DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 1.1.22

TheLord Will Provide “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of theLORD it shall be seen.” (Genesis22:14) Abraham had just passed the most severe of tests. He had been willing to offer up his beloved son Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. He must have wondered why God had asked him to slay the son of promise, through whom many descendants were promised, but he didn’trefuse or even question God. He was convinced that “God was able to raise him [Isaac] up, even from the dead” (Hebrews11:19). Yet, he must have been greatly relieved when God stopped him from slaying his son, and thankful indeed when he found that God had already provided a ram to be used as “a burnt offering in the stead of his son” (Genesis22:13). While journeying to the place of sacrifice, Abraham had said that “God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering” (v. 8). Appropriately, after the incident, Abraham named the mountain Jehovah [the Lord] Jireh [will provide]. In Hebrew there is not a specific verb form to designate the future tense, and so the word Jireh could easily be translated “is providing.” Actually, where the Lord’s provision is concerned, the tense makes little difference. The Creator of time (Genesis1:1) stands outside of time. We may sometimes be frustrated and disturbed because we see only the present, and we don’t even see that very clearly. But God sees and answers in the proper time, perhaps later than we have asked, or perhaps, as in Abraham’scase, beforehand, providing the ram already caught in the thicket. How often have we received an answer to prayer only to realize events had been set in motion long before we prayed? We should be aware of and thankful for God’s anticipation of our needs. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer” (Isaiah65:24). JDM -------------------------------- TheGoal of Teaching “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.” (1 Timothy 1:5) As Paul begins his instruction to his disciple Timothy, his “own son in the faith” (v. 2), he warns him about false doctrine (v. 3) and petty, fruitless arguments (v. 4). He contrasts such false teaching with his own teaching, the goal or “end” of which isthreefold. First, Paul would like to see his ministry produce “charity [i.e., agape love] out of a pure heart.” This is God’s kind of love that He has bestowed upon us, undeserving as we are. Once He has purified our hearts and taken up residence there throughthe power of His Spirit, we can love with such a love. Second, proper teaching should lead us to “a good conscience.” Our lives must be free of unconfessed sin and uncluttered by wrongs not made right with others. The false teachings and improper attitudes and actions Paul is condemning (vv. 3-4) frequently leadto strife and fabrications. The response to these must be strong, yet proper. Third, “unfeigned faith,” a sincere faith without hypocrisy, should result. It must be our own faith and not that of others, not even family members (2 Timothy1:5). We have a reasonable faith shored up by a great weight of evidence and logic, and proper teaching should strengthen and confirm it. May God continue to gift the church with godly teachers like Timothy, “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13). JDM --------------------- TheGifts of the Wise Men “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, andworshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11) These wise men (or Magi) were of great eminence in the Parthian Empire at that time, and it is unlikely that the caravan from the East consisted of only three men. They more likely had a large entourage as they came searching for the future King of Israel,so it was small wonder that “all Jerusalem” was “troubled,” along with King Herod (Matthew 2:3). The Parthians (i.e., Persians) had never been conqueredby the Romans and at that very time were posing a significant threat along the eastern boundary of the extended Roman Empire. When they found the young child and His mother in Bethlehem, the Magi “fell down, and worshipped him” (Matthew 2:11). But why did they offer Him just threegifts—and why these three gifts? Somehow they seemed to have sensed, possibly from meditating deeply on the ancient prophecies of Balaam (Numbers 24:17),Daniel (in Daniel 9:24-26), and David concerning the priesthood order of Melchizedek (Psalm 110:4), that this young child whose birth had been announced by a starwas destined not only to be the King but would also become the Messianic Sacrifice to “make reconciliation for iniquity” (see Daniel 9:24, 26) and then eventually become our eternal High Priest who “ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Thus, the gold wouldacknowledge His right to reign, the frankincense would speak of the incense to be offered in the heavenly tabernacle, and the myrrh (John 19:39) would testifythat His crucified body would be so anointed as it entered the tomb for a very temporary burial. HMM ------------------- Our True Identity Ephesians1:3-8 When I hear a believer announce, “I’m just a sinner,” I feel like saying, “That’s what you used to be.” A lot of folks cling to a