Category - Devotionals

01/04 Luke 2:21-27
21 Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. 22 Then it was time for the purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 The law of the Lord says, “If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.” 24 So they offered a sacrifice according to what was required in the law of the Lord — “either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man named Simeon who lived in Jerusalem. He was a righteous man and very devout. He was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he eagerly expected the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. 26 The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required,
HERE
Christ is here. He lives in our hearts. One day the Lord Jesus is coming back. Now He is forgiving. When He returns He will come with judgment. Now is the time of salvation. Jesus is coming back.

01/03 Galatians 4:4-7
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because you Gentiles have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father. 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.
CHILDREN
We are children of God. Jesus lives in our hearts. We are free from bondage to sin. In Jesus we are able to bend the knee to God and serve Him. We are not alone and we have full access to all of the resources of God. Christ in us is our strength.

01/02 Psalm 148
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! 2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! 3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! 4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! 5 Let every created thing give praise to the LORD, for he issued his command, and they came into being. 6 He established them forever and forever. His orders will never be revoked. 7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, 8 fire and hail, snow and storm, wind and weather that obey him, 9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all livestock, reptiles and birds, 11 kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, 12 young men and maidens, old men and children. 13 Let them all praise the name of the LORD. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! 14 He has made his people strong, honoring his godly ones — the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!
PRAISE
The Lord is worthy of all of our praise. He made all things including us. He is the potter and we are the clay. The Lord is great and worthy of all of our praise. Praise the Lord. Thank you for coming to me.

01/01 Isaiah 63:7-14
7 I will tell of the LORD’s unfailing love. I will praise the LORD for all he has done. I will rejoice in his great goodness to Israel, which he has granted according to his mercy and love. 8 He said, “They are my very own people. Surely they will not be false again.” And he became their Savior. 9 In all their suffering he also suffered, and he personally rescued them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them through all the years. 10 But they rebelled against him and grieved his Holy Spirit. That is why he became their enemy and fought against them. 11 Then they remembered those days of old when Moses led his people out of Egypt. They cried out, “Where is the one who brought Israel through the sea, with Moses as their shepherd? Where is the one who sent his Holy Spirit to be among his people? 12 Where is the one whose power divided the sea before them, when Moses lifted up his hand, establishing his reputation forever? 13 Where is the one who led them through the bottom of the sea? They were like fine stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling. 14 As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest. You led your people, LORD, and gained a magnificent reputation.”
WITH YOU
God is with you. Christ came into our world and He is with us as we live our life. One day at a time. Day by day the Lord stands with us as we seek to grow in Him and follow Him. Surrender your life to Jesus for He knows the way.

12/31 James 5:7-12
7 Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Don’t grumble about each other, my brothers and sisters, or God will judge you. For look! The great Judge is coming. He is standing at the door! 10 For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy. 12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.
WAIT
Wait upon the Lord. He has not forgotten or overlooked you. He is always on time. His mercies are unending and He loves you.

12/30 Lamentations 3:31-66
31 For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love. 33 For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. 34 But the leaders of his people trampled prisoners underfoot. 35 They deprived people of their God-given rights in defiance of the Most High. 36 They perverted justice in the courts. Do they think the Lord didn’t see it? 37 Can anything happen without the Lord’s permission? 38 Is it not the Most High who helps one and harms another? 39 Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? 40 Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn again in repentance to the LORD. 41 Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, 42 “We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us. 43 “You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down, and slaughtered us without mercy. 44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud so our prayers cannot reach you. 45 You have discarded us as refuse and garbage among the nations. 46 “All our enemies have spoken out against us. 47 We are filled with fear, for we are trapped, desolate, and ruined.” 48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people! 49 My tears flow down endlessly. They will not stop 50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. 51 My heart is breaking over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem. 52 My enemies, whom I have never harmed, chased me like a bird. 53 They threw me into a pit and dropped stones on me. 54 The water flowed above my head, and I cried out, “This is the end!” 55 But I called on your name, LORD, from deep within the well, 56 and you heard me! You listened to my pleading; you heard my weeping! 57 Yes, you came at my despairing cry and told me, “Do not fear.” 58 Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case! For you have redeemed my life. 59 You have seen the wrong they have done to me, LORD. Be my judge, and prove me right. 60 You have seen the plots my enemies have laid against me. 61 LORD, you have heard the vile names they call me. You know all about the plans they have made — 62 the plots my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. 63 Look at them! In all their activities, they constantly mock me with their songs. 64 Pay them back, LORD, for all the evil they have done. 65 Give them hard and stubborn hearts, and then let your curse fall upon them! 66 Chase them down in your anger, destroying them from beneath the LORD’s heavens.
CHRIST
Christ has come and He answers our prayers. He is our defender. He is our peace. The Lord is great and mighty and He cares for you and me.

