Post by charlescameron on Dec 31, 2007 13:37:53 GMT -6
Tuesday 1st January: Psalm 119:105-112
We begin the year with the words of verse 105: "Your Word is a lamp to my
feet and a light to my path." This a great text with which to begin the year.
It is a great starting place for these studies in God's Word. As we journey
through life with God and His Word, we discover that there is a Word from
the Lord for every part of life.s journey. There is never a time when God has
nothing to say to His people. Sometimes, He speaks to us from places
which seem rather unlikely. As we explore His Word, we learn that He is the
true and living God, ever ready to bring to us something new, something
fresh, something that will send us on our way rejoicing, something that will
strengthen our faith, something to deepen our commitment to Christ,
something to increase our love for the Saviour. As we receive God.s Word
- "a lamp to our feet and a light to our path" - we are to pray, "renew my life, O Lord, according to Your Word" (107).
-----
Wednesday 2nd January: Psalm 23:1-6
Turning to "the Shepherd Psalm", we focus our attention on verse 5: "You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my
head with oil; my cup overflows." We are to feast on God's Word, we are to
be filled with God's Spirit. The .table. is the place of feasting, and .oil. is a
symbol of the Holy Spirit. As we feast on God's Word, we will have good
cause to say, again and again, "God is good": His "goodness and love will
follow me all the days of my life" (6). The Lord never fails us. He always
comes with His life-giving Word, the Word of life, through which our life on
earth becomes the beginning of life eternal, the pathway to a life in which
the fullness of God's love will be revealed in a way that we can hardly begin
to imagine: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (6). This is what
Christ is preparing for us (John 14:2)!
-----
Thursday 3rd January: Psalm 42:1-11
As we read God's Word day-by-day, we are to pray for an increase of our
desire for God: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (2). This is the
spiritual experience, referred to in verse 7: "Deep calls to deep." This is
what Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 2:10 - Through His Spirit , God is at
work in us, revealing to us "the deep things of God." God has given us His
Spirit for this reason - "that we may understand what God has freely given
us" (1 Corinthians 2:12). God wants us to explore, with Him, the meaning of the great salvation which He has so graciously provided for us in Jesus Christ.
Learning of God.s salvation, we will say with the Psalmist, "I will yet praise
Him, my Saviour and my God" (11). This song of praise will grow strong in
both our personal devotions - "a prayer to the God of my life" (8) - and our
public worship - going "to the house of God" (4).
-----
Friday 4th January: Genesis 1:1-3
"Genesis" means "beginning." These opening verses challenge us to get our
"priorities right. The priority of God (1). God comes first - before anyone else
is mentioned, He is there. The priority of God's Word (3). God is the first to
speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord.
The priority of God's Spirit (2). All was "empty", all was "darkness", yet the
.Spirit of God. was at work, and transformation was set in motion. Here, we
have God's priorities, set out in the Bible.s first three verses - Putting God
first and listening to His Word, we are to pray for the moving of God's Spirit,
"hovering over" our lives to transform them. For those who make God's
priorities their own, there is a promise of great blessing (Psalm 1:1-2). It is
the great blessing of knowing Jesus Christ, our Saviour, as .God with us.
(Matthew 1.23).
-----
Saturday 5th January: Genesis 1:4-13
God speaks, and it is done (3, 6-7,11). God is pleased with what He has
done (4:10,12). This is the pattern of God's original creation. It is to be the
pattern of our life as a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). God speaks to
us and we say, "Your will be done" (Matthew 6:10). We say, "let it be to me
according to Your Word" (Luke 1:38). God looks on such obedience, this
"walking in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16, 22-23), and He sees that it is "good"
(Micah 6:8). In these verses, we read of the separation of the light and the
darkness, the separation of the waters and the dry land, and the fruitfulness
of God.s creation. There are lessons for us here. We are to "walk in the
light" (1 John 1:7). We are to let the Spirit's "living water" flow in us (John
7:39-39). Walking in the light, letting the living water flow, this is the way of
fruitfulness.
-----
Sunday 6th January: Genesis 1:14-25
The Bible's opening chapter is a great hymn of praise, emphasizing that all
things have been created for the glory of God (Revelation 4:11). Nothing
can be permitted to distract our attention from the Lord. He alone is worthy
of worship. The creation of the "lights" makes no reference to the sun and
the moon. These were worshipped by neighbouring peoples. They are not
gods. They are simply "lights." Our worship is to be given to God alone. The
waters teemed with living creatures. The land produced living creatures.
Here, we have a picture of life. There is life where the living water of the
Spirit is flowing freely among God's people (Ezekiel 47:5-9). This water
brings life to the land (Ezekiel 47:12). Moving with the flow of God's Spirit,
we are to pray that "the water of life" will flow freely .for the healing of the
nations. (Revelation 22:2).
-----
Monday 7th January: Genesis 1:26-2:3
We now come to the creation of humanity, male and female. Our creation
is described in a distinctive way - created in the image of God (26-27). We
are different from the rest of creation. We have been given dominion over
"all the earth" and "every living creature" (26,28). We are different from God.
He is the Creator. We are His creation. Created in God's image, we have
been created by Him and for Him. Though we have sinned (see Genesis 3,
Romans 3:23), now - in Jesus Christ - we have begun to live as a new
creation (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). The Bible teaches us that
Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1) and that "all things were created by Him and
for Him" (Colossians 1:16). This is the Saviour who is at work in us,
enabling us to live as a new creation! Creation has been "completed" (2:1).
Salvation will be completed (Philippians 1:6)!
-----
Tuesday 8th January: Genesis 2:4-14
We read of "the breath of life", producing .a living being. (7). Separated from
God through our sin, we have become spiritually dead (Ephesians 4:18;
2:1). Through the Spirit, we have been .born again.. This new birth is
brought about by the breath of life, the wind of the Spirit (John 3:5-8). As
the river watered the garden (2:10), so our lives are to be watered by .the
river. which flows "from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation
22:1). As we read of the "tree" which features in our fall into sin (2:9; 3:2-6), our thoughts turn also to the .tree. which forms the foundation of our salvation - Christ "Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24). In our hearts,
we say, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (Galatians 6:14).
-----
Wednesday 9th January: Genesis 2:15-17
We noted, in 1:1-3, the importance of getting our priorities right - God,
God's Word, God's Spirit. Here, we emphasize the importance of these
priorities. We are under God. We must remember that He is God (15). We
are to obey God's Word (16). Here, we learn that the act of obedience is
an act of freedom. In Christ, we are set free to obey God. God says, "You
are free to eat from any tree in the garden." He does not then say, "You are
free to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." He says, "You
must not." The act of disobedience is not an act of freedom. By choosing
the way of sin, we show that we are in bondage. We are not free. We are
the captives of sin, and we need to be set free - by Christ (John 8:32,36).
We come to know God, choosing good rather than evil, as we follow the
way of God's Spirit (Galatians 5:16; Hebrews 5:14).
-----
Thursday 10th January: Genesis 2:18-25.
We come here to the creation of woman. Her creation is bound up with the
creation of man. She is created from man's "rib" (21-22). The "rib" is taken
from his side, emphasizing that man and woman are to be together, side-by-
side, not one in front of the other. The "rib", rather than the head or the
feet, emphasizes the togetherness rather than any superiority-inferiority
relationship. The "rib" is close to the heart. Woman is close to the heart of
man. Both are close to the heart of God. The contrast between humanity
and the animals is again clear. Among the animals, there was .no suitable
helper. for the man (20). The animals had been .formed out of the ground.
(19). Humanity has come from "the breath of life" (7). Like the animals, we
come from "the dust of the ground", but there is more: the Breath of God,
created in His image to glorify Him!
-----
Friday 11th January: Genesis 3:1-5.
We have read about the beginning of creation (1:1). Now we come to the
beginning of sin. In these verses, we have temptation. Note that temptation
is not sin. It only becomes sin when we do what the tempter suggests (6).
Temptation comes from .that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan.
(Revelation 12:9). Satan reverses the priorities of God, God's Word and
God.s Spirit. God is "our Father" (Matthew 6:9). Satan is the father of lies
(John 8:44). Satan quotes and questions God.s Word (1). He not only
questions God's Word . He contradicts it (4). Satan is spiritual, an evil spirit.
W e must be aware of his schemes, and, in Christ, we must take our stand
against his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11). Satan says, "Did
God really say?" We must not listen to him. We must wage war for God,
filled with His Word and Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
-----
Saturday 12th January: Genesis 3:6-9.
Once we were innocent. Now we are guilty. The story of Adam and Eve is
repeated over and over again. This is our story as well as Adam and Eve's
story. Even in the face of sin, we see something else. We see the God of
love, seeking to restore the fallen to Himself. In His words, .Where are
you?", we catch an early glimpse of the Gospel of salvation: "the Son of
Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). Adam and Eve
had lost their way. Now, God was looking for them to bring them back to
Himself. In the question, "Where are you?", there is the searching question,
"What have you done?", but there is also the passionate appeal, "Will you
not return to me?" This is the call of mercy: "Softly and tenderly, Jesus is
calling, Calling, O sinner, come home?" Our loving Father is waiting patiently to welcome the returning prodigal (Luke 15:20).
-----
Sunday 13th January: Genesis 3:10-15
Having chosen the way of sin, we are "naked" and ashamed (10). The
Gospel teaches us that "there's a way back to God from the dark paths of
sin." We can be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We can bring the
"filthy rags" of "our righteous acts" (Isaiah 64:6) to God, and we can
exchange them for the perfect righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Putting our trust in Christ, we need not be ashamed in God's presence
(Romans 10:11). There must be no "passing the buck" - the man blaming
the woman, the woman blaming the serpent (12-13). We are to confess our
sins and receive God's forgiveness (1 John 1:9). This forgiveness comes
to us through the Cross where the suffering Saviour becomes the victorious
Victor and the subtle serpent became the defeated devil. This is the
message of verse 15: through the Cross, God has provided for us a full
salvation!
-----
Monday 14th January: Genesis 3:16-25.
Sin has consequences. Human life could never be the same once sin had
entered it. The effects of sin can be seen in the whole of life. The most
profound effect of sin is summed up in verse 22. We cannot reach out our
hands and take hold of eternal life. There is no way to heaven which begins
with the word "I". We must begin with God - "God so loved the world.... "
(John 3:16). No sinner can open the door of heaven: "Christ only could
unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in.. Sin leads not to heaven but to
.death." If we insist on trying to get to heaven by our own good works, we
will earn our "wages" - "the wages of sin is death." Come as a sinner to
Jesus. Come to Him, saying, "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy
Cross I cling." Look to Him alone for salvation, and know the truth of God's Word: "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
-----
Tuesday 15th January: Matthew 1:1-17
From the beginning of the Old Testament, we move to the beginning of the
New Testament. This may be the beginning of the New Testament, but it is
not the beginning of God's revelation. It is not the beginning of His
redemption. The birth of Christ is the continuation of the history of
salvation, recorded in the Old Testament. Matthew takes us back to
Abraham (1-2; Genesis 12:1-3). Recalling the great events of the Old
Testament, he takes us through forty-two generations. This history is the
story of God's grace. We may illustrate this with two striking examples.
Rahab (5) was a .prostitute., yet, by the grace of God, through faith, she
also takes her place with the people of God (Hebrews 11:31; Ephesians
2:8). The story of David and Uriah's wife (6) is a story of deceit (2 Samuel 11) - "where sin increased, grace increased all the more" (Romans 5:20)!
-----
Wednesday 16th January: Matthew 1:18-25.
The birth of Christ is a fulfilment of prophecy: "The virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel" (23; Isaiah
7:14). Christ is "God with us." He was born through the power of the Holy
Spirit (18,20). He is still "God with us", when we are "born of the Spirit" (John 3:5). Some people do not believe what the Bible says here. They do not like the idea of a "virgin birth." The Bible gives no encouragement to such
unbelief. Matthew simply says, "This is the way it happened" (18). In view
of the amazing thing God was doing - sending His Son to be the Saviour of
the world - why should we doubt that God took things out of man.s hands
and worked in His own miraculous way? We rejoice not only in the miracle
but also in its saving purpose: "He will save His people from their sins" (21).
-----
Thursday 17th January: Matthew 2:1-6
We think of this chapter as "the story of the wise men." It is not so much
about the wise men. It is about Jesus. He is the central character. We are
not told how many wise men there were. The word, "three" does not appear
(1). We are not told their names. We are not told exactly where they came
from - just, they came .from the East. (1). The important thing is they made
their journey. They came, seeking Jesus: "Where is He...?" They came "to
worship Him" (2). The wise men were led to Jesus not only by "His star" (2)
but also by the Scriptures. When asked where the child was to be born,
they answered by quoting from the Scriptures (5-6; Micah 5:2). Wise men
are still led to Christ through the Scriptures. Reading the Scriptures, we
become .wise for salvation. as we find Christ who is "our Wisdom" (2
Timothy 3:15; 1 Corinthians 1:30).
-----
Friday 18th January: Matthew 2:7-12.
Bethlehem was a "little town." Humanly speaking, it did not have any great
importance. Its importance is derived from the fact that it was the birth
place of our Saviour. When we think of Bethlehem, we do not think so much
of the place as the Saviour who was born there. Herod says that he wants
to go to Bethlehem to worship Jesus (8). Satan was speaking through
Herod. Satan has no intention of worshipping God, and neither had Herod.
Satan "comes only to steal and kill and destroy.." Christ comes to give
"life...to the full" (John 10:10). As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that
Herod was not a worshipper of Christ but a servant of Satan. The wise men
worship Jesus, then they return to their own country. We know nothing
about their return journey, their destination or their life in their own country.
Their whole purpose was to point away from themselves to Jesus.
-----
Saturday 19th January: Matthew 2:13-23
The story unfolds according to God's saving purpose and not Herod's
Satanic schemes. Herod dies. Jesus lives. The purpose of man is
defeated. The purpose of God prevails. Jesus. time in Egypt is full of
prophetic significance (15; Hosea 11:1). Egypt was the place of bondage.
God turns everything around, making it the place of protection (Exodus
1:11; 13-15). The emphasis is not on the place. It is on what God is doing,
as He fulfils His purpose. From Bethlehem to Egypt and then to Nazareth,
the young Jesus is being taken from place to place - all in the perfect plan
of God. Again, the emphasis is not on the place but on God.s purpose.
Nazareth was a humble place, dignified by the fact that God chose it to be
the home of His Son. Our concern is not with wise men or famous places.
"Turn you eyes upon Jesus.. .Stand amazed in the presence of Jesus."
-----
We begin the year with the words of verse 105: "Your Word is a lamp to my
feet and a light to my path." This a great text with which to begin the year.
It is a great starting place for these studies in God's Word. As we journey
through life with God and His Word, we discover that there is a Word from
the Lord for every part of life.s journey. There is never a time when God has
nothing to say to His people. Sometimes, He speaks to us from places
which seem rather unlikely. As we explore His Word, we learn that He is the
true and living God, ever ready to bring to us something new, something
fresh, something that will send us on our way rejoicing, something that will
strengthen our faith, something to deepen our commitment to Christ,
something to increase our love for the Saviour. As we receive God.s Word
- "a lamp to our feet and a light to our path" - we are to pray, "renew my life, O Lord, according to Your Word" (107).
-----
Wednesday 2nd January: Psalm 23:1-6
Turning to "the Shepherd Psalm", we focus our attention on verse 5: "You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my
head with oil; my cup overflows." We are to feast on God's Word, we are to
be filled with God's Spirit. The .table. is the place of feasting, and .oil. is a
symbol of the Holy Spirit. As we feast on God's Word, we will have good
cause to say, again and again, "God is good": His "goodness and love will
follow me all the days of my life" (6). The Lord never fails us. He always
comes with His life-giving Word, the Word of life, through which our life on
earth becomes the beginning of life eternal, the pathway to a life in which
the fullness of God's love will be revealed in a way that we can hardly begin
to imagine: "I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (6). This is what
Christ is preparing for us (John 14:2)!
-----
Thursday 3rd January: Psalm 42:1-11
As we read God's Word day-by-day, we are to pray for an increase of our
desire for God: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (2). This is the
spiritual experience, referred to in verse 7: "Deep calls to deep." This is
what Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 2:10 - Through His Spirit , God is at
work in us, revealing to us "the deep things of God." God has given us His
Spirit for this reason - "that we may understand what God has freely given
us" (1 Corinthians 2:12). God wants us to explore, with Him, the meaning of the great salvation which He has so graciously provided for us in Jesus Christ.
Learning of God.s salvation, we will say with the Psalmist, "I will yet praise
Him, my Saviour and my God" (11). This song of praise will grow strong in
both our personal devotions - "a prayer to the God of my life" (8) - and our
public worship - going "to the house of God" (4).
-----
Friday 4th January: Genesis 1:1-3
"Genesis" means "beginning." These opening verses challenge us to get our
"priorities right. The priority of God (1). God comes first - before anyone else
is mentioned, He is there. The priority of God's Word (3). God is the first to
speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the Word of the Lord.
The priority of God's Spirit (2). All was "empty", all was "darkness", yet the
.Spirit of God. was at work, and transformation was set in motion. Here, we
have God's priorities, set out in the Bible.s first three verses - Putting God
first and listening to His Word, we are to pray for the moving of God's Spirit,
"hovering over" our lives to transform them. For those who make God's
priorities their own, there is a promise of great blessing (Psalm 1:1-2). It is
the great blessing of knowing Jesus Christ, our Saviour, as .God with us.
(Matthew 1.23).
-----
Saturday 5th January: Genesis 1:4-13
God speaks, and it is done (3, 6-7,11). God is pleased with what He has
done (4:10,12). This is the pattern of God's original creation. It is to be the
pattern of our life as a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). God speaks to
us and we say, "Your will be done" (Matthew 6:10). We say, "let it be to me
according to Your Word" (Luke 1:38). God looks on such obedience, this
"walking in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16, 22-23), and He sees that it is "good"
(Micah 6:8). In these verses, we read of the separation of the light and the
darkness, the separation of the waters and the dry land, and the fruitfulness
of God.s creation. There are lessons for us here. We are to "walk in the
light" (1 John 1:7). We are to let the Spirit's "living water" flow in us (John
7:39-39). Walking in the light, letting the living water flow, this is the way of
fruitfulness.
-----
Sunday 6th January: Genesis 1:14-25
The Bible's opening chapter is a great hymn of praise, emphasizing that all
things have been created for the glory of God (Revelation 4:11). Nothing
can be permitted to distract our attention from the Lord. He alone is worthy
of worship. The creation of the "lights" makes no reference to the sun and
the moon. These were worshipped by neighbouring peoples. They are not
gods. They are simply "lights." Our worship is to be given to God alone. The
waters teemed with living creatures. The land produced living creatures.
Here, we have a picture of life. There is life where the living water of the
Spirit is flowing freely among God's people (Ezekiel 47:5-9). This water
brings life to the land (Ezekiel 47:12). Moving with the flow of God's Spirit,
we are to pray that "the water of life" will flow freely .for the healing of the
nations. (Revelation 22:2).
-----
Monday 7th January: Genesis 1:26-2:3
We now come to the creation of humanity, male and female. Our creation
is described in a distinctive way - created in the image of God (26-27). We
are different from the rest of creation. We have been given dominion over
"all the earth" and "every living creature" (26,28). We are different from God.
He is the Creator. We are His creation. Created in God's image, we have
been created by Him and for Him. Though we have sinned (see Genesis 3,
Romans 3:23), now - in Jesus Christ - we have begun to live as a new
creation (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10). The Bible teaches us that
Jesus Christ is God (John 1:1) and that "all things were created by Him and
for Him" (Colossians 1:16). This is the Saviour who is at work in us,
enabling us to live as a new creation! Creation has been "completed" (2:1).
Salvation will be completed (Philippians 1:6)!
-----
Tuesday 8th January: Genesis 2:4-14
We read of "the breath of life", producing .a living being. (7). Separated from
God through our sin, we have become spiritually dead (Ephesians 4:18;
2:1). Through the Spirit, we have been .born again.. This new birth is
brought about by the breath of life, the wind of the Spirit (John 3:5-8). As
the river watered the garden (2:10), so our lives are to be watered by .the
river. which flows "from the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation
22:1). As we read of the "tree" which features in our fall into sin (2:9; 3:2-6), our thoughts turn also to the .tree. which forms the foundation of our salvation - Christ "Himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness" (1 Peter 2:24). In our hearts,
we say, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (Galatians 6:14).
-----
Wednesday 9th January: Genesis 2:15-17
We noted, in 1:1-3, the importance of getting our priorities right - God,
God's Word, God's Spirit. Here, we emphasize the importance of these
priorities. We are under God. We must remember that He is God (15). We
are to obey God's Word (16). Here, we learn that the act of obedience is
an act of freedom. In Christ, we are set free to obey God. God says, "You
are free to eat from any tree in the garden." He does not then say, "You are
free to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." He says, "You
must not." The act of disobedience is not an act of freedom. By choosing
the way of sin, we show that we are in bondage. We are not free. We are
the captives of sin, and we need to be set free - by Christ (John 8:32,36).
We come to know God, choosing good rather than evil, as we follow the
way of God's Spirit (Galatians 5:16; Hebrews 5:14).
-----
Thursday 10th January: Genesis 2:18-25.
We come here to the creation of woman. Her creation is bound up with the
creation of man. She is created from man's "rib" (21-22). The "rib" is taken
from his side, emphasizing that man and woman are to be together, side-by-
side, not one in front of the other. The "rib", rather than the head or the
feet, emphasizes the togetherness rather than any superiority-inferiority
relationship. The "rib" is close to the heart. Woman is close to the heart of
man. Both are close to the heart of God. The contrast between humanity
and the animals is again clear. Among the animals, there was .no suitable
helper. for the man (20). The animals had been .formed out of the ground.
(19). Humanity has come from "the breath of life" (7). Like the animals, we
come from "the dust of the ground", but there is more: the Breath of God,
created in His image to glorify Him!
-----
Friday 11th January: Genesis 3:1-5.
We have read about the beginning of creation (1:1). Now we come to the
beginning of sin. In these verses, we have temptation. Note that temptation
is not sin. It only becomes sin when we do what the tempter suggests (6).
Temptation comes from .that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan.
(Revelation 12:9). Satan reverses the priorities of God, God's Word and
God.s Spirit. God is "our Father" (Matthew 6:9). Satan is the father of lies
(John 8:44). Satan quotes and questions God.s Word (1). He not only
questions God's Word . He contradicts it (4). Satan is spiritual, an evil spirit.
W e must be aware of his schemes, and, in Christ, we must take our stand
against his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:11). Satan says, "Did
God really say?" We must not listen to him. We must wage war for God,
filled with His Word and Spirit (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
-----
Saturday 12th January: Genesis 3:6-9.
Once we were innocent. Now we are guilty. The story of Adam and Eve is
repeated over and over again. This is our story as well as Adam and Eve's
story. Even in the face of sin, we see something else. We see the God of
love, seeking to restore the fallen to Himself. In His words, .Where are
you?", we catch an early glimpse of the Gospel of salvation: "the Son of
Man came to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). Adam and Eve
had lost their way. Now, God was looking for them to bring them back to
Himself. In the question, "Where are you?", there is the searching question,
"What have you done?", but there is also the passionate appeal, "Will you
not return to me?" This is the call of mercy: "Softly and tenderly, Jesus is
calling, Calling, O sinner, come home?" Our loving Father is waiting patiently to welcome the returning prodigal (Luke 15:20).
-----
Sunday 13th January: Genesis 3:10-15
Having chosen the way of sin, we are "naked" and ashamed (10). The
Gospel teaches us that "there's a way back to God from the dark paths of
sin." We can be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We can bring the
"filthy rags" of "our righteous acts" (Isaiah 64:6) to God, and we can
exchange them for the perfect righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Putting our trust in Christ, we need not be ashamed in God's presence
(Romans 10:11). There must be no "passing the buck" - the man blaming
the woman, the woman blaming the serpent (12-13). We are to confess our
sins and receive God's forgiveness (1 John 1:9). This forgiveness comes
to us through the Cross where the suffering Saviour becomes the victorious
Victor and the subtle serpent became the defeated devil. This is the
message of verse 15: through the Cross, God has provided for us a full
salvation!
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Monday 14th January: Genesis 3:16-25.
Sin has consequences. Human life could never be the same once sin had
entered it. The effects of sin can be seen in the whole of life. The most
profound effect of sin is summed up in verse 22. We cannot reach out our
hands and take hold of eternal life. There is no way to heaven which begins
with the word "I". We must begin with God - "God so loved the world.... "
(John 3:16). No sinner can open the door of heaven: "Christ only could
unlock the gate of heaven, and let us in.. Sin leads not to heaven but to
.death." If we insist on trying to get to heaven by our own good works, we
will earn our "wages" - "the wages of sin is death." Come as a sinner to
Jesus. Come to Him, saying, "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy
Cross I cling." Look to Him alone for salvation, and know the truth of God's Word: "the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
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Tuesday 15th January: Matthew 1:1-17
From the beginning of the Old Testament, we move to the beginning of the
New Testament. This may be the beginning of the New Testament, but it is
not the beginning of God's revelation. It is not the beginning of His
redemption. The birth of Christ is the continuation of the history of
salvation, recorded in the Old Testament. Matthew takes us back to
Abraham (1-2; Genesis 12:1-3). Recalling the great events of the Old
Testament, he takes us through forty-two generations. This history is the
story of God's grace. We may illustrate this with two striking examples.
Rahab (5) was a .prostitute., yet, by the grace of God, through faith, she
also takes her place with the people of God (Hebrews 11:31; Ephesians
2:8). The story of David and Uriah's wife (6) is a story of deceit (2 Samuel 11) - "where sin increased, grace increased all the more" (Romans 5:20)!
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Wednesday 16th January: Matthew 1:18-25.
The birth of Christ is a fulfilment of prophecy: "The virgin will be with child
and will give birth to a Son, and they will call Him Immanuel" (23; Isaiah
7:14). Christ is "God with us." He was born through the power of the Holy
Spirit (18,20). He is still "God with us", when we are "born of the Spirit" (John 3:5). Some people do not believe what the Bible says here. They do not like the idea of a "virgin birth." The Bible gives no encouragement to such
unbelief. Matthew simply says, "This is the way it happened" (18). In view
of the amazing thing God was doing - sending His Son to be the Saviour of
the world - why should we doubt that God took things out of man.s hands
and worked in His own miraculous way? We rejoice not only in the miracle
but also in its saving purpose: "He will save His people from their sins" (21).
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Thursday 17th January: Matthew 2:1-6
We think of this chapter as "the story of the wise men." It is not so much
about the wise men. It is about Jesus. He is the central character. We are
not told how many wise men there were. The word, "three" does not appear
(1). We are not told their names. We are not told exactly where they came
from - just, they came .from the East. (1). The important thing is they made
their journey. They came, seeking Jesus: "Where is He...?" They came "to
worship Him" (2). The wise men were led to Jesus not only by "His star" (2)
but also by the Scriptures. When asked where the child was to be born,
they answered by quoting from the Scriptures (5-6; Micah 5:2). Wise men
are still led to Christ through the Scriptures. Reading the Scriptures, we
become .wise for salvation. as we find Christ who is "our Wisdom" (2
Timothy 3:15; 1 Corinthians 1:30).
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Friday 18th January: Matthew 2:7-12.
Bethlehem was a "little town." Humanly speaking, it did not have any great
importance. Its importance is derived from the fact that it was the birth
place of our Saviour. When we think of Bethlehem, we do not think so much
of the place as the Saviour who was born there. Herod says that he wants
to go to Bethlehem to worship Jesus (8). Satan was speaking through
Herod. Satan has no intention of worshipping God, and neither had Herod.
Satan "comes only to steal and kill and destroy.." Christ comes to give
"life...to the full" (John 10:10). As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that
Herod was not a worshipper of Christ but a servant of Satan. The wise men
worship Jesus, then they return to their own country. We know nothing
about their return journey, their destination or their life in their own country.
Their whole purpose was to point away from themselves to Jesus.
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Saturday 19th January: Matthew 2:13-23
The story unfolds according to God's saving purpose and not Herod's
Satanic schemes. Herod dies. Jesus lives. The purpose of man is
defeated. The purpose of God prevails. Jesus. time in Egypt is full of
prophetic significance (15; Hosea 11:1). Egypt was the place of bondage.
God turns everything around, making it the place of protection (Exodus
1:11; 13-15). The emphasis is not on the place. It is on what God is doing,
as He fulfils His purpose. From Bethlehem to Egypt and then to Nazareth,
the young Jesus is being taken from place to place - all in the perfect plan
of God. Again, the emphasis is not on the place but on God.s purpose.
Nazareth was a humble place, dignified by the fact that God chose it to be
the home of His Son. Our concern is not with wise men or famous places.
"Turn you eyes upon Jesus.. .Stand amazed in the presence of Jesus."
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