view of themselves as a patched-up, slightly-better-than-before version of their old self. The Bible contradicts that opinion: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away, behold, new things have come” (2Cor. 5:17). In fact, according to Scripture, we’re dramatically different once we are complete in Christ. The question is whether people will trust in what they feel or believe what God says about them. His Word calls us saints (Rom.1:7), disciples (Matt.28:19), and fellow heirs with Jesus Christ (Rom.8:17). If your opinion is that you are “just a sinner,” then you cannot fully experience and enjoy your identity in Christ. Believing what God says about our new self is a choice. Satan certainly conspires to convince believers that God’s Word doesn’t apply to them. He knows that people held captive by spiritual poverty back away from opportunities to share the gospel and servethe Lord’s kingdom. It’s much easier to spiritually bankrupt someone who already thinks of him- or herself as “just a sinner” than it is to conquer a disciple who knows God is his loving Father. Our true identity is defined not by our past actions but by the Savior’s. Jesus purchased our lives with His blood and brought us into relationship with God the Father, who adopted us as beloved children. We have every reason to hold our heads high, stand firm,and courageously proclaim the gospel. ----------------------------- How to Experience Christ's Peace John14:27-31 "My peace I give to you” (John14:27). Jesus spoke these amazing words just hours before His crucifixion. His peace isn’t dependent upon external circumstances, but rather, it transcends them. Although He gives His peace to every believer as a gift, our experience of it is related toour faith in the following truths: • God is in control of everything. Without this assurance, the world is a scary place. • He loves me and will see me through every circumstance, no matter how difficult or painful it may be. • To have Christ’s peace, I must surrender my life to Him. When I hold onto my ways and plans, I’ll experience turmoil. • I have a limited perspective and understanding of my circumstances and God’s purposes for allowing them. His goals for me are greater than my immediate comfort. • The Lord promises to work all things out for my good. He is continually working to transform my character into Christ’s image. • I must live in sync with God, walking in the Spirit and promptly confessing and repenting of sin. • Scripture is my foundation for peace. It increases my trust in the Lord’s goodness, assures me that He keeps His promises, and reminds me of His sovereignty over every situation. Sadly, many Christians live their whole lives without consistently experiencing this incomprehensible peace. Perhaps faith and submission are the most challenging issues. But only as we surrender control of our lives to Christ and trust in His plans for us will we discover tranquil rest for our souls. --------------------------------- God and Treadmills By Ryan Duncan May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance. - 2Thessalonians 3:5 Ever since I moved to Richmond I’ve acquired a taste for working out. There’s just something addicting about going to the gym after a long day at the office and pounding a treadmill until you feel the moistureon your forehead. If I don’t get my usual workouts, I tend to go stir crazy. That’s why I can’t stand January. After every New Year’s celebration, like clockwork, the gyms become crowded with people who have resolved to become healthier. Because of the crowds, it becomes harder to get equipment, find parking spaces, or do any of my usual exercises. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m glad people are trying to get healthier and I encourage anyonewho wants to start working out to give it a try, but I still get frustrated because I know that within a month most of these people will be gone. Exercise requires a lot of commitment and perseverance, and while a lot of people have resolved to live better,when the hard part comes they give up. You could say the same thing applies to faith. I cannot tell you how many times God has revealed himself in my life through his grace, his power, or even his sense of humor. But despite all these moments, it’s still so easy for me to doubt, to get angry with God andwonder if he has a plan, or if he’s even there at all. -------------- Resolutions and Redemption by Anna Kuta “For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians2:8-9). It’s that time of year again! I’m talking about New Year’s resolutions, of course. It’s still December as I’m writing, but I guarantee that by the time you read this, I’ll already be asking myself whatpossessed me to come up with such grand, unattainable plans the new year. (It seemed like a good idea at the time). Every year I tell myself it’ll finally be the year I keep all my resolutions. I mean, come on – how hard can it possibly be to finally set asidean hour for exercise each day, to stop consuming so much chocolate and coffee, and to never sleep for less than eight hours again? Why are New Year’s resolutions so hard to keep? I don’t know, but it’s a lot like another area of life. Let me