Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: Ephesians 1 - 6 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 350 Jesus Calling Devotional, by Sarah Young: December 16th I am speaking in the depths of your being. Be still, so that you can hear My voice. I speak in the language of Love; My words fill you with Life and Peace, Joy and Hope. I desire to talk with all of My children, but many are too busy to listen. The "work ethic" has them tied up in knots. They submit wholeheartedly to this taskmaster, wondering why they feel so distant from Me. Living close to Me requires making Me your First Love -- your highest priority. As you seek My Presence above all else, you experience Peace and Joy in full measure. I also am blessed when you make Me first in your life. While you journey through life in My Presence, My Glory brightens the world around you. RELATED SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 50:4 (NLT) The Lord’s Obedient Servant 4 The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. Have a blessed day!
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The Bible Recap Reading: Colossians 1 - 4, Philemon 1 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 349 - this one is from a couple of years ago. The new one wasn't up yet. I think the reading is the same though. Jesus Calling Devotional, by Sarah Young: December 15Your longing for heaven is good, because it is an extension of your yearning for Me. The hope of heaven is meant to strengthen and encourage you, filling you with wondrous Joy. Many Christians have misunderstood this word hope, believing that it denotes wishful thinking. Nothing could be further from the truth! As soon as I became your Savior, heaven because your ultimate destination. The phrase hope of heaven highlights the benefits you can enjoy even while remaining on earth. This hope keeps you spiritually alive during dark times of adversity; it brightens your path and heightens your awareness of My Presence. My desire is that you may overflow with hope by the great power of the Holy Spirit. RELATED SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:23-25 (NLT) 23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 24 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. 25 But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) This page hasn't been very Christmassy. Sorry. I've just had busy mornings. Hope everyone is having a wonderful season. Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: Acts 27-28 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 348 Jesus Calling Devotional, by Sarah Young: December 14 Rest in Me, My child, forgetting about the worries of the world. Focus on Me--Emmanuel--and let My living Presence envelop you in Peace. Tune in to My eternal security, for I am the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you live on the surface of life by focusing on ever-changing phenomena, you will find yourself echoing the words of Solomon: "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" Living in collaboration with Me is the way to instill meaning into your days. Begin each day alone with Me, so that you can experience the reality of My Presence. As you spend time with Me, the way before you opens up step by step. Arise from the stillness of our communion, and gradually begin your journey through the day. Hold My hand in deliberate dependence on Me, and I will smooth out the path before you. RELATED SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 13:8 (NLT) 8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Have a blessed day! Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: Acts 24-26 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 347 Jesus Calling: December 13Take time to be holy. The word holy does not mean goody-goody; it means set apart for sacred use. That is what these quiet moments in My Presence are accomplishing within you. As you focus your mind and heart on Me, you are being transformed: re-created into the one I designed you to be. This process requires blocks of time set aside for communion with Me. The benefits of this practice are limitless. Emotional and physical healing are enhanced by your soaking in the Light of My Presence. You experience a nearness to Me that strengthens your faith and fills you with Peace. You open yourself up to receive the many blessings that I have prepared for you. You become a cleaned temple of My Holy Spirit, who is able to do in and through you immeasurably more than you ask or imagine. These are just some of the benefits of being still in My Presence. RELATED SCRIPTURE: 2nd Thessalonians 1:10 (NLT) 10 When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him. Psalm 27:4 (NLT) 4 The one thing I ask of the Lord-- the thing I seek most-- is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. Have a blessed day! Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: Acts 20-23 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 346 Jesus Calling Devotional, by Sarah Young: December 12 I am taking care of you. Feel the warmth and security of being enveloped in My loving Presence. Every detail of your life is under My control. Moreover, everything fits into a pattern for good, to those who love Me and are called according to My design and purpose. Because the world is in an abnormal, fallen condition, people tend to think that chance governs the universe. Events may seem to occur randomly, with little or no meaning. People who view the world this way have overlooked one basic fact: the limitations of human understanding. What you know of the world you inhabit is only the tip of the iceberg. Submerged beneath the surface of the visible world are mysteries too vast for you to comprehend. If you could only see how close I am to you and constantly I work on your behalf, you would never again doubt that I am wonderfully caring for you. This is why you must live by faith, not by sight; trusting in My mysterious, majestic Presence. RELATED SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:28 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Have a blessed day. Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: Romans 14-16 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 345 A Christmas Devotional from Guideposts. It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7 (ESV) It’s a beautiful holy day, and I love it. But sometimes as the hours of Christmas tick by, they begin to feel anticlimactic, as if I’m searching for What now? I don’t want to let go of this day for another year. It comes and goes too quickly, a reminder of how Jesus came to earth, died, rose, and returned to heaven. And what then? He promised to come back someday, and now humanity is in waiting mode again. However, that first Christmas changed all of our future days of “What now?” After Jesus returned to His heavenly Father, He sent His Spirit to abide throughout the earth, and even better, directly within His believers. How much difference does His spirit’s presence in us make for life, for all the days that are not December 25? It’s all the difference. Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, His spirit didn’t abide within believers. Now that He does live in us, every day of this fallible, messy life holds the glory of Christmas because He is still here. Jesus, in the midst of any old everyday day, fills each one with His glory, like Christmas. Even if a day holds sorrow or disappointment or health scares or relationship troubles, it is still full of the Christmas miracle. We can look forward to tomorrow, knowing it’ll be as glorious as the one when Jesus came to us all those generations ago. A Christmas Devotion - Guideposts Have a blessed day Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: Romans 11 - 13 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 344 Jesus is Coming Back to Renew All Things! Advent is not just about looking back to Christ’s birth in His first coming but also about looking forward to His second coming. Just as Israel awaited the coming of the Messiah, so we too await in eager anticipation for the Lord to return to make all things right and all things new. Consider the lyrics of the beloved Christmas hymn, Joy to the World, in light of the return of Christ. “Joy to the world! / The Lord is come / Let earth receive her King! / Let every heart prepare Him room / And heaven and nature sing / And heaven and nature sing. / He rules the world with truth and grace / And makes the nations prove / The glories of His righteousness / And wonders of His love.” The repeated promise of the New Testament is that Jesus will come again as the King of Kings to reign over all the earth in righteousness, truth, and grace. We will dwell with Him forever, rejoice in the wonders of His love, and “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4 NLT). In our current world with so much fear, uncertainty, and confusion – this is the great and guaranteed hope we have in Christ! “Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28 NLT). Prayer: Lord, thank you for giving me a living hope. Help me to live in light of eternity, looking forward to your coming and telling the world of the wonders of your love. In Jesus name, amen. Hope for the Heart Christmas Devotional This is the last one of this series. We will embark on something new tomorrow. Hope you have enjoyed reading through these devotional's as much as I have. Have a blessed day! Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: Romans 8 - 10 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 343 Ha God is Worthy of all Praise. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing! Joy to the World! Silent Night. O Holy Night. Away in a Manger. O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The list could go on. We love singing songs at Christmas, don’t we? We sing because Christmas is a time to celebrate, a time to praise God for sending His Son. You can’t read the Christmas story without hearing the songs and praises of God’s people. You can read Mary’s song, known as the Magnificat, in Luke 1:46–55, or read Zechariah’s song in Luke 1:67–79, or read of the multitude of angel’s singing at Christ’s birth in Luke 2:13–14. At the birth of Christ, the shepherds worshipped Jesus (Luke 2:20), as did the Magi (Matthew 2:11). When you consider all that God has given us in Christ, praise is the proper response. He is worthy of all our worship. “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). Prayer: Lord, you are worthy of all my praise! Thank you for sending your Son, for your boundless grace and mercy, for your immeasurable love and faithfulness, and for your constant presence and precious promises. In Jesus name, amen. Hope for the Heart Christmas Devotional Have a blessed day! Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart Good morning, The Bible Reading: Romans 4 - 7 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 342 God Always Keeps His Promises. The accounts of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke show how Jesus’ birth fulfilled many long-awaited promises to Abraham, David, and other prophets. You can hear echoes of the Old Testament throughout the Christmas story, and there are direct statements like this: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet” (Matthew 1:22). We often struggle with waiting on God. We want Him to come through for us and fulfill His promises … according to our schedule. After all, some of the promises fulfilled at Christmas were spoken of centuries beforehand. The apostle Peter encourages us, “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8–9). Christmas shows us that God is always faithful to fulfill His promises. While it may not be in our desired time or our desired way, God always comes through. When He does, it’s always better than what we could have planned. We can trust Him and His timing. “He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David, just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago” (Luke 1:69–70 NLT). Prayer: Lord, thank you for being a God I can trust. You are faithful to fulfill your promises. When I grow impatient, help me wait on you in faith and hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Hope For the Heart Christmas Devotional Have a blessed day! Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart The Bible Recap Reading: Romans 1 - 3 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 341 God Graciously Gives and Graciously Saves. We love seeing our friends and family and children excitedly open gifts with gratitude and joy, don’t we? There’s nothing like the feeling of seeing a loved one joyfully receive a gift you got them. And similarly, there’s nothing like receiving a thoughtful, meaningful gift from a loved one. Why do we give gifts on Christmas? Because we remember that God is a gracious giver. Consider the most famous passage in the Bible, John 3:16, in light of Christmas … “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Our greatest need required the greatest gift. And the greatest gift God can give is Himself. That’s what He did on Christmas. He gave us His one and only Son to save us from our sin. And just like any gift, the proper response to a gift is not the pay the gift-giver back – that’d be an insult! The proper response is to simply receive the gift with joy and gratitude. That’s what God calls us to do with His free gift of salvation – to joyfully receive His Son. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of your Son. There is no greater gift you could have given. As I give and receive gifts this Christmas, help me not lose sight of the greatest gift. In Jesus name, amen. Hope for the Heart Christmas Devotional Have a blessed day! Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart The Bible Recap Reading: 2 Corinthians 10 - 13 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 340 God has Good News of Great Joy for all People. The angel announced to the shepherds “good news of great joy that will be for all people.” (Luke 2:10 ESV). Good news. Great joy. For all people. That’s the wonderful proclamation of Christmas in a nutshell. The good news is that we have a Savior, Jesus Christ. And it is good news – not good advice or good teaching but good news. That means something happened. God came to us in the person of Jesus. He came into our real world, in a real place, and really lived among us, and really died for our sins and really rose from the dead. And He really offers us the free gift of salvation. It’s the best news! And it is news for all people. No one is outside the reach of God’s grace in Christ. All are welcome to come Jesus, no matter who you are, what you’ve done, or whatever your background – all are welcome to come to Jesus and receive His free gift of salvation. It is greatest gift that leads to the greatest joy – the joy of knowing Jesus, of living with hope, of being adopted into God’s family, and knowing your future is secure in heaven. “The angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’” (Luke 2:10–11 ESV). Prayer: Father, thank you for sending your Son to save me! Help me to always rejoice in my salvation – and give me the words and opportunity to tell others about the wonderful, free gift of salvation. In Jesus’ name, amen. Hope for the Heart Christmas Devotional Have a blessed day! Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: 2 Corinthians 5-9 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 339 God is at Work in the Darkness. Why did Jesus come? How would you answer that? Most people might say “to save us” or “to show God’s love” or something similar. That’s true. But the apostle John gives a rather unexpected and clear statement as to why Jesus came. He said, “the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). Immediately after the Fall, God made a promise. He told the serpent (the devil) that from the offspring of Eve would eventually come someone who would crush the head of the serpent (see Genesis 3:15). Known as the proto-evangelium, this is the first reference to the good news that the Savior would come to destroy the devil’s work and redeem us. Christmas, then, is a reminder that even in our broken world full of darkness, sin, and evil – God is still at work, bringing light to those in darkness. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). Prayer: Lord, thank you that no matter how dark things get, you are there. I always have hope. When I’m in the dark, confused and needing direction in my life, please show me the way to go. And help me be a light to others. In Jesus’ name, amen. Hope for the Heart Devotional Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart Have a blessed day! Beautiful Children; Beautiful Song. Enjoy. The Bible Recap Reading: 2 Corinthians 1-4 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 338 God is Immeasurably Great and Unexpectedly Humble. Christmas is a time to marvel in awe and gratitude at the lengths God has gone to show us His love and to save us. The Creator came to His creation. The God of Heaven came to earth. The infinite God became an infant son. The Lord, whose royal robe filled the temple of heaven (Isaiah 6:1), became a baby who was wrapped in swaddling cloths (Luke 2:7). The God of the universe, who is present everywhere, did not have a room to be born in. The Son of God left His throne in heaven, surrounded by the unceasing praise of angels, to come to earth where He would ultimately receive a crown of thorns and hear crowds shouting, “Crucify him!” (Mark 15:13). At Christmas, we stand in awe at the majesty and humility of God. He came not in power to kings in a palace but in humility to ordinary shepherds in a small rural town of obscurity. The Lord comes to us not with angry fist, shouting from heaven, but with an open hand and helpless cry from a manger. “She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7 ESV). Prayer: Lord, you are infinite in power and yet you humbled yourself and became a man to seek and to save me. It will take all eternity to grasp your infinite love. What an amazing God you are! Thank you for your immeasurable, boundless love. In Jesus name, amen. Hope for the Heart Devotional Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart Have a blessed day! Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: 1 Corinthians 9 - 11 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 335 God Understands.
At Christmas, we remember that the Son of God became a man. He entered our world with all its brokenness, sin, and suffering. Jesus experienced the full range of human emotion and temptation and joys and sorrows and everything in between. As the “man of sorrows” (Isaiah 53:3), Jesus understands our pain. He is not indifferent to our experiences and emotions – He knows them. He has experienced them. The Lord Jesus can truly say to each one of us, “I get it. I understand.” So, whatever you’re going through, know that you’re not alone. God understands, and He invites you to come to Him to receive His grace and help in your weakness. “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Hebrews 4:15–16 NLT). Prayer: Lord, thank you for being able to both understand my weaknesses and yet be strong enough to help me through them. Thank you for your grace, and please help me overcome my trials and temptations. In Jesus name, amen. From, Hope for the Heart Christmas Devotional Christmas Devotional – 10 Wonderful Truths of Christmas - Hope for the Heart Good morning, The Bible Recap Reading: 1 Corinthians 12-14 The Bible Recap Podcast: Day 336 God has not Forgotten Us. When Christ came, the people of God had not heard a word from the Lord in centuries. In fact, the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, was written around 440-400 B.C. The people were longing to hear from God, waiting for Him to fulfill His promises. In such moments of waiting, it’s often tempting to think that God has forgotten us. The songs surrounding the birth of Christ in Luke 1 echo the sentiment that God has not forgotten His people. Mary sings, “He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy” (Luke 1:54 NKJV). The prophet Zechariah sings, “He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant—the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham” (Luke 1:72–73 NLT). God “remembered” His mercy, covenant, and promises. When the Bible says that God “remembers” … it does not merely mean something is brought to God’s attention or that He forgot something. It means to fix your attention on something and act on it. In the Christmas story, then, we see God turning His attention to His promises and acting on them to fulfill His Word. We see God, in mercy, fixing His attention on us and acting on our behalf by sending Christ to save us. So be encouraged – God has not forgotten you! “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15–16 NLT). Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are always mindful of me. I am too often tempted to believe you have forgotten me. Help me to see your loving hand and providential care each day. In Jesus’ name, amen. Hope for the Heart Christmas Devotional - Day 2 |
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