Your Daily Crossroad
06
Dec '18
Expect the Messiah
06
Dec '18
Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? (Matthew 13:55)
The repairman looked young—too young to fix our problem, a car that wouldn’t start. “He’s just a kid,” my husband, Dan, whispered to me, showing his doubt. His disbelief in the young man sounded like the grumbling in Nazareth where citizens doubted who Jesus was.
“Is not this the carpenter’s son?” they asked (Matthew 13:55) when Jesus taught in the synagogue. Scoffing, they were surprised to hear that someone they knew was healing and teaching, and asked, “Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?” (v. 54). Instead of trusting in Jesus, they were offended by the authority He displayed (vv. 15, 58).
In this same way, we may struggle to trust in our Savior’s wisdom and power, especially in the familiar and ordinary details of our daily lives. Failing to expect His help, we may miss out on the wonder of His life transforming our own (v. 58).
As Dan found, the help he needed stood right in front of him. Finally agreeing to accept the young man’s aid, my husband allowed him to look at our old car’s battery. By switching just one bolt, the mechanic had the car running in seconds—engine humming and lights ablaze. “It lit up like Christmas,” Dan said.
So too may we expect and experience the Messiah bringing fresh light, life, and help into our daily journey with Him.
When I doubt You, Lord, help my unbelief. Amen.
When I read this devotion I was reminded of the many times I’ve doubted certain situations and found myself questioning God but I then find out very quickly that His ways are far beyond my understanding and all I need to do is trust Him. Psalm 32:8 says, I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. I would challenge you today to think of some practical ways you can remind yourself or others that God is in control and He is able?
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is John 10:14-15
05
Dec '18
Following the Leader
05
Dec '18
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
In the sky over our house, three fighter jets scream through the sky—flying in formation so close together they appear to be one. “Wow,” I say to my husband. “Impressive,” he agrees. We live near an Air Force base and it’s not unusual to see such sights.
Every time these jets fly over, however, I have the same question: How can they fly so close together and not lose control? One obvious reason, I learned, is humility. Trusting that the lead pilot is traveling at precisely the correct speed and trajectory, the wing pilots surrender any desire to switch directions or question their leader’s path. Instead, they get in formation and closely follow. The result? A more powerful team.
It’s no different for followers of Jesus. He says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
His path was one of self-denial and suffering, which can be hard to follow. But to be His effective disciples, we too are invited to put aside selfish desires and pick up spiritual burdens daily—serving others first instead of ourselves, for example—as we closely follow Him.
It’s quite a sight, this humbling, close walk with God. Following His lead, and staying so close, we can appear with Christ as one. Then others won’t see us, they’ll see Him. There’s a simple word for what that looks like: “Wow!”
Please, God, draw us close to You. Fill us with Your Spirit of love and joy and peace. Enable us to be a shining light in our world. Amen.
When I read this devotion I was reminded, our lives are a window through which others can see Jesus. Just this morning I was also reminded to keep a positive attitude and let my lite shine, then The Lord brought this devotion right to me. I felt it was fitting for today and every day. May we remember to be a shining light in our world. You never know the difference you will make in someone else’s life because of your shining light. Follow The Leader, Christ Jesus.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Matthew 6:3-4
04
Dec '18
Ponder It
04
Dec '18
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
During Oswald Chambers’ years at the Bible Training College in London (1911–15), he often startled the students with things he said during his lectures. One young woman explained that because discussion was reserved for the following mealtime together, Chambers would frequently be bombarded with questions and objections. She recalled that Oswald would often simply smile and say, “Just leave it for now; it will come to you later.” He encouraged them to ponder the issues and allow God to reveal His truth to them.
To ponder something is to concentrate and think deeply about it. After the events leading to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, followed by the appearance of angels and the shepherds who came to see the Messiah, “Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). New Testament scholar W. E. Vine said that ponder means “to throw together, confer, to put one thing with another in considering circumstances” (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words).
When we struggle to understand the meaning of what’s happening in our lives, we have Mary’s wonderful example of what it means to seek God and His wisdom.
When we, like her, accept God’s leading in our lives, we have many new things about His loving guidance to treasure and ponder in our hearts.
Father, guide us by Your Holy Spirit as we consider Your great love and embrace Your plan for our lives. Amen.
Today’s devotion blessed me. We all have times when we struggle to understand the meaning of what’s happening in our lives but as today’s devotions says, it then that we must seek God and His wisdom. Allow yourself a few minutes of quiet during this busy season to sit and listen for what God might be saying to you.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is 1 Corinthians 13:2
03
Dec '18
In Abundance or Affliction
03
Dec '18
And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:21)
Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts encourages readers to search their lives each day for what the Lord has done for them. In it, she daily notes God’s abundant generosity to her in gifts both large and small, ranging from the simple beauty of iridescent bubbles in the dish sink to the incomparable salvation of sinners like herself (and the rest of us!). Ann contends that gratitude is the key to seeing God in even the most troubling of life’s moments.
Job is famous for a life of such “troubling” moments. Indeed, his losses were deep and many. Just moments after losing all his livestock, he learns of the simultaneous death of all his ten children. Job’s profound grief was evidenced in his response: he “rent his mantle, and shaved his head” (1:20). His words in that painful hour make me think Job knew the practice of gratitude, for he acknowledges that God had given him everything he’d lost (v. 21). How else could he worship in the midst of such incapacitating grief?
The practice of daily gratitude can’t erase the magnitude of pain we feel in seasons of loss. Job questioned and grappled through his grief as the rest of the book describes. But recognizing God’s goodness to us—in even the smallest of ways—can prepare us to kneel in worship before our all-powerful God in the darkest hours of our earthly lives.
O God, You are the Giver of all good things. Help me to recognize Your generosity in even the smallest ways and to trust You in seasons of loss and hardship. Amen.
When I read this devotion it blessed me. We have all experienced loss and hardship but how do we handle it, with fear, anger and lasting sadness or do we do as today’s devotion says and recognize God’s goodness and practice gratitude and thankfulness, recognizing that through abundance or affliction, everything we may have lost came from Him? Why not start a gratitude list? Watch how the regular practice of thankfulness changes your daily life.
Have a beautiful and uplifting day in The Lord!
Today’s Reading is Nahum 1:7