explain. --------------------------- Remember His Faithfulness - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever �Hebrews 13:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/remember-his-faithfulness/- Listen Often, after the mountaintop, there is the valley. Often, after the blessing comes the challenge. The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness took place after He was baptizedin the Jordan River by John the Baptizer. God the Father said, �This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased� (Matthew 3:17 NKJV). The next verse tells us, �Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil� (Matthew 4:1 NKJV). After the blessing came the temptation.We should not be surprised when those things happen. Jesus said in the parable of the sower, �Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them� (Matthew13:3�4 NKJV). This reminds us that the Devil attacks when we�re trying to reach people. When you seek to share the gospel with someone, expect satanic opposition, because you�re entering into a time of spiritual warfare. Mark�s gospel tells us about a desperatefather who had a demon-possessed son. He said to Jesus, �Have mercy on us and help us, if you can� (Mark 9:22 NLT). Jesus had a very strong reaction to this. He said, ��What do you mean, �If I can�?� Jesus asked. �Anything is possible if a person believes�� (verse 23 NLT). Effectively Jesus was saying, �Of course I can handle this. Don�t forget that I�ve walked on water, healed a blind man, and raised someone from the dead. You need to havefaith right now.� When we�re facing trouble in our lives, it�s a good idea to remember God�s faithfulness to us in the past. We may be tempted to think that God has forgotten about us orabandoned us, but He hasn�t. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. ------------------- TheTime of Old Age �Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto thisgeneration, and thy power to every one that is to come.� (Psalm71:18) One tends to grow resentful against the limitations and increasing infirmities associated with aging, even complaining to God and others about growing old�at least until one considers the alternative! We need to remember that as long as the Lord preserves ourlives, He has some ministry for us to perform for �this generation� and �to every one that is to come.� The Scriptures abound with promises of blessing in old age, so growing old should be an occasion for rejoicing and deepened commitment to whatever the Lord enables one to do. �The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree:...Those that be planted in the houseof the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age� (Psalm92:12-14). But if there develops a tendency to grow spiritually cold with age, the admonition of Paul is appropriate. �Aged men [should] be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviouras becometh holiness,...teachers of good things� (Titus2:2-3). Thus, the heartfelt prayer of the psalmist in our text is still appropriate today, for all who will, sooner than they think, enter the time of old age. Note also the following prayer: �Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strengthfaileth� (Psalm71:9). That God will answer such a prayer, offered in faith and sincerity, was affirmed by David when he said: �I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread� (Psalm37:25). The time of old age can be a time of happy harvest if we have sowed the seeds of good fruit. HMM --------------------------- Why Do People Follow Jesus? John6:22-71 When Jesus walked this earth, a vast multitude followed Him. They came for all sorts of reasons�some noble, some selfish. The same is true today. It�s important that we understand what motivates people to come to Christ, because not all who seek Him are reallyHis followers. In fact, we each need to analyze our own walk with the Lord: What do we want from Him? How committed are we to being His disciples? Many of the people who followed Jesus did so because they had urgent needs that He alone could meet. Everywhere He went, the sick and demon-possessed were brought to Him�this is one of the ways that God draws us to Himself. Those who can solve all their ownproblems never need a Savior. Other folks came for sensationalism. They wanted to see the signs and miracles and feel a thrill of excitement. Today some people come to church or conferences to get pumped up, but mountaintop experiences are always followed by valleys. When hardships or challengescome, such people are quick to abandon the Lord. But Jesus� disciples followed Him because they genuinely believed He was the Messiah, the very Son of God (Matt.16:16). Their commitment went beyond emotions or needs. They wanted to know Christ and walk closely with Him. Are you more interested in what Jesus can do for you than in just being with Him? Do you find it hard to stay committed without an emotional experience to sustain you? Our physical and emotional needs can draw us to the Lord, but they should never be the foundationfor our walk with Him. ----------------- Absolute Trust �Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. He also shallbe my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.