Team Daily Devotions for December 2024

316Judith
316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
December 1, 2024

Wisdom from the Psalms

Psalms 140:11

Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall bunt the violent man to overthrow him.

The committee was worried. They had elected a new chairman who was becoming vocal about some very unpopular ideas.

People were getting the idea that the committee endorsed these ideas, just because the new chair so freely shared them.

Some of his ideas were quite biased and offensive. Quick action was being taken to replace him, but the damage done was almost too great to measure.

The words of our mouth are powerful weapons. We can do great good by a few well-placed words, or we can wreak total destruction.

The words of an evil person spread like a cancer.

However, the words spoken by righteous men and women can be our greatest source of healing.

Be careful how you speak, for you hold great power and responsibility within your words.

Prayer: Guide the words I speak, Lord. Spice them with Your love and concern. Make my speech a joy to others, not a burden. Steer me away from evil, I pray. Amen.

Replies

  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Monday, December 2

    A Sure Word

    But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2

    There are 60 major prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the first coming of Jesus Christ.

    In their book Science Speaks, Peter Stoner and Robert Newman calculated the odds of any one man in all of human history fulfilling only 8 of those prophecies to be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000.

    They compared those odds to covering the state of Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, then sending a blindfolded man into Texas to pick out one marked silver dollar.

    Bible Reading:
    Matthew 2:1-6

    Jesus didn’t fulfill only 8 of the 60 Old Testament prophecies—He fulfilled all 60!

    The odds of that happening are astronomical unless it was the plan of God.

    The prophet Micah prophesied that Jesus would be born in a tiny, rural suburb of Jerusalem called Bethlehem—and He was.

    Fulfilled prophecy assures us that Jesus Christ is the One God sent to save us from our sins.

    Faith in Christ is not a leap in the dark. It is faith based on God’s sure word of fulfilled prophecy (2 Peter 1:19).

    No Bible subject holds more practical implications than the matter of prophecy. Vance Havner
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Tuesday, December 3

    Like Father, Like Son

    He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father. John 14:9

    We often hear the expression, “Like father, like son”—and similar expressions: “Like mother, like daughter,” “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and “chip off the old block.” We know the meaning of all these proverbs:

    The traits and appearance of a mother or father are often replicated in their children. Traits are not perfectly passed on, but seeing parent and child together makes us think, “Oh, I’m not surprised!”

    Bible Reading:
    John 5:19-21

    When it comes to Jesus and His Father, appearances are not passed on since “God is Spirit” (John 4:24).

    But as to traits, Jesus could say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

    And Paul wrote of Jesus, “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

    The writer to the Hebrews said, “The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God” (Hebrews 1:3, NLT).

    No wonder Jesus answered as He did when Philip said, “Show us the Father”!

    Many people wonder what God is like. They don’t realize they can discover God’s character by discovering the Person of Jesus Christ.

    The character of God is a perfect and glorious whole. William S. Plumer
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    MWednesday, December 4

    Steps of Drastic Obedience

    Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife. Matthew 1:24

    Joni Eareckson Tada, the well-known Christian encourager and quadriplegic, recently described the progress of her Christian life as a long series of “taking small steps of drastic obedience.”

    That’s how she has managed a half century in a wheelchair. “Those small moments of drastic obedience end up building a lifetime of integrity,” she said.

    Bible Reading:
    Deuteronomy 28:1-8

    We all progress spiritually by taking small steps of drastic obedience. Consider Joseph!

    After his dreams were shattered by Mary’s pregnancy, an angel appeared to him in a dream telling him to take Mary as his wife.

    He was bewildered, but he took the necessary steps of drastic obedience.

    How about you? Is there a small step of drastic obedience you should take to further your spiritual growth?

    What is it?

    God calls us to respond in obedience whether we understand why or not.

    Ask God to help you be open to His instruction and willing to be obedient in every situation.

    I think I got here from taking small steps of drastic obedience, tiny, little steps forward and a few back. Yes. But always forward, always moving forward, always pushing through the pain. Joni Eareckson Tada
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Friday, December 6

    Ominous Notes

    Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. Luke 2:34-35

    When Jesus was a month old, His parents took Him the five miles from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, where they ascended the steps up into the temple area to dedicate Him to the Lord.

    To their surprise, they were greeted by two elderly people who had been looking for the Messiah—Simeon and Anna.

    Simeon took the child into his arms and uttered a prophecy over Him, but one sentence had an ominous note. He warned Mary a sword would pierce her soul.

    Bible Reading:
    Luke 2:25-35

    We wish our lives contained no ominous notes!

    We dread days of bad news, and we all fear moments when a “sword” pierces us.

    But Mary trusted God, and she lived through her moments of pain to see her Son resurrected from the dead.

    Life sometimes has ominous notes, but God always ends with a melody of victory! Trust Him with all the notes of your life.

    Trust in His unfailing love—love that moved Him to send a Savior from heaven to restore and rescue you. God’s plans for your life will not be thwarted. Louie Giglio
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Wisdom from the Psalms

    December 7

    Psalms 142:7
    Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

    Mikhail was released after seven years in prison.

    Because of his political views, he had been detained in a small cell, isolated from the other prisoners.

    His only human contact had been with his jailer, who brought him food once a day. Walking into the sunlight, Mikhail lifted his head skyward, tears flowed down his cheeks, and he began praising God.

    Many thought he had gone mad in captivity, but others knew that he was merely giving thanks to the one who had sustained him through his imprisonment.

    When we find ourselves trapped by situations that have no end in sight, we need to draw on the courage and power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    He will enable us to survive any trial, whether it be long or short. We have the assurance that God is greater than any problem that might arise.

    Call upon the Lord, and He will life you up.

    Prayer: Lord, I need to feel Your presence near me. Alone, I get so tired and afraid. This life has many trials that I'm not ready to deal with. Free me from the captivity of my fears and doubts, and empower me to praise Your name always. Amen.
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Wisdom from the Psalms

    December 8

    Psalms 143:2

    And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

    Claire found fault with everyone.

    The mailman was always late, the grocery clerk was always slow, the paperboy was always rude, the minister was always boring, her friends were always too loud, too quiet, too fat, too skinny, too immoral, too prudish.

    In Claire's eyes, no one was really worth much at all.

    Forgiveness was one word which was not found in Claire's vocabulary.

    She could not forgive people for being human.

    Luckily, God does acknowledge our humanness, and He loves us just the same.

    God has yet to see the perfect human being, apart from Jesus Christ, but that doesn't change His feeling for us.

    When we see others through the eyes of God's love, then we find that we can accept their failings and love them as they are.

    Prayer: Help to find the lovable in all people, Lord. Destroy in me the tendency to be judgmental. Instead, teach me new ways to affirm others and spread Your grace. Amen.

  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    edited December 11
    Tuesday, December 10

    A Fruitful Messiah

    And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.” Ruth 4:11

    The prophet Micah referred to the town of Bethlehem as “Bethlehem Ephrathah” (Micah 5:2).

    Ephrathah was identified as “the father of Bethlehem” (1 Chronicles 4:4), and the Ephrathites were the dominant clan. Jesse, the father of King David, was an Ephrathite (1 Samuel 17:12).

    So the town of Bethlehem became known as “Bethlehem [of] Ephrathah.”

    Bible Reading: Romans 8:29

    The name Ephrathah came from a word meaning “to bear fruit, to bring forth, to grow, to increase.”

    When the elders of Bethlehem confirmed that Boaz would take Ruth as his wife, they used the fruitfulness of Rachel and Leah, Jacob’s wives, as the image of fruitfulness they desired for Boaz and Ruth: “May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.”

    They didn’t know that the fruit of Boaz and Ruth’s union would be the Messiah to be born centuries later in Bethlehem (Matthew 1:5).

    And the fruitfulness of Ephrathah continues today as Christ is “the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).

    A machine can do work; only a life can bear fruit. Andrew Murray
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Wednesday, December 11

    The Eternal Son

    Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

    When Christ was born, eternity invaded time.

    Jesus Christ is the eternal God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, who entered the lineage of humanity for the purpose of redeeming the world.

    When He arrived in Bethlehem, it didn’t mark the beginning of His life. He had always been, just as He will always be. He was alive before Abraham!

    Bible Reading:
    John 8:48-59

    Douglas McCready in He Came Down From Heaven wrote, “The doctrine of Christ’s preexistence did not result from theological curiosity or speculation. As early as the first decade of the church, Christians saw preexistence as necessary for understanding Christ’s person and significance of human salvation.”

    This means God the Son loves you so much He temporarily vacated the throne in heaven, took upon Himself humanity, accepted death on the cross, and rose to give you eternal life.

    That’s worth a lifetime of hallelujahs!

    The doctrine of preexistence reminds us forcefully that God himself has entered into our circumstance in order to redeem and restore his human creatures along with the rest of his creation.

    This is the truth that gives meaning and power to Jesus’ affirmation that God so loved the world that he sent his Son to save it. Douglas McCready
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Friday, December 13

    The Power of Praise

    Then the shepherds went back again to their fields and flocks, praising God for the visit of the angels, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had told them.
    Luke 2:20, TLB

    We awaken weary to face the pressures and problems, and we feel our spirits collapsing. What do we do?

    Try shouting the words of Psalm 106:1: “Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

    The simple act of making the decision to lift one’s voice aloud and tell the air around you that you are praising God—well, that will help.

    A shout of praise can turn the tide of our day.

    Bible Reading:
    Psalm 106:1-3

    That’s what the shepherds did, though they weren’t depressed when they did it. They were full of joy!

    They went back to their lowly assignments among the sheep, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen that night—the angels, the manger, the Christ Child.

    Whatever your condition or disposition—praise the Lord right now!

    One of the most wonderful things about God is that He lives in our praise. He inhabits the praises of His people...!

    When we worship Him, it’s not like worshiping some cold and distant deity.

    He’s a loving God who wants to be with us. And when we worship Him, He is. Stormie Omartian
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    December 15

    Wisdom from the Psalms

    Psalms 146:9
    The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.

    Teri had never been on her own before. She had married fresh out of high school, and her husband had taken care of her for twenty years.

    When he died, she was suddenly faced with making it on her own for the first time in her life.

    The whole idea frightened her. More than anything else, she was afraid of being alone. She thought she could make it, if only she had someone to turn to for help and consolation.

    God is our consolation and help. When we are alone against the world, we most need His strength.

    He offers us all the help we need, if we will but ask. He loves to help His children, and He will not turn us away.

    Prayer: Lord, grant me rest in Your loving arms. I can handle anything, just as long as I know that You are with me. Preserve me in times of weakness and frustration. Amen.
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Monday, December 16

    An Anointed High Priest

    And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11

    Modern Yemen occupies the southwest coastal corner of the Arabian Peninsula.

    Many scholars identify this region as the ancient kingdom of Sheba described in the Bible.

    And the prophet Jeremiah notes that Sheba was the source of the valuable resin known as frankincense:

    “For what purpose to Me comes frankincense from Sheba” (Jeremiah 6:20).

    Bible Reading:
    Exodus 30:34-38

    Frankincense has been harvested and traded in Africa and the Middle East for thousands of years.

    Gleaned from a certain tree as liquid sap that hardens into a resin, frankincense releases a fragrant aroma when burned.

    It was highly valued in religious and ceremonial services, including in the Old Testament.

    It was associated with the priestly services in the tabernacle and temple.

    When the Magi presented frankincense to the baby Jesus, it signified His future role as High Priest for the saints of God (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15).

    As High Priest, Jesus is the “one Mediator between God and men” (1 Timothy 2:5) as foreseen by the gift of the Magi.

    In his life, Christ is an example...in his intercession a high priest. Martin Luther
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    edited December 18
    Tuesday, December 17

    The Spice of Death

    And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.
    John 19:39

    The Magi gave Jesus gold, signifying His kingship, frankincense, signifying His priesthood, and myrrh, signifying the death He would one day submit to (Matthew 2:11).

    At the time they gave their gifts to Jesus, did they know He would one day die an unusual death?

