DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 12.18.21

Yahweh “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD,which made heaven and earth.” (Psalm121:1-2) Life is hard! “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job5:7). No one is immune from the toilsome stuff of life. Relationships sour, medical solutions stalemate, finances fracture, and loved ones pass away—and this unrelenting list continues to pile sky high. How often do we find ourselves crying for help with all our options depleted? To whom do we cry, and who will listen? There are at least 184 mentions of the word “help” in Scripture, where we find many of God’s chosen facing devastating events. In turmoil,our knee-jerk reaction is to cling to the fleeting stuff of this world, but shouldn’t we cling instead to Yahweh, the Creator God and Maker of heaven and earth? Intensely crying out to Yahweh for help (Hebrew sa-aq) is modeled in Psalm 107 in four cliffhanger vignettes, illustrating both the unbeliever’s dire need for salvation and the believer’s need to daily embrace Yahweh. Disoriented travelers cry to Yahweh,who guides them to an inhabited city (v. 7). Prisoners rotting away in confinement wail to Yahweh and are freed (v. 14). The morally foolish, plagued with life-threatening diseases, weep before the Lord, and He graciously heals them (v. 20). Sailors who aresuddenly caught in a storm plead with Yahweh, and He stills the waves and leads them to a safe harbor (v. 30). Where do you place your reliance? Do you have a dependent relationship with this temporal creation, or do you cling to our Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Savior—the Lord Jesus Christ? CM ------------------ LetHim Hear “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew11:15) The Lord Jesus Christ must have considered this exhortation to be of great importance, for it appears eight times in the four gospels and seven times in Revelation, all as spoken by Christ Himself—as well as one more time apparently uttered by John (Revelation13:9). It is urgent, therefore, that people not just “hear” God’s Word with their ears (“in one ear and out the other,” as the saying goes), but really hear it, with understanding minds and believing hearts and obedient lives. It is most important, first of all, for unsaved men and women to respond to the gospel message in this way. Jesus said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come intocondemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John5:24). Hearing this message with believing minds and hearts means all the difference between heaven and hell. But that’s just the beginning. Jesus also said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (10:27-28). He not only promised useverlasting life when we first heard His voice, but also assures us that this life is truly everlasting and can never be taken away from us, as we continue to hear His voice in His Word. Not only everlasting life, but resurrection life! “The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth.” “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,...and the dead in Christ shall rise...:andso shall we ever be with the Lord” (5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). He that hath ears, let him hear! HMM ------------------- TheName of David “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high,the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.” (2Samuel 23:1-2) The name of David is uniquely important in Scripture. Except for the name of Jesus Christ Himself (of whom David is a remarkable type), no other name (not even Abraham or Moses or Paul) occurs nearly so often in the Bible. In the New Testament—again, otherthan Jesus Christ—David’s name is both the first mentioned (Matthew1:1) and the last mentioned (Revelation22:16). As the “sweet psalmist of Israel,” David was largely responsible for this longest book in the Bible. As we see in our text, his claim to divine inspiration in the writing of his psalms is perhaps the most meaningful and clear-cut statement on this subject byany of the biblical authors. It was both “God’s Spirit” and “me” who spoke, giving “his word” through “my tongue,” said David in his last words shortly before he died. David was not a perfect man. We remember his grievous sin, not only against Uriah the Hittite, but even more against the Lord (2Samuel 12:9-14), thus giving “great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme.” He had to suffer greatly because of this, but his repentance was genuine, and he was graciously restored by God to fellowship and service. The Lord’s own testimony concerning him was this: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, whichshall fulfill all my will” (Acts13:22). It is little wonder that so many loving parents over the many centuries—both Jews and Gentiles—have named their own sons David, for the very name means “beloved.” HMM -------------------- TheChristian's Partnership “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the householdof God.” (Ephesians2:19) Prior to salvation, we are called “aliens...and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” But now we are part of the “new man” and the grand partnership that has been made possible between Jew and Gentile, Old andNew Covenant saints, and the operative impact and purpose of the “household of God” (v. 12-13, 15, 19). We are “made nigh” and made “one.” The enemy has been abolished, with the “middle wall of partition” that was between us broken down (vv. 13-15), making us “one body” with common “access by one Spirit unto the Father” (vv. 16-18). Therefore, we are “fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God...built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets”; “fitly framed,” growing unto a “holy temple...for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (vv. 19-22). Now displayed ina fellowship of past and present, bond and free, male and female—all new “partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (3:1-6; Galatians 3:22-29). And God has “created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (vv. 9-11). God has designed His salvation for us in such a way that we cannot fail to achieve His plans for us! We should humbly thank Him for what He has accomplished in us through Christ Jesus. HMM III --------------------- A Lifestyle of Obedience John14:15-21 According to John14:21, we express love for Jesus by obeying His commands. To love Him wholeheartedly, we must develop a lifestyle of obedience. Let's look at four aspects of such a lifestyle. 