� (Job 13:15-16) The patriarch Job was, according to God�s own testimony, the most perfect and upright man in all the earth (Job 1:8), yet he was subjected to the most severetestings that anyone (except Christ Himself) ever had to endure. He lost all his great possessions and his large family in a single day, then was afflicted for months on end with a most loathsome and painful disease. He lost the respect of all who had oncehonored and followed him, and was even accused by his closest friends of being a wicked sinner and arrogant hypocrite. Worst of all, the God whom he had loved and faithfully served all his life had apparently completely ignored his prayers for deliveranceor even for understanding of what was happening to him. Finally, a presumptuous young religionist related what he (falsely) claimed was a divine message that even God had accused Job of sin and hypocrisy. Yet, despite all this, Job never once lost his faith! �Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,� he insisted. �For I know that my redeemer liveth� (Job 19:25),and �he also shall be my salvation� (today�s verse). What an example has been provided us by this ancient patriarch, whose knowledge of God�s Word, God�s love, and God�s great salvation through faith in Christ was only a small fraction of what we know now, with God�s complete revelation before us. The apostleJames well reminds us of �the patience of Job,� probably the greatest example of all �the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience� (James5:10-11). We can, like Job, know that He who created us deserves absolute trust. HMM ----------------------------------- God Is for Us Romans8:31-34 Throughout life, there will be times when our sins and failures lead us to conclude that God is disappointed or angry with us. How can He still love me after what I've done? If I'm really forgiven, why do I still feel so guilty? At such times, we need to fix our eyes on the truth ofScripture and ask the questions Paul posed in Romans 8. If God is for us, who is against us (v. 31)? Our heavenly Father proved His loyalty to us when He delivered His own Son over to death in order to save us. Without Christ's atoning death on our behalf, we would face eternal separation from God. Who will bring a charge against God's elect (v. 33)? No accusation against us can stand, since at the moment of salvation, the Lord justified us. This means we were legally declared righteous, while still in our sinning condition. No one can reverse this transaction and make us guilty again. To doubt our blameless standing in Christ is to declare His atonement insufficient to cover our sin. Who is the one who condemns (v. 34)? Although Satan rails against us, Jesus' death and resurrection are proof that we are right with God.Christ took our condemnation and gave us His righteousness in return. Now He sits at the Father's right hand, interceding for us. When doubts about the Lord's love and faithfulness arise, focus on truth. If we judge His loyalty to us by our circumstances or feelings, we will never get an accurateview of God. True security lies not in our good performance, but in our relationship with Christ, and no one can take that from us. ------------------------- Choices Matter - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king�s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested ofthe chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. �Daniel 1:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/choices-matter/- Listen I remember being told as a child to brush my teeth. �Be careful,� the adults said, �always brush your teeth.� I thought, �What do they know?� Well, after a lot of trips to the dentist in later years, I realized that I should have paid attention to what they were saying. Here�s another piece of advice that adults give to children: �Wear sunscreen. Don�t go out there and get burned. You�ll destroy your skin.� But kids think, �What do they know?� And then one day they wake up as adults and find themselves under a dermatologist�s care. They realize that the adults were actuallyright. If you�re young, it�s important to understand that you�re making decisions now that will affect you for the rest of your life. Now let�s take that principle into the spiritual world. You�re making decisions today that will affect you later in life. Someone who�s older and is currently facing theconsequences of their earlier choices will tell you that�s true. Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? They were three young Jewish teenagers who took a principled stand when they were carried away captive to Babylon. They were broughtinto the king�s court to be trained and schooled in the ways of the Babylonians. This gave them an opportunity to eat some amazing food, but along with their friend Daniel, they refused to eat the food from the king�s table. We don�t know the reason for this, but it seemed to be a principled stand they were making on the basis of their commitment to God. And He honored them for their commitment.Then later when the king erected a golden image and told everyone to worship it, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down. They got the courage to do what they did because of the principled stand they made earlier. Choices really do matter. ---------------------------- OurJob as Ambassadors �Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ�s stead,be ye reconciled to God.