Devotions

As we face the end of the year and a new year just hours away, I am going back to the beginning. Not to the beginning of the year, but to the beginning of my walk with the LORD. I have said this many times while behind the pulpit, in private conversations and in these devotions – the first scripture I memorized after I surrendered to the LORD was Philippians 1:6.

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

When Paul wrote this, he was in prison. While there he wrote Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. He would be released from this imprisonment but would be martyred in about ten years. While our knowledge of the timeline of Paul’s life isn’t widely established, the writing of these letters occurred approximately thirty years after his conversion. That means Paul had more days behind him than he had ahead of him.

After all the difficulties and trials he had experienced, Paul was able to say, “I am sure of this! What God began in me He will complete.”

I was saved when I was 26. I have walked with the LORD for more than five decades. I have a lot more days behind me than I have in front of me.

After the difficulties and challenges faced, I can say, “I am sure of this! What God began in me He will complete.”

Amen & Amen.

Today and tomorrow are the final two days of Year 2025 AD. As we see a new year approaching my thoughts always turn to reviewing the past year and planning for the next.

My focus is usually on “did I grow in the grace and knowledge of my Savior and LORD as I should have?”

That is a command found in Peter’s second letter. “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.” [2 Peter 3:18]

An essential part of our Christian Walk is to consistently grow in Christ. I wish I could say that was easy, but it often comes with challenges. A long time ago I learned that the Chinese symbol for challenge is also the symbol for opportunity.

Each day presents us with challenges that are opportunities to deepen our relationship with God. When we face those challenges in the wisdom and power of God’s Indwelling Spirit, He will lead us to become more like Christ Jesus. That’s the Holy Spirit’s primary work in us.

I know I faced a lot of challenges this year – I am praying I used those opportunities to become more like Jesus.

Turning 79 reminded me of what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17: “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.  For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long [light & momentary]. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!” [NLT]

For many of us, the troubles we must face each day do not seem light and momentary. They seem very heavy and unending. Many of us wake up each day having to face difficult situations. The loss of someone we dearly love. Financial problems. Prodigal children. Aging. Loneliness. The list is endless and individual. Everyone is wasting away. Everyone has some kind of trouble.

But is just having trouble enough to achieve that eternal glory that Paul describes? I know people that have had plenty of troubles, have had them their entire lives, but it seems despite that, they haven’t achieved anything at all. No, just having troubles doesn’t guarantee anything. It is allowing those troubles to work in us that result in glory.

Paul goes on “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.”  [vs18]

If all we ever do is focus on what we can see, our troubles will never work in us a great glory. It is in looking beyond what we can see, to behold what remains unseen, that will achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs the problems that surround us daily.

We must look past the problem and see Jesus, the anchor of our soul. We must depend on God’s Spirit daily to teach us how to handle, get through, endure, overcome, these light and momentary troubles. We must seek to grow amid the problems. When we seek God’s face, His wisdom, His help, then the problems and troubles we face will achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them. Just as Paul promised.

I love Thursdays. Seems an odd day of the week to rejoice in. Most of us look forward to the weekend. However, Thursday is the day designated by my church as a day to gather at 9 AM for community prayer.

I find several odd things about Thursdays. First, I have a difficult time sleeping and most of the time pain will wake me up between 4 and 5 AM. Not on Thursdays, however. On Thursdays I often wake up late. (Seems someone or something doesn’t want me to make it to prayer.) I now set my alarm.

Another oddity about Thursdays. I can go all week long without interruptions to my schedule, but Thursdays are often full of them.

One more oddity about Thursdays. There are only a few of us gathering to pray. I am amazed – but resigned – that more people don’t take the divine opportunity to pray alongside others.

I understand that we are a busy people. But Jesus was busy also. Luke 5 reports that as people learned about the miracles happening through Him, they began to pursue Him. His response was to withdraw to pray.

“…the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.” [vs 15-16 NLT]

If Jesus took time from His “busy schedule” to prayer, how much more ….

Christmas is behind us, a New Year in front of us. All the glitter and glamour of the holiday season have shut down, waiting to be resurrected again next year. We will tuck away our “Baby Jesus” and the new year will begin a long stretch of returning to “normalcy” (if there is such a thing.)

The man Christ Jesus, however, will not be “tucked away.” As we read through the Gospels, it is evident that there is far more to the coming of Christ than just “Baby Jesus.”

When Jesus began His ministry, He began to call men to be His disciples. Luke 5 records the challenges to Simon Peter the fisherman, and Levi (Matthew) the tax collector. Jesus said, “Follow me,” and both responded the same way – they left everything and followed him.

“Jesus replied to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid! From now on you’ll be fishing for people.  And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus.”

“Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.” [vs 10-11, 27-28 NLT]

Jesus has never stopped calling men and women to be His disciples. There is far more to a decision for Christ than just raising our hands or coming forward in a service. To be His disciples, we leave everything – EVERYTHING – this world might offer. Peter left a boatload of fish and Levi left a table full of money.

And then they followed.

The 2025 winter solstice occurred on Sunday, December 21, at 10:03 AM. That was the shortest day of the year. Each day since we have gained more light. This gain is minuscule right now, just a matter of seconds a day, but will steadily grow until daily daylight expands by 3 minutes per day in March. It is wonderful to realize that the darkest night of the year is behind us.

It is also wonderful to realize that eternal darkness is behind us. The Apostle John recorded that when Jesus came “The Word [Jesus] gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”  [John 1:4-5 NLT]

Is that not the most amazing promise – “The light (Christ Jesus, the Light of the World) shines in the darkness, and the darkness can NEVER extinguish it.” [emphasis mine]

Try as hard as they might, the devil and the world have no authority, no power, to extinguish the Light that came that first Christmas morning!

And try as hard as they might, the devil and the world have no authority, no power to extinguish the Light that now indwells – the Light that came to us when we surrendered our life to the LORDship of Christ Jesus.

The twinkling lights of Christmas may be taken down soon – but the Light that came to be with us that first Christmas will NEVER depart from us! Thank you LORD. Amen & Amen

“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” [Luke 1:30-33 NIV]

 “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 Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  [Isaiah 9:6 NIV]

 “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”  [Luke 2:11-12  NIV]

 “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God . . .. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” [Revelation 19:11-16  NIV]

His name is Jesus, Jehovah saves. His name is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His name is Savior; he is Christ the Lord. His name is Faithful and True.

This babe who was born in Bethlehem, this man who died on a cross on a hill called Calvary, who ascended into the heavens to sit at the right hand of the throne of God, He is Faithful and True. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

We celebrate His coming to Bethlehem long ago. We rejoice in His Promise to return one day to claim the kingdoms of this world as the Kingdom of our God.

Amen, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
‘Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing, “Alleluia”
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth [Josef Mohr 1792–1848]

Silent Night. And then the cries of the Christ Child Jesus echoed throughout the heavens … God plan of redemption now dwelt on earth.

“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” [Psalm 118:24 NLT]

This is the day to rejoice!

God’s faithful love endures forever! Psalm 118:1

The LORD is our strength and shield! Psalm 28:7

The LORD has clothed me with garments of salvation and a robe of His righteousness. Isaiah 61:10

The LORD is the rock of our salvation. Psalm 95:1-2

The LORD’s peace guards our hearts. Philippians 4:7

The LORD delivered us from all our fears. Psalm 34:4

The LORD assures us of heaven. John 14:2

The LORD’s presence comforts and guides us daily. Psalm 16:11

Christ with us, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27

This is the day to rejoice!

Today I lift my voice in praise to You my LORD God. I rejoice in this day you have granted me. I rejoice in the salvation You brought me. I rejoice that I can confidently claim, “I am a child of God!”

Thank you LORD. Amen & Amen

“God moves in mysterious ways” has become a proverb in our times. Many think it is a verse from the Bible. It is not. It comes from a poem written in 1772 by the English poet William Cowper. It was eventually converted to a hymn, “Light Shining Out of Darkness.”

The first stanza reads: “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.”

While this proverb is not a verse of Scripture, it does link up with Isaiah 55:8-9: “’My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” [NLT]

There is a vast difference between God’s wisdom and our human understanding. When we look at that first Christmas, we don’t always understand what God was thinking — sending His Precious Son, born to a virgin, to die on a Roman cross and bear the sins of the world. That is truly beyond anything we could have imagined.

And yet it happened. God’s thoughts, God’s wisdom, God’s actions saved us when we were lost, alone, and without hope. We may never understand why He did it this way, but we can rejoice and celebrate the miracle!

Thank you LORD. Amen & Amen