1. Our trust in the Father grows. This confidence comes from believing that the Lord is who Scripture says He is. And God's Word tells usthat He is good—as well as faithful to keep His promises (2Cor. 1:20). Psalm86:15 calls Him merciful, gracious, loving, and slow to anger. His character remains unchanged by difficult or hard-to-understand circumstances (Heb.13:8). 2. We develop a deepening ability to waiton the Lord. Delays can be hard in our I-want-it-now culture. But we must resist temptation and wait on Him instead of running ahead. 3. We commit to obey God. Without such a resolve, we'll vacillate at decision time or allow fear to prevent us from choosing His way. 4. Our study of Scripture becomes consistent. The Bible reveals God's priorities, commands, and warnings. It acts as a light, illuminating His chosen path for us while revealing obstacles and dangers along the way (Ps.119:105). Without it, we are like a person who walks in the woods at night without aflashlight. Becoming a Christian doesn't mean that obedience to the Lord is automatic. It's a lifelong process of growing in our trust and patiently waiting on Him before we act. This requires a steadfast commitment to obey so that we can say no to ungodly choices andyes to God. ------------ Trusting in God's Faithfulness 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 Is there something God has told you to do that seems just too difficult? You can be sure that if He has called you to carry out His will, He’s going to be faithful to accomplish it through His Spirit livingand working in you. So if you tell Him, “I can’t do that, Lord—what if I fail?” you’re really saying, “God doesn’t keep His word.” And yet, our total expectation should be in Him—not in our own energy, ability, or experience. When you doubt God’s trustworthiness, that unbelief becomes a gap in your spiritual armor, and you can be sure that’s exactly where Satan will attack you. You’ll begin to doubt even more about God’s character,such as His goodness—and that distrust will become a heavy load of baggage you’ll needlessly drag through every area of your life. ---------------- A Message of Hope - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, �Let�s go to Bethlehem! Let�s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about�. �Luke 2:15 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-message-of-hope/- Listen After the angel delivered the good news to the shepherds, they had a choice as to what to do. They could have said, �Let�s just hang out here and soak it in.� Or they mighthave said, �We can�t go there. We�re not dressed appropriately. Besides, no one wants shepherds around.� Instead, they essentially said, �Let�s go quickly and see this thing for ourselves.� A lot of times we miss out on what God wants to do in our lives because we don�t respond appropriately. Luke�s gospel tells us, �They hurried to the village and found Maryand Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds� story were astonished� (2:16�18 NLT). In first-century Israel, the people were hoping that someone would overthrow Rome. They were hoping for a militant Messiah to free them from their captivity. But Jesus wasn�tcoming to overthrow Rome; He was coming to die for the sins of the world. We have the same message as the shepherds did. And we, too, need to share this message, especially during this Christmas season. We all know people are hurting this Christmas.Some have lost their jobs, some are sick, some have a loved one who is sick, and some are very depressed. We need to tell people there is hope. We need to tell people that a Savior has been born. And we need to tell them they don�t have to be afraid. The reason is that Christhas come. Christ has been born. He walked this earth, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. And now He offers the ultimate gift of eternal life. We have a Savior. ----------------------- Pauland Titus �To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the LordJesus Christ our Saviour.� (Titus 1:4) On the surface, this verse might be considered insignificant and could easily be missed, for it is part of a lengthy greeting to Titus by Paul at the beginning of this very practical book. However, many nuggets are contained therein, and it is well worth ourstudy. Titus was one of Paul�s most trusted companions. He was a faithful worker who had accompanied Paul on a number of his journeys. Late in Paul�s life, after years of discipleship, Paul asked Titus to carry on the work he had started in Crete, an island well knownfor its deplorable moral state. Paul may have been instrumental in Titus� initial conversion, for he calls him �mine own son,� literally �my true child,� a very endearing term. The bond of �common faith� gave them a mutual goal, and, of course, it is the samefaith that we share today. Paul greets Titus with �grace, mercy, and peace.� Grace is a manifestation of God�s love toward undeserving rebels, resulting in forgiveness and blessing. �Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus� (Romans3:24). Mercy is the attitude of God toward those who are in distress. �Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need� (Hebrews4:16). Peace comes as a result of the restoration of harmony between God and the forgiven one. �Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ� (Romans5:1). This threefold blessing comes from both �God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.