Thurs Devo - Jesus who was and was and is and is to come

We were talking at dinner one night this week about how long ago Jesus came to earth as a baby. It’s hard to explain to a 5 and 3 year old how long 2000 years is!!! James voluntarily added that then Jesus became a kid, then a teenager, then an adult and now in Heaven with God! Yes!

Another new concept we talked about was that Jesus existed with God in the beginning before He came to earth as a baby. His incarnation is another hard thing to explain. We’ve worked this week on memorizing Genesis 1:1 and so we also talked through the truths from the following verses.

Genesis 1:1-2, 26 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ² Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters… ²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Matthew 1:21-23   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.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

A baby didn’t grow up and save you and me. God Himself came to earth to save us! Jesus was in Heaven in the beginning, Jesus was born as a baby, Jesus is in Heaven now and Jesus will come again. As the kids and I sang last night “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!” We can rejoice, knowing Jesus will come again!

Alice

Planting A Seed

Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.  But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.  The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.  The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!  Matthew 13:18-23 

 Am I reading the word or living the word?  I ask myself this question because at times it is a struggle.  In a discussion I had over the weekend with a friend of mine, things began to be a bit heated.  I could tell she was getting frustrated.  As such, I proposed that maybe we should step back, and come back to the topic tomorrow.  However, nothing changed because she would not see eye to eye with me.  I think the reason for their frustration was that although I understood where she was coming from, she took my understanding as ‘agreement.’  Then as I explained my opposition, she grew frustrated and attacked me.  Although I appreciated learning their side of the story, I felt nothing had been gained.  Then, I thought of what God taught me about planting seeds.  It helped me to understand that we may not see the fruits of our labor right away.  We must wait for Him to make the seed grow. 

As a Christian, our goal at times may not be to literally change a life but to instead plant seeds so others can see God at work to recognize it later.  In reading the parable of the farmer planting seeds, I recognized different points of my life where I fit each seed.  In my early years, I did not understand God’s word.  At some point, I became filled with joy when reading His word.  But I was not sufficiently grounded, and thus fell off the path.  Then once I became born again, I would become worried about troubles in the world where I felt lost from God.  However, I somehow made it back to where I felt grounded in God’s word sharing it with others and living it out to those who come in contact with me.  I have watched the harvest not only in friends but also children and grandchildren.  None of this happened without trusting in God.  My wife has been a great inspiration to me reminding me to stay grounded and trust in Him.  I share this hoping that it helps some of you.  You could be at any of these stages, but if you are not producing a harvest, note that it may not be time for your harvest.  However if you trust in God, know that it will come. 

God’s time is always accurate and correct.  We may struggle believing a time for something to occur is now.  The key is to trust God regardless of what the outcome may be.  It may be something small and you won’t see the end result.  However by trusting in God, remember that “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.” (Matthew 13:31b)  Our goal is to be an instrument of God letting Him use us, and then watch as He (not us) makes the harvest.  Let us rejoice in the omnipotent power of God to turn even the smallest things into a big part of His Kingdom!  Where are your seeds planted?  How will you trust in God to let the harvest grow?  My prayer is that when things don’t seem to work out with someone, we don’t focus on the now and just remember to plant the seed.  Amen. 

Tues Devo: Gifts

Hello,

If you are like me, then this past weekend you may have done some shopping for Christmas gifts! It got me thinking about gifts at the time of Christmas, and looking at the some elements of the gifts of the wise men and of Jesus Himself.

Matthew 1:20-21 “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” ” (NASB)

Matthew 2:10-11 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (NASB)

Here is what stood out for me with these gifts:

·         They have both current and future value & purpose

·         The giver knows there is a long term context, not just the moment

·         The giver gives without hesitation from the cost

·         Each gift is personal

·         The giver shows their love and care through their gift

I hope as we have some fun buying gifts for others, we think about the truly amazing gift that was Jesus – God come to earth.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill