people who anticipate but a people riddled with worry.
I’m not an anxious person by nature, but my heart goes out to the many friends I know and meet who do consistently struggle with it.
When I am feeling anxious, nothing soothes me as much as the balm of God’s own words.
So instead of trying to comfort you with my own reassurances, do you mind if I share a few of God’s promises that calm my heart and mind?
I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in His words I put my hope. (Psalm 130:5 ESV )
We are pressed on every side by troubles,
but we are not crushed. We are perplexed,
but not driven to despair. We are hunted down,
but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. (II CORINTHIANS 4:8-9 NLT)
As for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemy. Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. (MICAH 7:7-8 ESV)
You are very, very loved.
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. (Psalm 27:13-14 CSB)
Whatever you’re going through today, my sisters, I’d like to pray for you as we close out our time together: In the name of Jesus, may you find deep blessing and assurance in the knowledge that He conquered the powers of darkness and dread so you wouldn’t have to. I pray for His strength, and joy, and abiding peace over you as you live for Him. And may He, the God of hope, “fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).1 -
December 29
Bible Reading
Matthew 2:10
Commentary Thoughts
Compelled to Seek
At the time of Christ’s birth, a brilliant new star appeared in the heavens. So powerful was its light that it drew a group of magi from the east to embark on a long journey in search of a King whose coming had been foretold.
These were men of great knowledge from western Asia who had spent their lives seeking wisdom as philosophers, priests, and astrologers.
Yet, in all of their spiritual seeking, they were hungry for more.
Willing to leave behind their comfortable lives and respected careers, they risked everything to make the dangerous trek through harsh conditions and manifold unknowns.
But because their hearts had been captured by this sign that a mighty deliverer had been born, they were compelled to seek until they found Him.
Like the magi, once we come face-to-face with Jesus, we can willingly put aside our human knowledge. In the presence of His eternal wisdom, let us joyfully worship the one we seek.
Activity: Pay it forward! Next time you grab a cup of coffee or a treat, pay for the person behind you in line.0 -
December 30
Bible Reading
Matthew 13:15
Commentary Thoughts
God’s Redemptive Plan
When Jesus came to earth, His own people didn’t recognize Him.
Even though the Jews had been blessed with the testimony of their prophets and a long history of God’s continuous faithfulness, they still didn’t recognize the long-awaited Messiah.
They maintained that He would come to save them from their political oppressors, destroying the pagan worship and bondage of Roman rule.
He would usher in the kingdom of God. In their minds, that meant reestablishing the twelve tribes of Israel to prominence and power.
But Jesus didn’t come to set the record straight by doing away with the despised pagan Gentiles.
He came to usher in a kingdom not of this earth—and to bring God’s truth and presence to a broken world.
How different are we from those who missed their King’s coming when pride blinds us to the truth of God’s redemptive plan?
May we be like the few whose spiritual eyes were open to see the true coming of His kingdom.
Activity: Jesus taught us to pray for the kingdom to come. Ask a stranger if you can pray for them about their specific needs.0 -
December 31
Bible Reading
Luke 1:52
Commentary Thoughts
God Sees More
Many of us might assume that if Jesus came to earth today, He’d choose a clean-cut, educated, well-off family to grow up with—and announce the glorious news of His birth to a select group of prominent pastors.
Yet the reality of the Christmas story shows the difference between God’s vision and our worldly standards.
Today, Jesus might have been born to a hardworking mechanic in a low-income neighborhood and his waitress fiancée.
And perhaps the angels would have appeared to a group of ex-convicts in a labor pool, working late to finish a job digging ditches.
We often forget how far Mary and Joseph were from any kind of social prominence and how the shepherds were viewed as unclean and untrustworthy by Jewish standards.
Each person who crowded around Jesus’ manger that incomparable night had experienced rejection and isolation.
Yet these were the special people God chose to experience one of the holiest events of all time.
He saw their hearts and their true worth—even when no one else did.
Activity: Gather some friends and serve a meal at a local homeless shelter.0