� What a comfort to recognize both Father and Son as involved in the bestowment of all aspects of our salvation. JDM ----------------------------------- God's School of Obedience 1 John 1:3-6 Starting at age five, our children are enrolled in school and given lessons to learn each year. We are students too. At salvation, we became participants in the Lord's school of obedience. There, we are discovering the necessity of trusting Him and waitingfor His direction. We are taught the importance of commitment and learn to search His Word for guidance. God also wants us to learn these lessons: � Listen attentively to the Spirit's promptings. Our God does not speak in an audible voice, but He makes Himself heard quite clearly throughthe Holy Spirit. Jesus said the Spirit is our Helper who will bring to mind Scripture passages we have studied (John 14:26) and show us howthey apply. � Obey the next step. Abraham was called to leave his home and journey to an unknown destination (Gen.12:1). He obeyed even though the way was unclear to his human mind. We, too, must step out in faith even when we do not know all the details of the itinerary. � Expect conflict. We can't live obedient lives without having trouble with the world (John16:33). Our friends or family may drift away when they realize certain interests of ours have changed. Some may hurl criticism our way or call us unkind names, while others may reject us completely. Practicing a lifestyle of obedience doesn't mean we'll never make mistakes. But it does require diligence if we are to succeed. Obeying the Father was Jesus' priority and purpose in life, and we should make it ours as well. Which of these lessons do you wantto tackle first? -------------------------------- Remember Why - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. �Romans 5:6 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/remember-why/- Listen All around us there are telltale signs that it�s Christmas, with lights everywhere, Christmas trees strapped to the tops of cars, and Christmas songs playing everywhere. Yet one of the easiest times to forget Jesus is during the Christmas season. With all the rushing around and numerous events to attend, we can forget all about why He cameto this earth. Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem to save us from our sin. The birth of Jesus was so there would be the death of Jesus. The Incarnation was for the purpose of atonement. The Bible tells us, �When we were utterly helpless, Christcame at just the right time and died for us sinners� (Romans 5:6 NLT). Jesus was born to die that we might live. The Son of God was born so that we might be born again. He left his home in Heaven so that we would have a home in Heaven. If you want a happy Christmas this year, then make it more about giving than receiving. Studies have revealed that people who give are happier than people who don�t give.So engage in an act of generosity for someone in need. Help someone who is hurting. Here are 10 things you should do if you don�t want to be depressed: (1) Do something for someone who is less fortunate than you, and (2) repeat the first step nine moretimes. Most of us probably can�t remember what we received last Christmas, much less the Christmas before. I�ve discovered that the greatest moments of this season aren�t the oneswe build up in our minds, like Christmas morning. Rather, they�re the in-between moments, the simple moments of worship. So make your Christmas more about giving than receiving, and make your Christmas more about His presence in your life than the presents under the tree. ------------------------- Finding Satisfaction Philippians4:11-13 God has provided us with many things to enjoy. But too often our lives are filled with turmoil instead of contentment. Four practices that create dissatisfaction are . . . Busyness. We live in a hurry-up society, dashing from one activity to another. Jesus did not rush anywhere, yet He accomplished whateverGod gave Him to do. Not once did He tell His followers to move faster. He even praised Mary for choosing to stop her work and spend time with Him (Luke10:39, 42). Earthly perspective. Too often we live focused on our circumstances. Our minds think about what happened earlier in the week, what�s ontoday�s agenda, and the activities occurring next week, month, or year. No wonder enjoyment of life remains elusive. The solution is to have an eternal perspective, which acknowledges that God is in charge and our goal is to please Him. Self-imposed pressure. We have all experienced the unavoidable burdens of schoolwork, employment, and relationships. But we bring needlesspressure on ourselves when we allow unnecessary �musts� and �shoulds� to rule us. The remedy is to turn to God, acknowledge His right to order our days, and ask for His plan. Unhealthy attitudes. Perfectionism, false guilt, and apathy all undermine our enjoyment of life. Satisfaction is found in a life that reflects God�s priorities�and time with Him comes first. Reading His Word, we become mindful of the Father�s great love, learn what He views as important, and experience the joy of belonging to Him. When contentment is elusive,it�s time to examine our priorities. ---------------------------- Where�s the Peace? - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: �Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!� �Luke2:13�14 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/wheres-the-peace/- Listen The message of the angels to the shepherds was, �Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!� (Luke 2:14 NKJV). Peace on earth. When we look atall the wars and conflicts in the world today, we wonder where the peace is. But a better translation of the angels� statement would be, �Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth among men with whom God is well pleased.� When our lives arewell pleasing to God, we�ll have peace. But before we can have the peace of God, we must have peace with God. If we don�t believe in Jesus, then we are, effectively, enemies of God. We�re at war with God. That comes as a shock to some people. They might say, �I believe in the manupstairs, in the good Lord.� But they�re still at war with God because their sin separates them from Him. I remember when I first heard Jesus�s words, �He who is not with Me is against Me� (Matthew 12:30 NKJV). As a nonbeliever, I looked around at the Christians in the meetingI was attending on my high school campus and thought, �Well, I�m not one of them. Does that mean I�m against Him?� I didn�t want to be at war with God. That was the day I believed in Jesus. I remember feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. And for the first time in my life, I found the peace that Godpromises for each of us. Jesus came to give us life in all its fullness. He said, �I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly� (John 10:10 NKJV). He has the meaningof life. You can live life to its fullest in a relationship with Jesus Christ. 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