    Did they know the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah dying—for example, Psalm 22?

    We don’t know what they knew, but providentially they gave gifts to Jesus that signified whom He would become: King, Priest, and Savior.

    Bible Reading:
    Mark 15:23

    Myrrh was a bitter herb that was used when preparing the body of a deceased person for burial.

    The apostle John tells us that Nicodemus brought a hundred-pound mixture of myrrh and aloes with which to prepare Jesus’ body for burial after the crucifixion.

    Myrrh had another use—as a sedative, or pain killer. Mark tells us that Jesus was offered a mix of wine and myrrh as He hung on the cross to deaden His pain—“But He did not take it” (Mark 15:23).

    Give thanks today that Jesus “endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2) for your salvation.

    The cross shows the seriousness of our sin—but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God. Billy Graham
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    edited December 19
    Wednesday, December 18

    God With Us

    “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

    The name Immanuel (“God with us”) occurs in Isaiah (7:14; 8:8) and in Matthew 1:23. In Isaiah 7:14, the prophet declared that a virgin would give birth to a son as a sign. The child’s name would be Immanuel. The child was to be a sign that God would be with King Ahaz of Judah in defense of the invading Assyrians.

    Bible Reading:
    John 1:14

    God had promised to be with Israelites in the Old Testament on numerous occasions.

    For example, He was with Joshua as Israel entered the Promised Land: “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5).

    But when it came time for Jesus to enter the world, “God with us” took on a new reality. Matthew showed how the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 had a more far-reaching meaning.

    The Son born to the virgin, Mary, would be God incarnate—God in the flesh, God in human form (Philippians 2:6-8).

    The implications of the Incarnation are life changing. By the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ is with you at this moment—and for all your days.

    By the light of the gospel we see [God] as Emmanuel, God with us. Matthew Henry
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Thursday, December 19

    Tempted and Tested

    For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
    Hebrews 4:15

    Empathize and sympathize are two English words that are sometimes confused. While the Greek word for sympathy occurs in the Greek New Testament twice (Hebrews 4:15; 10:34), the Greek word for empathy does not. In modern terms, sympathize means “to have pity or sorrow towards another,” while empathize means “to understand and share in the feelings of another.”

    The meaning of Greek sympathize is more like the meaning of our modern empathize: to suffer with.

    Bible Reading:
    Hebrews 2:17-18

    One of the benefits of Immanuel—“God with us” as a fellow human—is Christ’s ability to identify with our sufferings, to sympathize with us. “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested” (Hebrews 2:18, NLT).

    He had to “be made in every respect like us...so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God” (Hebrews 2:17, NLT).

    Jesus experienced every pain we experience, “yet without sin.”

    When you are tempted or tested, you are not alone. God is with you; He has felt what you are feeling.

    One Son God hath without sin, but none without sorrow. John Trapp
  • 316Judith
    316Judith Posts: 9,367 Member
    Friday, December 20

    Saviour

    We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. John 4:42

    Jesus, Immanuel, Messiah, King of Righteousness, Prince of Peace, Son of David, Cornerstone, Lion of Judah, Morning Star, Redeemer, Lamb of God, Counselor, God, Lord, Word, Advocate, Shepherd, Master, Servant, Holy One, Rabbi, Carpenter!

    Bible Reading:
    John 4:39-42

    You can find hundreds of names and titles for Jesus in the Bible. One was given by the angels: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour” (Luke 2:11).

    The Greek word soter means “someone who can make safe, deliver from a threat and bring safe and sound out of a difficult situation.”

    Whenever you need a saviour, you need one badly—to save you from drowning, from a fire, from a medical emergency. Jesus does all that and more.

    When we were sinking deep in sin, He saved us.

    When we were in danger of hell, He saved us.

    When we were dying inwardly and eternally,

    He rescued us.

    It takes all the names in the Bible to describe Him.

    But aren’t you glad Saviour is among them!

    Ponder His saving power today and rejoice!

    I must have the Saviour near me, for I dare not go alone. I must feel His presence near me, and His arms around me thrown. Fanny Crosby