GOD’S WORD FOR DECEMBER 24

liveinthelightofourlord December 25, 2024 Leave a Comment

DECEMBER 24

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

Proverbs 17:22

“A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.”

Titus 3:4-6

“But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,”

James 1:17

“ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

1Peter 1:8-9

“whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.”

John 1:1-4

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

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Being Christmas eve, we will step aside from Pastor Spurgeon’s writings, and read a few words by Warren W. Wiersbe from his book, “Becoming New.” The late Pastor Wiersbe was the President of Moody Bible Institute before the current President, Erwin Lutzer.

We cannot help seeing the contrast between the transformations described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 and those recorded in Matthew chapters 1 and 2. Genesis shows us transformation on a vast scale, involving galaxies and planets, continents and oceans, while Matthew opens with the genealogy and birth OF A BABY! A-N-D HE IS BORN IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, IN THE INSIGNIFICANT NATION OF ISRAEL OF ALL THINGS!!!!!

The emphasis here is on the smallness; the greatness comes later. The effect is paradoxical. Powerful God was born a mere man; even more, a dependent infant. Some years ago, the engineers in charge of the Big Ben clock in London had to put a halfpenny coin on the pendulum to adjust it and keep it right. “For who has despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10).

GREAT HUMILITY: Jesus humbled Himself when He came to earth as a human being, permanently identifying Himself with the human race (Philippians 2:1-11). He didn’t pretend to be human; He WAS human, as well as divine (1 John 1:1-4). By becoming one of us in birth, growth, trials, and even death, He declared that we are important to God. When He was incarnate here on earth, He could serve needy people, and today in heaven in a glorified body, He sympathizes with our needs and helps us at the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:14-16). Because He had a human body, He could die for our sins (Hebrews 10:3-14).

“Be humble, thinking of others as better than (more important than) yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3).

JESUS DID!

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GREAT WEAKNESS.

The eternal Son of God was weakened and limited from His birth to His resurrection. If He was in Bethany, He was not in Nazareth. (He didn’t use His power of omni-presence). He knew weariness, hunger, and thirst. (John 4:1-8, and 31-33). He had to pray and trust the Father for all His needs, and He experienced poverty (2 Corinthians 8:9). Today in His exaltation, He can give us fullness (Ephesians 1:23; 4:13). And the strength we need (Ephesians 3:16-17; Colossians 1:11). We often feel too weak to serve, but this can lead us to strength from the Lord (2 Cor 12:10). Transformation isn’t something we do for God; it’s something God does in us and through us, when we are weak enough to let Him do it.

GREAT SACRIFICE AND SERVICE

Jesus came to serve, not to be served, and people came to Him at all times for the help only He could give. The times were not easy when He arrived on the scene and entered into the burdens and sorrows of the people. He cared for people and manifested His love by living for them and dying for them. True service involves sacrifice, even the ultimate sacrifice of laying down our lives for others (John 15:13). But we don’t sacrifice and serve just because we love others; we sacrifice and serve BECAUSE WE LOVE JESUS CHRIST. Jesus helped people who never thanked Him or even followed Him, and so should we.

GREAT PATIENCE. Jesus lived and worked in Nazareth until the Father told Him to go to the Jordan and be baptized by John, and that began His public ministry. In Genesis chapters 1 and 2, God counted the days, and in John chapters 1 and 2, the days are noted (1:29, 35, 39, 43, and 2:1), and in the rest of the book, so are the hours counted (2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; and 17:1). Jesus knew when to work and when to rest because He obeyed His Father’s will (9:4; 11:1-10).