12/29 Lamentations 3:1-30
1 I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the LORD’s anger. 2 He has brought me into deep darkness, shutting out all light. 3 He has turned against me. Day and night his hand is heavy upon me. 4 He has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. 5 He has attacked me and surrounded me with anguish and distress. 6 He has buried me in a dark place, like a person long dead. 7 He has walled me in, and I cannot escape. He has bound me in heavy chains. 8 And though I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayers. 9 He has blocked my path with a high stone wall. He has twisted the road before me with many detours. 10 He hid like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me. 11 He dragged me off the path and tore me with his claws, leaving me helpless and desolate. 12 He bent his bow and aimed it squarely at me. 13 He shot his arrows deep into my heart. 14 My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs. 15 He has filled me with bitterness. He has given me a cup of deep sorrow to drink. 16 He has made me grind my teeth on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust. 17 Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. 18 I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!” 19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. 20 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. 21 Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: 22 The unfailing love of the LORD never ends! By his mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day. 24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” 25 The LORD is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. 26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. 27 And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline. 28 Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD’s demands. 29 Let them lie face down in the dust; then at last there is hope for them. 30 Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them. Let them accept the insults of their enemies.
HOPE
Hope in the Lord for He will never fail you. Hope in the Lord even when the physical world says you are being foolish. Hope in the Lord for He will never forget us or turn us away.

12/28 Psalm 98:1-9
1 A psalm. Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done wonderful deeds. He has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness. 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 whole earth has seen the salvation 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 the LORD is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness.
VICTORY
Jesus has come. He is alive now and able to save us from our sin. He offers us the gift of life and light in Himself. Praise the Lord for the Babe of Bethlehem now seated at His right hand intervening for us His children. We are cleansed by His blood and living in victory.

12/27 Hebrews 1:1-12
1 Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. 2 But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. 3 The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. 4 This shows that God’s Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is far greater than their names. 5 For God never said to any angel what he said to Jesus: “You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. ” And again God said, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son.” 6 And then, when he presented his honored Son to the world, God said, “Let all the angels of God worship him.” 7 God calls his angels “messengers swift as the wind, and servants made of flaming fire.” 8 But to his Son he says, “Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal power is expressed in righteousness. 9 You love what is right and hate what is wrong. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.” 10 And, “Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 Even they will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing. 12 You will roll them up like an old coat. They will fade away like old clothing. But you are always the same; you will never grow old.”
FOREVER
Jesus brings us into the family of God forever. He is Lord and Savior and the only way to the father. In Him we have life and light for living. Jesus is Lord.

12/25 Isaiah 9:2-7 (Christmas Week 1)
2 The people who walk in darkness will see a great light — a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow. 3 Israel will again be great, and its people will rejoice as people rejoice at harvesttime. They will shout with joy like warriors dividing the plunder. 4 For God will break the chains that bind his people and the whip that scourges them, just as he did when he destroyed the army of Midian with Gideon’s little band. 5 In that day of peace, battle gear will no longer be issued. Never again will uniforms be bloodstained by war. All such equipment will be burned. 6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David. The passionate commitment of the LORD Almighty will guarantee this!
JESUS
JESUS is Lord. Claim His gift of life. Ask Him to come into your life. Rejoice today for we can know the Lord. Great is the Lord and worthy of all of our devotion and praise and honor. Praise the Lord.