Today’s Reading: Psalm 138 & 139

I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart;
I will sing your praises before the gods.
I bow before your holy Temple as I worship.
I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness;
For your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. – Psalm 138:1-2

GOD’S PROMISES ARE BACKED BY ALL THE HONOR OF HIS NAME.

Can we just sit in that truth for a moment? God is faithful and true, and He always keeps His promises. What He says, He will do. And we can have confidence in this truth because the Lord’s promises are backed by the honor of His holy name. Stop. Listen. All that God has promised you is backed by the honor of His perfect and holy name.

Father God, may the truth found in your Word wash over us in fresh and new ways this morning. Give us peace knowing that you are faithful to keep your promises. May our experience of your unfailing love give us the confidence to believe through both the good times and the difficult seasons.

As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength. – Psalm 138:3

GOD RESPONDS TO YOUR PRAYERS IMMEDIATELY.

When I pray, God listens and He responds to the cries of my heart. I may not hear an audible answer, and I may not immediately get what I am asking for, but I can have confidence that God is responding. Perhaps His response is to strengthen us, as it was with King David, or perhaps it is to comfort us. Let’s wait patiently on the Lord, knowing that His response is immediate even if we have to wait for the answer we are hoping for. When I stand confident in the knowledge that God is listening and responding as I pray, I can rest in the truth that He cares.

Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.
Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies.
You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. – Psalm 138:6-7

GOD SAVES YOU WITH HIS RIGHT HAND, SHOWING BOTH HIS STRENGTH AND HIS ABILITY.

God is bigger than our earthly troubles. He is stronger than the forces of evil, wiser than our worst enemies, and faithful to provide for us even in the hardest seasons of our lives. This world we live in is a mess and we are going to feel the pain of living in a sinful society, but God is not complacent. He is actively working in our lives.

The Lord will work out his plans for my life — for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me. – Psalm 138:8

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! – Psalm 139:1-6

GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU AND IS WORKING OUT HIS PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE.

You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me! – Psalm 139:16-18

May this be your prayer today as you trust in the God whose promises are backed by the honor of His name, who responds to your prayers as soon as you pray, and who is strong enough and capable enough to save you by His right hand. You are known by God, and He is actively working out His plans for your life. So open your heart to the One who formed you in your mother’s womb and knows every anxious thought that is distracting you from the message He wants you to hear today. Allow the Prince of Peace to reveal Himself to you as He leads you down the path He has prepared for you.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. – Psalm 139:23-24

Today’s Reading: Matthew 18:21-35; Psalm 103

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. – Romans 12:7-8

There are times in our lives when it is easy to forgive someone who has wronged us, and then there are times when it is the hardest thing we have ever had to do. But scriptures make it clear that we are to live at peace with everyone. What do we do with that?

The world defines forgiveness more from an inward perspective, telling me I should let go of resentment for the sake of my own peace of mind. After all, if I make a conscious decision to let go of my need for vengeance or my desire to carry a grudge, it frees me from the anger that can build up inside of me and rob me of joy. I choose to forgive for my own sake, not necessarily for the sake of the one who has hurt me. I do it for me, not for them.

But Biblical forgiveness starts with my need to ask God to forgive me of my sin. I recognize that I have gone against His will or disobeyed Him, so the need to be reconciled with my Creator causes me to ask for forgiveness. This is not about merely going through the motions of saying, “I have sinned, please forgive me.” It needs to come from a heart that is sincerely repentant. There is an element of regret or remorse that brings me to a place of apology.

IF I MUST SHOW REGRET TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS, SHOULDN’T THE PERSON WHO HAS WRONGED ME NEED TO SHOW REGRET BEFORE I FORGIVE THEM?

I think we often take this definition of forgiveness into our relationships with others. We think there is no need to forgive someone who has sinned against us unless they sincerely apologize, showing some kind of regret or disappointment in themselves. We wait for this recognition of wrong and hold onto our hard feelings until we see it. But let’s see how Jesus defined our need to forgive others.

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” – Matthew 6:14-15

“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” – Mark 11:25

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!” – Matthew 18:21-22

GOD CALLS US TO DISPLAY MERCY AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO HAVE SINNED AGAINST US.

Then Jesus shared a story about a servant who owed the king a lot of money but was unable to pay. The king forgave him his debt, but then he turned around and demanded the money another servant owed him. When the man could not pay, he had him arrested and thrown into prison. When the king heard that he did not extend the same mercy to someone else that he had been extended, he called the servant in and had him thrown into prison.

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” – Matthew 18:35

God calls us to be merciful to one another. He knows that we need to forgive other people just as much as they need to be forgiven. He does not tell us to demand an apology from someone else, nor does he say to wait until they make amends. He tells us to forgive just as He forgave us. And He knows that forgiving others is what will help us move forward. Forgiveness has a way of acknowledging my pain while refusing to let it define my future.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. — Colossians 3:12-14

It is not easy to forgive someone who has hurt us or sinned against us, but we serve a God who does not ask us to do hard things on our own. He steps in and gives us the strength to do what He is asking us to do. And then He fills the space that has been filled with bitterness with a peace that helps us move forward in freedom. Thank you, God, for your amazing provision! Help us to let go and forgive others, just as you have forgiven us.

MAY THOSE OF US WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED FORGIVENESS BE WILLING TO EXTEND FORGIVENESS TO OTHERS.

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. – Psalm 103:1-4

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. – Psalm 103:8-12

Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.
When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them. – Proverbs 16:6-7

Today’s Reading: Psalm 56

Have you ever felt alone? Have loneliness and fear ever pressed in, trying to convince you that you are all by yourself — that nobody is paying attention to you because nobody cares? My friend, that is exactly what the father of lies wants you to believe. If he can get you to believe that you are alone, that you have been abandoned by God, he can steal your peace.

He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:44b

But Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). As he was ascending into heaven, Jesus said, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He also told his disciples that the Father was sending another Advocate to them, one that would never leave them. “He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14:16-17).

So take time this morning to allow the Holy Spirit to remind you that God is with you, that God is for you, and that God will never leave you. No matter what is ahead, God loves you enough to stay with you. Let that knowledge wash over you and fill your heart with peace today.

YOU ARE WITH ME

In time of famine, when everything he built kept getting taken away from him, God told Isaac, “I am the God of your father, Abraham,” he said. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you” (Genesis 26:24).

When life as he knew it was changing, and Jacob was on the run from the decisions he had made, God spoke up: “What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15).

When Moses was overwhelmed with what God was asking him to do, he heard God say, “I will be with you. And this is your sign that I am the one who has sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God at this very mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)

YOU ARE FOR ME

Even in his grief, David knew that God was for him:
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help.
This I know: God is on my side! – Psalm 56:8-9

In misery, Micah cried out, “As for me, I look to the Lord for help.
I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me.
Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again.
Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.
I will be patient as the Lord punishes me, for I have sinned against him.
But after that, he will take up my case and give me justice for all I have suffered from my enemies.
The Lord will bring me into the light, and I will see his righteousness.
Then my enemies will see that the Lord is on my side” (Micah 7:7-10a).

YOU’LL NEVER LEAVE ME

No matter what you are facing, know that God is with you, that God is for you, and that God will never leave you alone. No matter what is ahead, know that God loves you enough to stay.

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.” – Hebrews 13:5b-6a

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever — the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” – John 14:15-17

Let’s make Psalm 56 our prayer this morning, trusting that God is faithful and that He is present. God is aware of what we are going through and He loves us enough to stay by our side.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
I praise God for what he has promised.
I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me? – Psalm 56:3-4

Today’s Reading: Psalm 37

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act. — Psalm 37:7a

This morning I am overwhelmingly grateful for a God whose presence is available for us to experience every day. On the good days, He is present; on the hard days, He is faithful. What has God done for you this week? In what ways has God provided for you over this last year? With intentionality, let’s consider what the Lord has brought us through and give Him the glory. Perhaps it was comfort that you received from God, or perhaps PEACE when it did not make sense to be calm. If God has answered your prayers, take a moment to thank Him again and give Him glory by sharing your story of God’s faithfulness with someone today.

Now, from a place of recognition that God has been faithful in your past, let your requests be known to the Lord. What do you need Him to do today? Take all that is heavy on your heart and place it in the hands of the Father who loves to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11). When sorrow is pressing in, find your way back to gratitude and then be still in His presence, waiting patiently for the Lord to act.

Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. – Psalm 37:3-4

Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. – Psalm 37:5-6

At times, we are faced with situations that cause us to question God’s presence. Perhaps you are even now praying for healing for yourself or a loved one, or perhaps you are suffering an injustice or your motives have been misunderstood. Let’s sit in a place of trust this morning, knowing that God is in control and He is aware of all the details of our lives. He will never leave us; never will He forsake us. He will never fail us or abandon us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.
Once I was young, and now I am old.
Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned
or their children begging for bread. — Psalm 37:23-25

This morning let’s soak in these promises found in scripture and know that God is present in our lives — during the good and the bad times. Know that God will never abandon us. We can trust the Lord, we should trust the Lord, and we must trust the Lord. Walking in faith requires it, even when it is easier said than done.

Day by day the Lord takes care of the innocent,
and they will receive an inheritance that lasts forever.
They will not be disgraced in hard times;
even in famine they will have more than enough. – Psalm 37:18-19

Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed. – Psalm 37:34

The Lord rescues the godly; he is their fortress in times of trouble.
The Lord helps them. Reducing them from the wicked.
He saves them, and they find shelter in him. – Psalm 37:39-40

I pray the Lord encourages you today. I pray you are able to trust Him with everything going on in your life and with your loved ones for whom your heart is heavy. May you be reminded this morning of His faithfulness as you wait patiently for the Lord to move on your behalf. Rest in the truth that God has not abandoned you and He never will, and may the Lord give you peace.

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act. — Psalm 37:7a

Today’s Reading: Matthew 12:9-21; Romans 8 & 12

One day, Jesus saw a man with a deformed hand. Because it was the Sabbath and they were in the synagogue, the religious leaders asked him if the law permitted him to heal the man. Jesus boldly reminded the leaders that it is permissible to do good on the Sabbath. Jesus turned to the man and told him to hold out his hand. The man displayed hope by holding out his hand, which was immediately healed. Instead of rejoicing in the man’s physical healing, the religious leaders began to plot how they might kill Jesus (Matthew 12:9-14).

Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
In his name the nations will put their hope.” – Matthew 12:15-21

The Old Testament prophecies were written to teach us. They give us confidence in who Jesus was while on earth, and they give us hope for what is to come. When we see evidence that God’s promises have been fulfilled through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus, it encourages us to wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled (Romans 15:4). So when we go through difficult seasons, when we experience the suffering that so often comes with this life, we can place our hope in the glorious freedom we will experience one day.

WE ARE GIVEN A NEW HOPE WHEN WE ACCEPT JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) – Romans 8:19-25

WE WAIT WITH EAGER HOPE FOR THE DAY WHEN OUR ADOPTION WILL BE COMPLETE.

What a day that will be! But God is not calling us to sit passively by and wait in expectation. No, Jesus gave us a great commission (Matthew 28:18-20), as well as many other instructions of how we are to live our lives each day. This eager hope placed within us should inspire us to make a difference in the world around us, so that others might experience this same confident hope.

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. – Romans 12:9-18

Lord, we are grateful for the gift of your hope that creates within us an eagerness and confidence. May the presence of your Spirit living within us be evidenced by the way we live our lives, and may others find their way to you through both our words and our actions. Give us the courage to hold out our hand for all that you desire to do in our lives, and the endurance to withstand the hard seasons that come. May our struggles bring us to our knees, submitting to what you want to teach us and allowing you to heal the broken pieces for your glory. Amen.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

Today’s Reading: Matthew 1:1-7, Isaiah 11 & 16

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. – Isaiah 11:1

In that day the heir to David’s throne will be a banner of salvation to all the world. The nations will rally to him, and the land where he lives will be a glorious place. – Isaiah 11:10

Then God will establish one of David’s descendants as king. He will rule with mercy and truth. He will always do what is just and be eager to do what is right. – Isaiah 16:5

I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. – Isaiah 22:22

The prophecies of Isaiah gave the people of Israel hope; it gave them an expectation of what was to come. No matter what was happening in the present, they could look with eagerness towards the coming of the Messiah — the One who would bring salvation, rule with mercy and truth, and reign with justice and righteousness.

ISAIAH PROPHESIED THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD COME FROM DAVID’S FAMILY.

David was the first king of Israel and it was his son, Solomon, who built the Temple in Jerusalem, which became known as the City of David. Most of the songs or psalms in the Bible were written by David, words we continue to use today to sing praises to our God. As the people waited in eager expectation of the coming Messiah, this “clue” from Isaiah was the one that kept them focused on the lineage of the shepherd boy turned king.

There was a reason why Matthew started his gospel with the paternal genealogy of Jesus, and Luke included the maternal genealogy. The prophet Isaiah had prophesied that the Messiah would come from David’s family, so it was of great significance that Jesus was born into the lineage of David — both on his mother’s side and on his father’s.

JESUS WAS RECOGNIZED OFTEN AS THE SON OF DAVID.

The angel referred to Joseph as the son of David when he told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:20). Two blind men followed after Jesus shouting “Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matthew 9:27). A crowd was amazed when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who had been blind and couldn’t speak. They asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?” (Matthew 12:23).

A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.” – Matthew 15:20

Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” – Matthew 20:30-31

Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!” – Matthew 21:9

The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.” But the leaders were indignant. – Matthew 21:15

“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.” – Matthew 22:42

DO I TRULY RECOGNIZE WHO JESUS IS IN MY LIFE?

So many people recognized who Jesus was — that he was the one they had been waiting for, the one who would bring salvation. The question for us is whether or not we truly recognize who Jesus is. We are surrounded by those who deny His supremacy. We are bombarded with arguments that he was just a good man. Many see the bible as simply a history book with no authority for how we live our lives today. But who do you believe him to be? Are you allowing this Son of David to be the Lord of your life?

Lord Jesus, as we focus on the story of your birth, we want to start by acknowledging where you came from and the reason you came. Help us to recognize you as clearly as the blind man did; may we acknowledge your power like the demon-possessed man did. Give us eyes to see you at work in our lives today and ignite the hope within us as we eagerly await your return. Amen.

And again, Isaiah says,
“The Root of Jesse will spring up,
one who will arise to rule over the nations;
in him the Gentiles will hope.”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:12-13

Today’s Reading: Jeremiah 29; Lamentations 3; Psalm 130

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” – Jeremiah 29:10-14

While God’s people were in exile, God sent these words of promise through the prophet Jeremiah, words that remain popular among Christians today. They serve as a reminder that God is planning for our future. Our current season may be difficult, but call on God through the hard times. Come and pray to Him, and He will listen to you; seek Him with all your heart, and you will find Him.

But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord,
I wait for God my Savior;
my God will hear me. – Micah 7:7

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption. – Psalm 130:5-7

WAIT FOR THE LORD.

To hope is to believe in a possibility. It includes an expectation that a desired outcome will become a reality some day. There is an element of confidence that something can be achieved — faith that God will do what He said He would do. Hope dares to believe that nothing is impossible for God; therefore, all of His promises will come true. So in the meantime, we wait. We posture ourselves in patience, although eager for what is ahead. We allow the hard times to teach us; we allow the struggles to strengthen our faith.

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord. – Lamentations 3:19-26

I WILL PATIENTLY WAIT FOR HIM.

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. – Romans 8:22-25

Lord, in you we place our hope; in you we place our trust. We eagerly await all that you have for us, while patiently waiting for your perfect timing. As we wait, we ask for hope to grow in our hearts and for faith to strengthen our resolve. As we seek you, may we find you; as we cry out to you, we wait for you to answer our prayers. We believe that nothing is impossible for you because you are able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). Replace our sorrow with joy, our anxiety with peace, and our bitterness with love as we wait patiently on you. Amen.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:12

Today’s Reading: Matthew 1:1-3; Genesis 15, 24, 32, 38; Romans 5:1-5

Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram. – Matthew 1:2-3

THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM TEACHES US TO BELIEVE GOD WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS HE WILL DO.

The first person mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus is Abraham, a man who was known for having such a great faith in God that He willingly packed up and followed God’s command to move to the land of Canaan. God told Abraham to look at the stars in the sky and trust that God was going to make his descendants as numerous as all the shining lights above him. And, in doing so, He gave Abraham hope.

“Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. – Genesis 15:6

God told Abraham that He would make him into a great nation, and He did. God told Abraham that he would be famous, and He was. God told him that all the land seen in every direction would one day be his, and that’s exactly what happened. Abraham had faith in God because he knew God to be faithful.

THE LIFE OF ISAAC REMINDS US OF THE POWER OF PRAYER.

Abraham’s servant prayed specifically to God for success in finding a wife for Isaac and God showed His unfailing love by clearly answering that prayer. It was while Isaac was spending time with God, walking in the fields and meditating on God, that he looked up and saw Rebekah approaching him on a camel. He recognized God’s provision in his life and fell deeply in love with this beautiful gift from God. And with this gift came the hope for a family. And when babies did not come as expected, Isaac turned to God.

Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. – Genesis 25:21

THE LIFE OF JACOB GIVES AN EXAMPLE OF STRUGGLING AND WRESTLING WITH GOD.

Jacob struggled to receive his father’s blessing, and his love story was complicated by the struggle he had with his uncle. Jacob wrestled with God and got what he wanted. Jacob’s struggle continued as his daughter was raped and his sons took revenge, creating powerful enemies for his family. Jacob, who had struggled with his brother in the womb, had to deal with the struggle between his sons. He grieved when he thought his son, Joseph, was dead and praised God when he was reunited with Joseph years later. Although struggle was a consistent theme in his life, God blessed Jacob and the nation of Israel was formed through his children and grandchildren.

Abraham was known for his strong faith in God and yet there were moments when he struggled to trust God to protect him. Isaac inherited his father’s faith and found that God was faithful to answer his prayers. Jacob became the master manipulator but eventually learned what it felt like to be on the receiving end of someone else’s manipulation. He struggled to accept God’s plan for his life and persistently sought God’s favor. Perez came from the unholy union of Judah and Tamar, yet God used him in the story of redemption through the birth of Jesus Christ.

As Jesus grew up, he would have been told the stories of those who came before him. From Abraham’s story of obedience, Jesus knew God to be faithful. From Isaac’s story of seeking God’s best, Jesus knew the power of praying to the God who answers prayer. From Jacob’s story of struggle, Jesus could be confident that God is with us even when we are wrestling with His instructions.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. – Romans 5:3-5

Because Abraham responded in obedience to the calling God placed on his life, I am willing to trust God with my yes. Isaac set a beautiful example for me of walking in relationship with God, talking with the One who loves me enough to answer my prayers before I finish praying. Have a wrestled with God? Have I struggled with how my life is going or what He has asked me to do? Absolutely!

I am thankful for the permission Jacob’s story gives me to be authentic in my prayers and to wear the scars of my struggles as a testimony to the goodness of God. I am who I am today because the hard times produced perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And as we become the hope that has been produced in us, shame goes away because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

DO YOU KNOW GOD TO BE FAITHFUL? TELL YOUR STORY.

Do you know God to be trustworthy and kind? Then list all of the reminders of God’s faithfulness in your life. There is evidence all around us that God is good and that His promises are true. Let’s allow God to grow our faith today as we trust in Him, even through the struggles. Let’s use the power of storytelling to impact those who could learn from our journey of hope.

Lord, I ask for you to strengthen our faith for what is ahead. Give us the desire to follow you wherever you will send us, and the humility to treat others as you have taught us. May we be the prayer warriors you have called us to be, hearing from you and recognizing the many ways in which you will answer our prayers today. Give us the courage to be honest about our struggles and persistent in our prayer life. May we see our story woven into the story of Jesus this Christmas. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Romans 5, Psalm 33 & 42

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-2 (NIV)

Do we truly understand the meaning of the word hope? Consider the meaning of the word hope as compared to the word wish. They do not mean the same thing, yet we often find ourselves using the two words interchangeably.

If I say that I wish something would happen, I am expressing a desire for something that is unlikely to happen or maybe even an impossibility. For example, I wish someone would give the ministry I work for a million dollars, I wish for peace on earth, and I wish that no one would ever have to experience a cancer diagnosis again. All of those things would be nice, but the likelihood of those wishes coming true is slim.

But to hope is to believe in a possibility. Hope includes an expectation that a desired outcome will become a reality some day. There is an element of confidence that something can be achieved — faith that God will do what He said He would do. Hope dares to believe that nothing is impossible for God; therefore, all of HIs promises will come true.

We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you. – Psalm 33:20-22

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God. – Psalm 42:11

The psalmist is calling us to put our hope in God — not to place our hope in the things of this world but to focus our expectations on the God whose love is unfailing. But perhaps you are low on hope right now and need to ask God for the gift of hope this Christmas. My friend, hope is not something we have to conjure up on our own; hope comes from God. As His Spirit dwells within us, hope is unleashed. It is not something we have to find or muster up on our own; it is something we become. All we have to do is ask the God of immeasurably more to fill us with the presence of HIs Spirit so that we can experience His hope like we have never experienced it before.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge. – Psalm 62:5-8

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:28-31

Lord, thank you for the difference hope has made in this world and thank you for the impact of hope in our hearts. We ask for our hope to be strengthened during this season of celebrating the birth of your Son. Open our minds and increase our understanding of what it means to wait in expectation of all that is ahead. May our faith be strengthened and our hope grow in confidence as we place our trust in the One who never breaks His promises. Fill us with your Spirit so that we become the hope this world needs more of. You are our Rock and our Salvation, and we place our trust in you again this morning. Amen.

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through the night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life. – Psalm 42:8

Today’s Reading: Hebrews 6:13-20; Psalm 28 & 62

Sometimes there are disappointments in life. At times the burden we are carrying for other people is heavy enough to interrupt our thoughts throughout the day. Living out our faith does not mean that life is always easy or that everything works out perfectly all the time, but living in relationship with God gives us a place to take our fears and anxiety — it gives us a hope in what is to come. No matter how difficult things look right now, we can be confident that God never breaks His promises.

God is not a man, so he does not lie.
He is not human, so he does not change his mind.
Has he ever spoken and failed to act?
Has he ever promised and not carried it through? — Numbers 23:19

I believe at times our disappointment is not that God made a promise and did not keep it, but rather that God did not do what we wanted Him to do. When things do not go our way or our prayers are not answered in the way we had hoped, we begin to doubt whether or not God truly is faithful. But in the midst of our struggles, we must remember that it is not God who is wavering.

GOD IS STEADFAST AND CONSISTENT — A ROCK TO HOLD ONTO WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS TO BE SPINNING.

For example, there was God’s promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying:

“I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number.”

Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding. God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. — Hebrews 6:13-20

GOD’S PROMISE AND HIS OATH ARE UNCHANGEABLE BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE.

My prayer for us this morning is that we can enter into His sanctuary, pour out our hearts to Him, and hold tight to the hope that lies before us. Thank you, God, for giving us this confidence this morning — that You never break your promises, and You never will! Amen.

Praise the Lord!
For he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. – Psalm 28:6-7

Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My victory and honor come from God alone.
He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge. – Psalm 62:5-8