Author - Clay Corvin

01/01          Psalm 98:1-9

1 Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! 2 The LORD has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! 3 He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4 Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! 5 Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, 6 with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the LORD, the King! 7 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy 9 before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.

PRAISE

Praise the Lord.  He is worthy of all praise and honor.  Begin this year voicing your love and praise for Jesus. 

12/31 Romans 5:5

5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

LOVE
God is love.  He created us in love, He saves us by His love, Jesus lived a perfect life in our world and He died for us because of His great love for us.  God is love and He loves you. 

12/30          Isaiah 40:30-31

30 Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. 31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

HOPE

We have real life daily hope in Jesus.  He brings us into a forever relationship with the Lord.  Jesus is for the day that we live.  He conquers our fears.  He gives us strength for the day.  Jesus is our hope. 

12/29          Matthew 2:19-23

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, 20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Then after being warned by God in a dream, he left for the regions of Galilee, 23 and came and lived in a city called Nazareth. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

PROPHECY

Jesus was foretold by the Prophets.  They were told by the Lord about what the Lord was going to do.  Amazing God we serve.  He wants us to know what He is up to.  He loves you and me and He is seeking to bring us into His family. 

12/28          Matthew 2:16-18

Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the magi. 17 Then what had been spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 18 “A VOICE WAS HEARD IN RAMAH, WEEPING AND GREAT MOURNING, RACHEL WEEPING FOR HER CHILDREN; AND SHE REFUSED * TO BE COMFORTED, BECAUSE THEY WERE NO MORE.”

TRAGEDY

Great tragedy and loss happens in this world and we don’t know the reasons why but we do know the Creator of all things.  We can trust Jesus with our life for we belong to Him for eternity. 

12/27          Matthew 2:13-15

13 Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.” 14 So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. 15 He remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “OUT OF EGYPT I CALLED MY SON.”

SAFE

You are safe in the hands of the Lord.  He is watching over you.  When you spend time with Him He equips you to serve Him and live an abundant life. 

12/26          Matthew 2:7-12

Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 9 After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod. 

DEVOTION
WE owe Jesus praise, honor and devotion.  Spend time with Him.  Learn what you need to know to grow in wisdom, mercy and grace.  Jesus is Lord and He is calling us into a relationship with Him and thru Him with the Father.  Pray for peace in the Middle East today especially peace in Jerusalem that city that the Lord loves.

12/25          Matthew 2:1-6

1 Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.” 3 Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. “Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?” he asked them. 5 “In Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’ “

RULE

THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY stepped down from heaven to live among us.  He demonstrated His love for mankind in doing this and is the ONE we can cling to wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding.  He is the Lord. 

12/24          Isaiah 40:1-11

1 “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God. 2 “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned. Yes, the LORD has punished her in full for all her sins.” 3 Listen! I hear the voice of someone shouting, “Make a highway for the LORD through the wilderness. Make a straight, smooth road through the desert for our God. 4 Fill the valleys and level the hills. Straighten out the curves and smooth off the rough spots. 5 Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The LORD has spoken!” 6 A voice said, “Shout!” I asked, “What should I shout?” “Shout that people are like the grass that dies away. Their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers, and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” 9 Messenger of good news, shout to Zion from the mountaintops! Shout louder to Jerusalem — do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” 10 Yes, the Sovereign LORD is coming in all his glorious power. He will rule with awesome strength. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. 11 He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

JESUS

Jesus came to save you from eternal separation from the Father.  There is no other way to God except thru Jesus Christ.  The Lord loves you.  He is seeking your best good.  Come to Jesus and receive His salvation and family membership.  Be saved today. 

12/23          Luke 2:15-20

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

SURPRISED

God’s ways are not our ways.  We are surprised at the things that come into our life.  We are surprised when good or bad happens.  God is not surprised about anything.  He is Lord of all things and He loves you and me.