Team Daily Bible Reading and Commentary Thoughts for December 2024
316Judith
Posts: 9,353 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
