New Year's Eve

 

God Has a Plan for You

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously, if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12:6-8

Which of the gifts listed in Romans did you receive from God?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Romans 12:1

At Christmas time we are always thinking about gifts. Romans tells of various gifts given to us from our God as he created us. We can use our gifts from God every day. Marie Chapian wrote in a devotion in the Women’s Devotional Bible the following:

“As a sacrificial act of worship, God expects us to be holy and pleasing to him. When I was sharing Romans 12 with a group of young people, one fifteen-year-old girl asked, ‘Does that mean that everything I do every day—at school, at home, in sports, in art and with friends—all these should be an act of worship to God?’

Another student replied, ‘How can I stay on my knees that long?’

We chuckled, knowing that we worship not only on our knees but also as we live our lives. Our everyday lives are important to God, important enough that he sent his Son to die on the cross so that Jesus could live in us through each day—including the ordinary ones.

We can now say: ‘I’m going to school to worship God.’”

Prayer: Dear Lord, be with me today and tomorrow and all days so that I may use my life to teach and encourage others. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck

This Year Which Lies Ahead

Your rod and your staff-they comfort me. Psalm 27:4

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear. Psalm 27:11

I received this poem from a 91-year-old friend in her Christmas card. It spoke to me because of the year 2020 and our new year 2021. I have read the poem many times and every part makes me think and gives me strength and peace in God and His Son, Jesus. We need to face the new year and walk with the Lord.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, help us walk in the new year with You and your son, Jesus. Amen

Susan Taylor (reprinted from January 2021)

(click on photo above to view larger)

On Being a Fan

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:66-69

We have a longtime friend of the family who is a “fair weather fan”. In his defense, he didn’t discover that he liked to watch sports until he was in his 60s, so there are still a number of things he is catching on to. When his team is losing, he can’t watch. If he has convinced himself that they will lose ahead of the match he won’t even tune in, and is then upset that he missed it if they “somehow” pull out a win. 

Even though I have observed this the past 10 years, I recently thought about the comparison to this verse in John. In this scripture, Jesus has lost his followers (his own fair weather fans) and he looks to the disciples and clearly asks – will you be leaving too?

How often are we fair weather fans to our faith? Our community? Our family members and friends?  Our co-workers?  It can be easy when things don’t go our way to give up. To stop believing. To follow the crowd. We justify our actions secondary to the performance and behavior of others. If directly asked if we are committed we may not even have a specific or concrete answer.

As I prepare for the new year I want to be a better “fan”. This means so many things. Being a better Christian.  Being more active in my community. Being more engaged with family. Having more tolerance.  These can all be hard in our current overstressed, and overloaded world. But with faith, worship, and desire, action seems like the best approach.

Prayer: God who knows our struggles and missteps, thank you for checking in on us, thank you for not giving up when your “fan” base turns away or stops watching. Help us to remember the lessons of your son Jesus. Amen. 

Christi Moock

Psalm 72

 

Endow the king with your justice, O God,

    the royal son with your righteousness.

  May he judge your people in righteousness,

    your afflicted ones with justice.

 

  May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,

    the hills the fruit of righteousness.

  May he defend the afflicted among the people

    and save the children of the needy;

    may he crush the oppressor.

  May he endure as long as the sun,

    as long as the moon, through all generations.

  May he be like rain falling on a mown field,

    like showers watering the earth.

  In his days may the righteous flourish

    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

 

  May he rule from sea to sea

    and from the river to the ends of the earth.

 May the desert tribes bow before him

    and his enemies lick the dust.

  May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores

    bring tribute to him.

May the kings of Sheba and Seba

    present him gifts.

  May all kings bow down to him

    and all nations serve him.

 

  For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

    the afflicted who have no one to help.

  He will take pity on the weak and the needy

    and save the needy from death.

  He will rescue them from oppression and violence,

    for precious is their blood in his sight.

 

  Long may he live!

    May gold from Sheba be given him.

May people ever pray for him

    and bless him all day long.

  May grain abound throughout the land;

    on the tops of the hills may it sway.

May the crops flourish like Lebanon

    and thrive like the grass of the field.

  May his name endure forever;

    may it continue as long as the sun.

 

Then all nations will be blessed through him,

    and they will call him blessed.

 

  Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,

    who alone does marvelous deeds.

  Praise be to his glorious name forever;

    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen. Psalm 72

The Shepherds' Praise

 

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:1-20

Joy

When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.  Matthew 2:10                        

When Advent- the waiting days before Christmas- is approaching, I think of the little word, joy.  It is the joy of Jesus’ birth in the stable and the joy of what Jesus brought to each of us. 

God sent Jesus to be born in the manger to save each of us. We can have joy every day when we remember that God gave us a loving Savior who takes our sins away.  We have to make room for that joy in our hearts.  Advent is a time to remember and renew in us, the joy of Jesus. 

Joy came to the barn when Jesus was born

Joy came when they saw the star

Joy came to Bethlehem

Joy came to the world

Joy is here for each of us

Prayer: Dear God, during this Advent time, help us find the joy that Jesus brought to each of us. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus so we can have joy. Amen

Susan Taylor, reprinted from our Advent Devotional of 2011