When the angel came to Mary she had questions, but in the end accepted the unfathomable. With Joseph though, it wasn’t that easy. The very human feelings of hurt and rejection were evident in his decision to divorce Mary quietly. And it certainly was within the Law to dismiss her from the bond of marriage with a Certificate of Divorce for her perceived conduct. But before this could happen, the angel visited Joseph and convinced him that what Mary had told him was true…she in fact had not been unfaithful. The Lord will sometimes give us a promise so wonderful and far-fetched that we can’t put our heads around it either…it’s at that point we will make the decision to either believe God or reject it based on our shallow emotions.
Category: Daily Inspirational Devotional
Isaiah 9:6 ” For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…
All of humanity was lost…floundering in a sea of sin…sinking to never rise again. When a baby was brought forth…God bestowing this precious gift on all. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son – Jesus Christ – to bridge the chasm between God and man…and bring eternal life to a dying world.
Micah 5:2 ” But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be Ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
700 years later, in a quiet unpretentious little town, the Messiah was born. There was no fanfare, no pomp and pageantry…just a barn and a baby. The Lord would rather use the humble…the plain and ordinary to do His best work. Common, simple people are His very best instrument for some of His most wonderful miracles. Don’t ever dismiss yourself as someone God could never use…for in fact, you are exactly who He wants.
Hebrews 12:14 ” Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
We are to live in harmony with all. Not with just those we like…not with those who only believe as we do. No, we are to live in peaceful co-existence with everyone. Jesus came preaching the Gospel of Peace, not that of elitism, isolation, or hatred. It’s a tough road though to love your neighbor as yourself…for many around us are unlovable. That’s why the second part of this verse is so important. We may not be able to change the unlovable around us, but we can change ourselves and how we interact with them. Sanctification or holiness is the ongoing process of becoming more like Christ Jesus everyday…of looking at all people – even the unlovable- through His eyes.
Luke 1:38 ” ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ “
The Lord has called you and laid on your heart a promise, but like Mary, you can’t understand how this could possibly happen. Like Mary, you have questions…but also like her, God will faithfully answer them all in due time. And in the end, like Mary, we will need to put our complete faith and trust in God, knowing that what He has placed on our heart will come about. Today you too are pregnant… you’re pregnant with a promise…a promise that’s about to come full-term.
Psalm 10:14 ” But You, O God, do see trouble and grief; You consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.”
The Lord understands the misery and sorrow you may feel today. He wants to take that pain from you…placing it in His all-powerful hands and off your shoulders. If burdens are weighing you down today…entrust yourself to God’s mercy and fall upon His grace.
John 15:26 ” When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth Who goes out from the Father, He will testify about Me.”
Right before Jesus left this earth, He designated the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete…another of equal quality in His place. The Holy Spirit is called a Paraclete because He undertakes Christ’s office here while Christ is away from the world. Bearing witness to the absolute, ultimate, and saving truth of Jesus, the Holy Spirit gently nudges us ever in the right direction.
Isaiah 26:12 ” Lord, You establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us.”
Make no mistake about it…as a Believer, the deep sense of well-being you feel today has been brought about by a loving and merciful Heavenly Father. And the next time before you pat yourself on the back for the great achievement you’ve just done…remember, that it’s only through Him that you’ve realized this success.
James 1:23 ” Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
You know your face better than anyone else…every nook and cranny – every spot and wrinkle. You’re familiar enough with your face that you can readily pick yourself out of a group picture. We need to know the Word of God in the same manner. We can’t causally listen to His Word allowing it to go in one ear and out the other. His Word must go deep inside…changing us for the better – not being dismissed and forgotten. The key is to contemplate, internalize, and apply His Word to your life…mirroring His life with yours.
II Samuel 1:26 ” I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother, you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.”
In your life time, you’ll only be able to count on one hand the same kind of friendship that David and Jonathan had. Their relationship was extraordinary, amazing and unique…and much closer than being biological brothers. When you have such an intimate friendship with someone, it doesn’t matter the space of time or distance, the friendship still endures . If you haven’t connected recently with this friend…don’t you think it would be a wonderful time to do so?
Safetypinlove 