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December 30: Luke 2:36-38
Key Verse: Luke 2:38
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Devotion:
But it doesn’t stop with just Simeon being there at the right time and place… Anna was a prophet who was also guided by God. She had been widowed after just seven years of married life but continued to trust in God. Now, at the age of eighty-four she was worshipping at the temple as she had continued to and was now blessed by being able to meet the Messiah before other people got to know the truth!
The more I read the whole Christmas message, the more I get to love God for showing me how special I am. He has done all of this for me and for you. This is His personal gift to you to show you how much you mean to Him. Read through the Christmas story and see how so many things came together at the right time and place to show the world just who He is… yet the world turned Him down.
We now have the choice as to whether we continue to trust in and believe in Him, or to do what the world has done and turn our backs on God. I want to do the former and continue to trust in Him, always. He has shown me so many special moments which go beyond simple coincidence to make me believe He is my Lord and Saviour.
I want you to be able to feel the same about God as I do. Yes, you will make mistakes just as I do, but He has set in motion the whole world just to show you how much you mean to Him. Follow His word and allow Him to open your heart to the true meaning of love.
Points to Ponder:
Do you find life difficult at times?
Will you remember the Christmas story next time you feel down?
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December 29: Luke 2:25-35
Key Verse: Luke 2:32
a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.
Devotion:
Simeon was a man who listened to God, obeyed Him and allowed his own life to be in accordance with God’s wishes. If only we could all say such a thing! The truth is we all get side-tracked and run off at a tangent when we get distracted by the world. It is during those times when we are most at danger and during those times we get things wrong in our lives. Who is to blame?
A lot of us will blame God for allowing things into our lives. Or we will blame other people for the things they do around us. Too few of us will stand up and take the blame squarely on the shoulders! We all have choices to make in life and those choices are what defines our lives…
Simeon waited patiently for God to open the right doors at the right time knowing God would keep His promises to him. This promise was how he would be able to see the Messiah before he died. Can you imagine the thoughts he would have had spinning round his head – what age would the Messiah be? Who would He be? What situation would make it possible for this to happen? Maybe that is why he always made sure he was around the temple…
If we continue to allow God to guide us in our lives we are assured of the best possible circumstances for our lives to be lived the way God wants them to be lived. We can also be assured the evil one will do whatever he can to trip us up so we doubt God and doubt His promises. If we can see past that, we should be able to see God more clearly!
Points to Ponder:
What things distract you in life?
Will you try to listen closer to God today?
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December 28: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 1:27
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
Devotion:
Have you ever wondered why someone loves you? I’m not talking about being attracted to someone but that true lasting love which will continue with you all throughout your life… What is it which makes you love someone like that, or makes someone love you like that?
This all starts from God’s love for us. He created everything around us first just so we would have the perfect place to be created in. Everything about creation is perfect and useful; sometimes we struggle to see the usefulness of certain things in our lives, but everything has its use. We may look at animals and think they act on instinct rather than thinking about what they do – but many things in our lives are also done through instinct rather than thinking about things. Love is one of those things…
If we try to think about love and what makes us love, we soon get lost in all manner of thoughts and pretty soon we end up with nothing but stress to show for our wanderings! God doesn’t want us to understand the minutia of love and human feelings, but He does want us to exercise those feelings! As I was watching a series on Netflix (Korean because so many Western series are so crass) I began thinking of the feelings God allows us to have.
Feelings are not something to boast about, not something to raise Jealousy about, but something to exercise so our feelings become stronger and deeper. God wants us to be able to truly love people, not in a physical way but in a way where our feelings are exercised and expanded beyond our normal understanding. This is the beginning of the love He has for us!
Points to Ponder:
How do you react to love?
Will you allow God to expand your love for others?
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December 26: Psalm 119:161-168
Key Verse: Psalm 119:165
Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.
Devotion:
… and breath ...
I’m sure many of you have had a rough day as you tried to make sure everything went according to plan, trying to please the whole family, trying to keep everyone smiling… whatever the chores and trials you may have had to face over the past few days, things just may be able to slow down a bit now after the Christmas rush is over!
As Christian we are going to have to face up to many trials in our lives, most of them because we live in a world where not everyone is a Christian and not everyone is going to “stick to the rules!” As we go out into the world we will face people who fight against us just because we say we are Christians. We are going to have to face wars and things we could never have imagined just because we are supposed to be the “good guys!”
Though the world will be against us and we may face seemingly insurmountable mountains, we can always find peace in Christ’s arms. It may sound a bit lame as you face something you could not have imagined, but trusting in Christ’s Word and keeping Him in the middle of your life will allow you to find comfort when everyone else is falling apart. I learned this when I was in hospital on a few occasions, most of all when a man on a bed opposite me was falling apart mentally and all I could do was pray because I was too ill to get up from bed. God can give you strength when you are at your weakest. God can give you peace when you are at wars with your own mind...
Points to Ponder:
Do you have trouble finding a quiet place?
Will you invite Christ to join you where you are to fill your place with quiet?
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December 25: Isaiah 9:2-7
Key Verse: Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Devotion:
Hind-sight is always the best sight to have… but what about the people who lived during the times of the Old Testament, couldn’t they see their Messiah was going to come, be born to a virgin and be the Saviour of the world? It’s easy to look back and see the truth but when you are living during the times you get side-tracked by so many things in life!
This happens in all walks in life and we can rabbit on about how they should have known, but if we accept the truth and realise we are in the same boat now, we could move forward instead of being left behind!
My prayers and thoughts go out to all those people who are living in troubled areas or troubled times because they are the ones who will not be able to see the joy of Christmas because of all the things in their lives which are bashing at the door! We were in the same boat a couple of years back when my Dad passed away before Christmas – the only thing which kept us going was God’s Word and His great love for us. No matter what happened we could always see what God was doing in our lives…
I pray all are able to see God’s great love and rich blessings, especially during rough times. I pray God will continue to open people’s hearts to those who are in need or just need a shoulder to cry on. God is always with us and it is surprising how much we can gain from trusting Him during rough times.
Points to Ponder:
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, prince of peace...
I pray you do see God’s love and have a love-filled Christmas x
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December 24: Acts 13:16-26
Key Verse: Acts 13:26
Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
Devotion:
When was the last time you sat down and looked back over the things which have happened in your life? Have you tried to go back further through time to look at your ancestors and others? It may amaze you to see how much God has done in this world which ultimately affects your life.
Paul stood up and motioned to the people around him so they would stop and listen intently. He wanted to make sure they all heard what he was going to say and thought about it. There is nothing worse than trying to tell a story when nobody is paying attention!
God has been on the brunt of this sort of thing for many years, and yet He continues to bring forward His Word hoping we will take the time to stop and listen. He wants us to take account of what has happened in our lives and in the lives of the people who have come before us so we realise just how much He is doing to get our attention!
How about reading a bit of the Old Testament and looking back to see how many times God tried to get the attention of the people. He did this so that we will all listen, not just the people at the time. The stories we have in our Bibles list all God has done and are there to encourage us to trust in Him and believe what He is saying!
Points to Ponder:
Do you like history?
Do you realise you are a part of history?
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December 23: 2 John 1:4-6
Key Verse: 2 John 1:6
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
Devotion:
Do you believe in God? Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit? A lot of people will answer yes to all of these questions, but still go about a life which many will question as being Christian! When Jesus invited those men to be disciples, it was not just to learn the scriptures and to do everything He asked of them… He wanted them to make disciples too...
As I was growing up and growing in the Lord I learned many things as I studied the Bible covering all aspects – or at least I thought it was all aspects. The more you get to believe in Christ, the more questions you ask yourself and the more you seek out the answers. This is the essence of believing in Christ. He does not want you to blindly do everything He commands without thinking of the ramifications and consequences of all we say and do.
Part of your life with Christ should be to love one another. This is not limited to people you know who also go to church or who also believe in Christ. Jesus wants you to step forward and to reach out to more people, not just to be a bible basher and tell them all about Christ but to love and nurture them and bring them closer to loving and trusting Christ the way you do.
The more you get to love Christ the more you want to love the people around you and the more you want to share Him with everyone. This is what being a Christian is all about – not just obeying rules and regulations...
Points to Ponder:
How do you act in front of other people?
Do you reach out to them with an open heart?
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December 22: 1 Samuel 1:24-28
Key Verse: 1 Samuel 1:28
So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he shall be given over to the Lord.’ And he worshipped the Lord there.
Devotion:
There are some places in the bible which many of us struggle with; this is probably one of them too! Elkanah had two wives, one called Penennah and the other called Hannah. Peninnah had children from the marriage, but Hannah did not. She was distraught and one day prayed to God in earnest asking for a son; in return she was willing to give him to the Lord...
I can tell you from experience it is a terrible thing to be faced with the possibility of having to give up on a child! Both of my children were in critical care in hospital when they were very young – somehow you can face that and accept whatever the outcome. But later I was faced with having them taken away from me during my divorce – that I could not accept!
And yet, Hannah was willing to give her child back to God if she was able to have one after she prayed such words. Eli, the priest, assumed she was drunk because she was praying so earnestly it showed outwardly. When he found out she was praying with such emotion he blessed her and I’m sure asked God to fulfil her prayers after that!
When the time came and the boy was weaned, Hannah took him to the temple and literally gave him into God’s care to the priest, the same one who had assumed she was drunk! That must have been one of the hardest things to do!
The moral of this story – be very careful what you pray for because you should live up to any promises you make through prayer!
Points to Ponder:
Have you ever prayer with such passion?
Did you live up to your prayers like God has done for you?
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December 21: Luke 1:39-45
Key Verse: Luke 1:41
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Devotion:
Have you ever had a very big surprise? I’m not talking about something bad but something very good… When we get a surprise which is bad, it can feel like life or energy drains from your body – not sure where it goes but that is what it feels like. When we get a good surprise, the opposite seems to be true and energy and life flood back into your body – again, not sure from where!
This meeting between Mary and Elizabeth was something Elizabeth certainly felt good about. She instantly knew Mary was pregnant and she was filled with joy; so much so her baby itself was filled with joy too! That sort of joy is wonderful to experience and something we would wish to happen to us every day; sadly it does not though.
The two babies, John and Jesus, had a very special connection from this moment onward. John was filled with the Holy Spirit even before he was born, and Jesus was excited even before He was born! It is this sort of special connection we can have with Jesus as soon as we accept Him into our lives. He praises God when any person wants Him in their lives – this is what he looks forward to every day!
When we believe in Christ and place our faith and trust in Him, we get direct access to this joy and peace which He wants us to have. We gain access to the living water which will allow us to grow far beyond any earthly water or food will do for us. Christ continues to want us all to join with Him just as He did when John wanted to have Him as Lord in his own life way back then.
Points to Ponder:
Do you look forward to having Jesus in your life?
Will you make sure you give Jesus access to all of your life?
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December 20: Luke 1:26-38
Key Verse: Luke 1:32
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David
Devotion:
When we get round to reading and studying these verses, I know Christmas is upon us! Each year we go over these verses to remind us of the amazing gift God brought to us through His Son Jesus Christ. We can begin to imagine what Mary, Joseph and their families went through when God told them about their futures; but I don’t think you get to experience the full feeling unless something extraordinary has happened to you...
This is not when I tell you about something special or tell you to wait a decade or two to learn about this special time! This is where I tell you this has happened to you and is happening to you right now. We are joining in on this special journey of faith and love shared with us by God through our history.
People will tell you it couldn’t have happened or it was very different or many other things; it is a personal journey between you and Christ as you learn about His love for you and what He has done just for you. This is not just for Mary and Joseph, not just for the people alive at the time, not just for the Jews or any other people, this is a personal story for you to follow with Christ at the centre.
God can do and does do miracles. We continue to see evidence of what he is doing in our lives as we grow with Him. Inviting His to stay by your side and joining in with His story allows each of us to experience the love He has shown each of us. This Christmas, why not spend some time thinking about all the things God has done just for you.
Points to Ponder:
How much time do you spend with friends and family?
How much time do you spend with God?