Category: Devotional

Psalm 125

The Temple Mount sits at an elevation of about 2400 feet above sea level. Google Maps show several mountains surrounding it that are a few hundred feet higher. That gives a physical picture of the spiritual truth of God’s surrounding protection, His faithful vigilance, His continual working for our best. The psalm writer could look at those mountains around him and be reminded of God’s faithfulness.

God’s faithfulness motivates us to trust Him. When you think about it, we don’t want to trust in something that won’t come through for us. We have seen people fail us, machines fail us, cultural norms fail us. But God will faithfully keep all His promises to us. He is one thing—the One Thing—we can trust in and be confident will not fail us.

As we trust Him, we become solidly centered in Him—rooted and built up in Him as Paul said in Colossians. God gives a stability and a constancy that nothing else can come close to matching. And we are secure.

Prayer: Father, You are unchanging and faithful. Help us trust in You more completely and become more anchored in the bedrock of You. Amen

Submitted by: Tim Farris

John 1:6-8, 19-28

“There was a man sent from God” . . . interesting that John was a cousin of Jesus, about the same age, but his style of life was markedly different—camel hair clothing, leather belt around his waist, diet of locusts and wild honey. He appeared in the wilderness as a witness to the coming Messiah, as the prophet Isaiah predicted: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord;’” (Isaiah 40:3). He was very clear: He came not as the light but as a witness to the light.

John must have had a good amount of what we in this day would term “charisma”. He attracted enough people, preaching the theme of repentance and baptizing in the river Jordan, that some priests and Levites came to ask him who he was. They thought John was either the Messiah, Elijah or the Prophet. John denied being any of these and spoke of one who came after him, one to whom, by comparison, he was not worthy to be a slave.

We know that we are not worthy in any sense to be compared with the perfection of Christ, but we are also charged to be witnesses to the light, just as John was. We should strive to reflect Christ to others, even in the midst of our imperfections, to transmit the beam coming from him so that it shines off of our love of God and love of our neighbor. Such were the teachings of this little babe whose birth we celebrate at this time of year.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to be ever mindful of the teachings of the little babe born in a manger, and help us to reflect those teachings to a weary world.   In His holy name, Amen.

Submitted by: Bobbie Garrett

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

There’s nothing so good as when, upon realizing an enormous task before you, someone is there to offer a helping hand.

When I read the featured scripture, my first thought was, “Wow, God, this all seems a LOT of work.” As human beings living in a troubled world, how can we be joyful always? Who has the time in their everyday lives to pray continually? And are we capable of giving thanks in all circumstances, even the most trying and painful ones? This, the scripture says, is God’s will for us. And it seems easier said than done.

But here’s the good news – God is faithful. If his will for us is to be joyful, prayerful, and thankful, then he’s going to help us get closer to that place, so that we can be blameless in the coming of Christ and pleasing in his sight. His helping hand for us is the Holy Spirit, speaking to us, working in us, and lighting a fire within us. To do God’s will, we’ve got to keep the fire going, feeding it with good so that the light shines through us and we can become the helping hands for others.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your faithfulness. Please use your Spirit within us to make us joyful, prayerful, and thankful as we do your will on Earth and prepare for the coming of your Son. We give you glory in all things and in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Submitted by: Heather Faulhefer