� (2 Corinthians 5:20) Christ has made each of us His ambassadors here on Earth. He is no longer here in the flesh, and so now He expects us to faithfully and effectively represent Him. As His ambassadors or representatives, He has given us two basic tasks to perform. First of all, we are to spread the good news of salvation in such a way that unbelievers will be drawn to the light and out of their darkness. �To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they mayreceive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me� (Acts 26:18). To do this, an ambassador must live alife of conformity to His life and teachings. �As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation� (1 Peter 1:15), adequatelyrepresenting Him. Secondly, we are to saturate ourselves totally with the knowledge of His will and His Word so that we will be enabled to encourage other Christians, strengthening them for their duties as ambassadors as well. �Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workmanthat needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth� (2 Timothy 2:15), applying our attention to His directives. �All Scripture is givenby inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works� (2Timothy 3:16-17). It has rightly been said that the only two things that will last for eternity are people and the Word of God. These things must occupy our attention if we are to be effective �ambassadors for Christ.� JDM ------------------- AllYour Need �But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.� (Philippians4:19) God is a wonderful provider. He provides the air and the rain and all the real necessities of life, even for those who don�t believe in Him. The very life that all in their right minds seek desperately to keep going as long as possible has been given by God.As Paul reminded the pagan Greeks at Athens, �He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things� (Acts17:25). He had previously reminded the pagans at Lystra that God in each nation �did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness� (Acts14:17). He even provides for the needs of the animals. �These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season� (Psalm104:27). He cares about every little bird, for He created them too. �Not one of them is forgotten before God� (Luke12:6). He cares too for all the beasts of burden. �Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?� (1Corinthians 9:9). Yes, indeed, He does! But if not one sparrow can �fall on the ground without your Father� (Matthew10:29) and not one ox must ever be denied the food he needs to do his work, then we can be sure that God is concerned about you and me. �Your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?� (Matthew6:26). New Year�s Eve should be a time of thanksgiving, especially for any true believing Christian. Like the lives of the martyrs, like that of Christ Himself, there is suffering and sorrow in each of our lives here on Earth, but if we are honest in our memories,there have been infinitely more blessings, year after year, so this should be a day of gratitude. HMM ------------------------------- Pivotal Moments - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh�s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy thepassing pleasures of sin. �Hebrews 11:24�25 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/pivotal-movements/- Listen Hebrews 11, what we call the Heroes Hall of Faith, tells us about the faith of great men and women of God who made a huge difference because of the stand they took. Thisincludes Moses, who, through his godliness and personal integrity, effectively kept two-and-a-half million people from turning to full-tilt idolatry. What a difference his life made. Moses made important decisions at the beginning of his life. Here�s what Hebrews 11 says about him: �By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the sonof Pharaoh�s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward� (verses 24�26 NKJV). Moses ended up in Pharaoh�s palace because Pharaoh had given the decree that all the Hebrew baby boys should be put to death. But Moses�s mother saved his life by puttinghim into a little basket and placing it in the Nile River. As though on cue, baby Moses let out a cry, and Pharaoh�s daughter found Moses, took him into her home, and raised him as her own son. Moses effectively was the prince of Egypt, and potentially he could have been the next pharaoh. But Moses made a principled stand in his life. We all come to forks in the road that will lead to another fork in the road and then to another. These pivotal moments in our lives can make all the difference as to howwe end up. Know this: The evening of your life is determined by the morning of your life. The end of your life is determined by the beginning. How important it is to make the rightdecisions. VISIT: PROPHECY WATCHER WEEKLY NEWS: HTTP://PROPHECY-WATCHER-WEEKLY-NEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM