[Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of . . .  the devil. Hebrews 2:14

Today’s Scripture

Hebrews 2:9-18

Today’s Insights

Why does Hebrews 2:10 say that Jesus was made “perfect”? As God in human flesh, wasn’t He perfect already? According to scholar Marvin R. Vincent, the Greek word translated “perfect,” teleioō, literally means “to carry to the goal” and possesses the connotative meaning of “consummation.” The idea is that Christ was made “complete” by His suffering and death. He understands in the fullest way possible what we face in this difficult world. This provides us with a greater understanding of His words from the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). He’d completed the mission His Father gave Him to do.

Today’s Devotional

To improve her sign language skills, Leisa immersed herself in the world of the Deaf. Soon she learned the problems they face. The Deaf are awkwardly ignored by hearing people, expected to lip-read flawlessly, and routinely get passed over for promotions at work. Most public events go uninterpreted.

Leisa’s signing steadily improved to the point where she felt at home with the Deaf. At a party, a Deaf person was surprised to learn Leisa could hear. Before Leisa could respond, another friend signed, “She has a Deaf heart.” The key had been Leisa’s willingness to live in their world.

Leisa didn’t “condescend” to be with the Deaf. Except for her hearing, she was like them. But Jesus did stoop to reach all of us—to live in our world. He “was made lower than the angels for a little while” (Hebrews 2:9). Christ “shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (v. 14). In doing so, He freed “those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (v. 15). More than that, He was “fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (v. 17).

Whatever we face, Jesus knows and understands. He hears our heart. He’s with us in every way.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean to you that Jesus has experienced the same hardships you face? How might you step into someone else’s world for a while?

Thank You, Father, for the gift of Your Son, who brings me into Your family.

Whatever your situation is in life, Jesus is there with you. Check out Walk with Me: Traveling with Jesus and Others on Life’s Road.

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My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

Today’s Scripture

Job 42:1-6

Today’s Insights

Job’s friends insisted that his suffering was caused by his sins (Job 3-37). Job relentlessly defended his innocence and sought his vindication from God (23:1-7). Instead of answering his questions, however, God asked Job a series of questions pertaining to His creation (chs. 38-41). Instead of providing an explanation as to why He permitted evil and suffering in this world, God revealed His character.

Job didn’t need to fully understand God’s ways, for no man can (Isaiah 55:8-9). He only needed to humble himself, seek to know God deeply, and trust Him wholeheartedly. His suffering taught him to run to God as the only sure place of refuge—the safest place to go for comfort, sustenance, and strength (Job 42:2-6). Job wasn’t given a reason for suffering, but he discovered that when life comes out short, God is enough (see Psalm 23:1, 4).

Find out more about why we believe in a God who allows suffering.

Today’s Devotional

Kenny stood before the congregation he’d left years before after he’d lost faith in God. He shared that his belief had been restored. How? God had touched his heart through the beauty and design he saw in creation. Kenny was in awe of Him once more through the witness of God’s general revelation seen in the natural world, and he now embraced the wisdom found in the special revelation of Scripture. After sharing his story, Kenny stepped into the tank of water at the front of the sanctuary. His father, tears of joy in his eyes, baptized him based on his faith in Jesus.

After he’d lost much in life, Job’s faith had also been shaken. He said, “I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look” (Job 30:20 nlt). God “spoke to Job out of the storm” (38:1), declaring that it wasn’t about Him not seeing Job but that Job’s vision needed to be expanded as he considered God’s amazing, intricate creation. The “earth’s foundation” and the “morning stars” (vv. 4, 7) and all the creatures, plants, and waters found between (vv. 8-41), pointed to the one whom Job could trust—the God of amazing love and power. Job responded by saying, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (42:5).

When doubts threaten your faith in Christ, consider the magnificence of God’s creation. He reveals Himself in it if we only have eyes to see.

Reflect & Pray

How has God revealed Himself in creation? How are awe of God and faith in Him linked?

Creator God, thank You for helping me see You in creation.

Dive into the backstory of Jesus by reading Origin Story: Following Jesus Back to the Beginning.

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Matthew 2:1-11

Today’s Insights

Matthew’s gospel emphasizes gentile (non-Jewish) inclusion into God’s redemption story. His genealogy, for example, highlights three gentile women—Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (Matthew 1:3, 5). And Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, was previously married to a gentile, Uriah the Hittite (v. 6). In Matthew 2, gentiles—the magi (who may have been members of the Persian royal court)—come to worship Jesus (vv. 1-2). By highlighting gentile inclusion in Christ’s story, Matthew leads his readers to the good news that God’s redemption is for all people and His followers are called to “make disciples of all nations” (28:19).

Today’s Devotional

Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics to the beloved carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” after visiting Bethlehem. Brooks, pastor of a church in the United States, was so moved by his experience that he wrote this to his Sunday school students: “I remember . . . on Christmas Eve, when I was standing in the old church at Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with the splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices that I knew well, telling each other of the ‘Wonderful Night’ of the Savior’s birth.”

In 1868, Brooks put his thoughts into a poem, and his church organist set it to music. The song spoke stillness and peace into the unsettling aftermath of the American Civil War: “O little town of Bethlehem / How still we see thee lie! / . . . The hopes and fears of all the years / Are met in thee tonight.”

Matthew wrote of our Savior’s birth in Bethlehem in Matthew 2. When the “Magi from the east” (v. 1) followed the star to Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2), “they were overjoyed” to find Jesus (Matthew 2:10).

Today, as we celebrate Epiphany, we too need the glorious news of our Savior’s birth. As the hymn reminds us, He came to “cast out our sin and enter in” and “be born in us.” In Him, we find peace.

Reflect & Pray

Where in your life do you need the peace the Savior offers? What aspect of Jesus’ story touches you most?

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In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Today’s Scripture

John 16:31-33

Today’s Insights

In John 16, as Jesus addressed His disciples’ fears and the grief and suffering that would come during and after His death, it’s noteworthy that nowhere did He suggest they’d be rescued from experiencing fear and pain. As Christ faced death, they’d abandon Him in terror—“leave [Him] all alone” (John 16:32). The grief they’d experience from His death was unavoidable—they’d “weep and mourn while the world [rejoiced]” (v. 20).

Instead of a comfort based on escaping suffering, however, Jesus offered His disciples hope rooted in His resurrection (16:22). They couldn’t avoid the pain they’d experience, but because Christ has “overcome the world” (16:33), their suffering would be like that of childbirth—the pain wouldn’t be purposeless but would “turn to joy” (v. 20)—tremendous joy that “no one will take away” (v. 22).

Today’s Devotional

Fear woke me at 3 a.m. on the first day of the new year. The year ahead weighed heavily on me, overwhelming me with dread. Illness in the family had long wearied me, and now, thoughts of the future made me afraid. Will more bad things happen? I wondered.

Jesus’ disciples understood the fear of bad things happening. Even though their Master had prepared and reassured them the day before He died, they were still afraid. They fled when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56); Peter denied Him (John 18:15-17, 25-27), and they went into hiding (20:19). Their fear during the upheaval of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, as well as of persecution, led them to act contrary to His command to “take heart” and His promise, “I have overcome the world” (16:33).

But Christ’s death and resurrection proved His authority and power over life and death. He has the ultimate victory. Even though the sinful state of our world makes suffering a certainty, we can rest in the truth that all things are subject to the authority of our wise and loving God. Jesus’ presence is with us (16:32-33), just as it was with His disciples, who later confidently went on to share the gospel to the world. May God’s promise that He’s in control strengthen our hearts to trust Him in this new year and be courageous even when we don’t know what the future will bring.

Reflect & Pray

What’s your response to difficulty, suffering, and trials? What would “taking heart” look like for you?

Thank You, Jesus, for helping me with my fears and for showing me how to live courageously.

Visit ODBU.org/OT315 for further study on suffering and trials from the book of Job.

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The heavens will vanish like smoke . . . . But my salvation will last forever. Isaiah 51:6

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 51:1-6

Today’s Insights

What does Isaiah 51:1 mean? “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut.” God is challenging His exiled people to “look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth” (v. 2). The people were trying to gain righteousness by keeping the law. What they needed was the faith of their spiritual father Abraham. The apostle Paul wrote, “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith” (Romans 4:13).

Today’s Devotional

As Hurricane Laura raged through the Gulf of Mexico toward the US coastline of Louisiana, the warnings were dire. One sheriff, noting the 150-mile-per-hour winds, issued this jolting message: “Please evacuate. But if you choose to stay and we can’t get to you, write your name, address, social security number, and next of kin and put it in a Ziploc bag in your pocket. Praying that it does not come to this.” Rescue crews knew that once Laura hit land, they could only watch the storm’s destructive path—helpless in its wake.

Whenever God’s people in the Old Testament faced natural or spiritual calamity, His words were far more certain and hopeful, promising His presence despite destruction. He said that He would “look with compassion on all her ruins; [and would] make her wastelands . . . like the garden of the Lord” (Isaiah 51:3). And more, God always assured His people of the rescue and healing that would certainly follow if they would only trust Him. Even though “the heavens [would] vanish like smoke,” God said, His “salvation [would] last forever” (v. 6). Whatever the damage, His ultimate goodness toward them wouldn’t be thwarted, ever.

God doesn’t safeguard us from hardship, but He does promise that His restorative healing extends far beyond the ruin.

Reflect & Pray

Where are you facing calamity and ruin? How do you hear God’s promise to be with you, to heal and rebuild after the ruins?

Dear God, the ruins are so devastating. I’m not sure I can believe that You have a promise big enough for this. But I choose to believe.

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My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens. Isaiah 48:13

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 48:12-19

Today’s Insights

Isaiah warned that God would discipline the Israelites for their idolatrous unfaithfulness. He prophesied about one hundred years before the destruction of Jerusalem, their temple, and their seventy-year exile in Babylon (Isaiah 39:6-7; see Jeremiah 25:11-12). Isaiah also prophesied that God would bring His people back, restore them, and bless them (chs. 40-66). In Isaiah 48, the prophet affirmed that whatever God had purposed for His people, He would bring to pass. For He’s the only true, everlasting God—the almighty Creator who chose them to be His people (vv. 12-15). He’s also the “Redeemer” (v. 17) who will teach and guide them (vv. 18-19).

Today’s Devotional

In 1939, with the recent outbreak of war for Britain, King George VI sought in his Christmas Day radio broadcast to encourage citizens of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth to put their trust in God. Quoting a poem that his mother found precious, he said: “Go out into the darkness, and put your hand into the Hand of God. / That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.” He didn’t know what the new year would bring, but he trusted God to “guide and uphold” them in the anxious days ahead.

The image of God’s hand appears in many places in the Bible, including in the book of Isaiah. Through this prophet, God called His people to trust that He as their Creator, “the first and . . . the last” (Isaiah 48:12), would remain involved with them. As He says, “My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens” (v. 13). They should put their trust in Him and not look to those less powerful. After all, He’s their “Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel” (v. 17).

Whatever we face as we look toward the new year, we can follow the encouragement of King George and the prophet Isaiah and place our hope and trust in God. Then, for us too, our peace will be like the river, our “well-being like the waves of the sea” (v. 18).

Reflect & Pray

As you consider the new year, what situations or relationships could you entrust to God? How does the image of His hand speak to you?

All-powerful God, You created the heavens and the earth and yet You cherish me. I place my trust in You.

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How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? Psalm 13:1

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 13

Today’s Insights

Psalm 13 is an urgent prayer for God’s aid (vv. 3-4) as well as a lament of the psalmist’s long period of suffering, which is experienced as if God is absent and hiding His face (v. 1). When the psalm asks, “How long?” (vv. 1-2), the point isn’t asking for a specific end date but lamenting how long something has been endured and urging God to end the long wait—to act and make things right. Yet despite Psalm 13’s intense desperation, it’s also a psalm of deep trust (vv. 5-6). Through our bond with a God who we know to be good and faithful, we have the confidence and trust to honestly voice our lament. The reformer Martin Luther called prayer like that expressed in Psalm 13 the “state in which hope despairs, and yet despair hopes at the same time.”

Today’s Devotional

Jim has been battling a motor neuron disease for more than a year. The neurons in his muscles are breaking down, and his muscles are wasting away. He’s lost his fine-motor skills and is losing his ability to control his limbs. He can no longer button his shirt or tie his shoelaces, and using a pair of chopsticks has become impossible. Jim struggles with his situation and asks, Why is God allowing this to happen? Why me?

He’s in good company with many other believers in Jesus who have brought their questions to God. In Psalm 13, David cries out, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?” (vv. 1-2).

We too can take our confusion and questions to God. He understands when we cry out “How long?” and “Why?” His ultimate answer is given to us in Jesus and His triumph over sin and death.

As we look at the cross and the empty tomb, we gain confidence to trust in God’s “unfailing love” (v. 5) and rejoice in His salvation. Even in the darkest nights, we can “sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to [us]” (v. 6). Through our faith in Christ, He’s forgiven our sins, adopted us as His children, and is accomplishing His eternal good purpose in our lives.

Reflect & Pray

What questions do you need to bring to God? How has He shown His goodness to you, even in your darkest night?

Loving Father, thank You that You care for me. Please help me to trust that You’re making something beautiful of my life.

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Do not kill them . . . . Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink. 2 Kings 6:22

Today’s Scripture

2 Kings 6:18-23

Today’s Insights

Author Ray Stedman draws an intriguing comparison between the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Elijah first appears in 1 Kings 17. He displays God’s power and judgment, calling down fire from heaven as he faced 450 prophets of the false god Baal (18:30-39). Then in 2 Kings 1:9-12 he did it again, killing the soldiers sent by evil King Ahaziah to arrest him. Then Elisha “took the mantle” (2 Kings 2:14 nkjv), or role, of Elijah. He had a powerful yet less fiery ministry than did Elijah. Stedman notes that Jesus’ ascension into heaven after His resurrection (Acts 1:8-9) was foreshadowed by Elijah, who ascended into heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11-12). Similarly, he also points out that Elisha foreshadows the ministry of the Holy Spirit—the Helper Jesus promised to send us after He returned to His Father. Again and again, we see the Scriptures pointing to Christ.

Today’s Devotional

In the novel About Grace, David Winkler longs to find his estranged daughter, and Herman Sheeler is the only person who can help him. But there’s a hitch. David’s daughter was born from David’s affair with Herman’s wife, and Herman had warned him never to contact them again.

Decades pass before David writes to Herman, apologizing for what he’s done. “I have a hole in my life because I know so little about my daughter,” he adds, begging for information about her. He waits to see if Herman will help him.

How should we treat those who’ve wronged us? The king of Israel faced this question after his enemies were miraculously delivered into his hands (2 Kings 6:8-20). “Shall I kill them?” he asks the prophet Elisha. No, Elisha says. “Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master” (vv. 21-22). Through this act of grace, Israel finds peace with its enemies (v. 23).

Herman replies to David’s letter, invites him to his home and cooks him a meal. “Lord Jesus,” he prays before they eat, “thank You for watching over me and David all these years.” He helps David find his daughter, and David later saves his life. In God’s hands, our acts of grace toward those who’ve wronged us often result in a blessing to us.

Reflect & Pray

Whose acts of grace have inspired you in the past? What act of grace could you offer someone today?

Dear Jesus, please give me the wisdom and power today to offer grace to those who’ve wronged me.

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Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.  Hebrews 10:24

Hebrews 10:19-25

Today’s Insights

The words priest/high priest occur nearly forty times in the book of Hebrews. The priestly ministry of Jesus comes into view in the earliest verses of the book: “After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (Hebrews 1:3). Accolades for Jesus as high priest include words like “merciful and faithful” (2:17) and “great” (4:14; 10:21). The chorus of praise in 7:26 is of note: “Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” What are the implications for believers in Jesus that He occupies this role? The “therefore” and “let us” phrases help us. “Therefore, . . . since we have confidence . . . and since we have a great priest . . . let us draw near to God . . . let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess . . . let us consider how we may spur one another on” (10:19-24).

Today’s Devotional

Gregory of Nazianzus and Basil of Caesarea were celebrated leaders in the fourth-century church and also close friends. They first met as philosophy students, and Gregory later said that they became like “two bodies with a single spirit.”

With their career paths so similar, rivalry could’ve arisen between Gregory and Basil. But Gregory explained that they avoided this temptation by making a life of faith, hope, and good deeds their “single ambition,” then “spurring each other on” to make the other more successful in this goal than themselves individually. As a result, both grew in faith and rose to high levels of leadership without rivalry.

The book of Hebrews is written to help us stay strong in faith (Hebrews 2:1), encouraging us to focus on “the hope we profess” and to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (10:23-24). While this command is given in the context of a congregation (v. 25), by applying it to their friendship, Gregory and Basil showed how friends can encourage each other to grow and avoid any “bitter root,” such as rivalry that might grow between them (12:15).

What if we made faith, hope, and good deeds the ambition of our own friendships, then encouraged our friends to become more successful in this goal than ourselves individually? The Holy Spirit is ready to help us do both.

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The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. Isaiah 40:8

Today’s Scripture

Isaiah 40:1-8

Today’s Insights

We tend to make the phrase “the Word of God” (see Isaiah 40:8) into a synonym for Scripture itself. And it’s true that the Bible is an integral and vital way in which God reveals Himself to us. Ultimately, however, the greater revealer of God is a living and enduring person: Jesus. Isaiah 40:1-11 has a strong messianic message as it describes this eternal Word in whom we trust. This is who Isaiah is pointing to—the Word made flesh as revealed in John 1 (see especially vv. 1, 14). The words of God given to us in the pages of the Bible point to the Word of God (Jesus) spoken of in John 1.

Today’s Devotional

When he was younger, my son Xavier and I read a fictional children’s story about a boy who rebelled against his teacher by referring to a pen by a made-up name. The student convinced his fellow fifth graders to use the new name he created for pens. News about the boy’s replacement word spread through the whole town. Eventually, people across the country changed the way they referred to pens, simply because others accepted one boy’s made-up reality as a universal truth.

Thank you for being a faithful reader of Our Daily Bread devotions. If you would like to help others connect with God’s Word all across the globe, please consider partnering with us this holiday season.

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Throughout history, flawed human beings have embraced ever-changing versions of truth or personal preferred realities to suit their desires. However, the Bible points to one truth, the one true God, and one way to salvation—the Messiah—through whom “the glory of the Lord will be revealed” (Isaiah 40:5). The prophet Isaiah affirmed that people, like all created things, are temporal, fallible, and unreliable (vv. 6-7). He said, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (v. 8).

Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah provides a dependable foundation, a safe refuge, and a secured hope. We can trust God’s Word because Jesus Himself is the Word (John 1:1). Jesus is the Truth who never changes.

Reflect & Pray

When have you been tempted to reject what the Bible says simply because others accepted another view as truth? How does knowing Jesus is the Word and the fulfillment of all God’s promises comfort you?

Dear Jesus, please help me live in a way that shows I believe the Bible is the truth that never changes.

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And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:10

Today’s Scripture

Genesis 1:1-10

Today’s Insights

The word genesis means “origin” or “beginnings.” The book of Genesis is about beginnings: the beginning of the world, of God’s chosen people, and of His plan to save us. It begins: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (1:1). The gospel of John has a similar opening: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (1:1-2). These verses reveal much about the world’s origin: The Word (Jesus) was with God in the beginning—and is God. Not only was Jesus with the Father and Spirit from the very beginning, He gave life and created all things (1:3; Genesis 1:2). In Genesis 1:3, God speaks light into the world; in John 1:4, we read that Jesus is “the light” (see also 8:12).

Today’s Devotional

It was 1968, and America was mired in a war with Vietnam, racial violence was exploding in cities, and two public figures had been assassinated. A year before, fire had taken the lives of three astronauts on the launchpad, and the idea of going to the moon seemed like a pipe dream. Nonetheless, Apollo 8 managed to launch a few days before Christmas.

It became the first manned mission to orbit the moon. The flight crew, Borman, Anders, and Lovell—all men of faith—broadcast a Christmas Eve message: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). At the time, it was the most watched TV event in the world, and millions shared the God’s-eye view of Earth in a now iconic photo. Frank Borman finished the reading: “And God saw that it was good” (v. 10).

Thank you for being a faithful reader of Our Daily Bread devotions. If you would like to help others connect with God’s Word all across the globe, please consider partnering with us this holiday season.

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Sometimes it’s hard to look at ourselves, all the hardships we’re mired in, and see anything that’s good. But we might return to the story of creation and see God’s view of us: “In the image of God he created them” (v. 27). Let’s pair that with another divine-eye view: “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). Today, remember that God created you, sees the good despite the sin, and loves the you He created.

Reflect & Pray

What hardships and sins are you mired in today? What does it mean that you’re created in the image of God?

Dear God, I’m struggling these days. Please help me to see what You see in me—You’re the God’s-eye view.

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The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you . . . . You must listen to him. Deuteronomy 18:15

Deuteronomy 18:15-18

Today’s Insights

Two months after leaving Egypt, the Israelites assembled at the foot of Mount Sinai to receive God’s laws (Exodus 19:16-25). Trembling in fear after God revealed Himself in thunder, lightning, billowing smoke, and a violent shaking of the whole mountain (vv. 16-18), the Israelites asked Him not to speak to them directly, but through Moses, lest they be destroyed by His holiness (20:18-19). Forty years later, Moses prophesied that God would provide a prophet—a mediator who would make known to them God’s words (Deuteronomy 18:15-20). God commanded His people not to imitate the detestable occultic practices of the pagan nations; specifically, not to consult with sorcerers, diviners, witches, spiritists, and mediums (vv. 9-14). They were to listen only to the “prophet like [Moses]” (v. 15) that God would send. This prophet would be far greater than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6). Jesus, the “new Moses,” is the sole mediator between God and humanity (Acts 3:22-23; 1 Timothy 2:5).

Today’s Devotional

“I’ve got to declare an emergency. My pilot’s deceased.” Doug White nervously uttered those words to the control tower monitoring his flight. Minutes after takeoff, the pilot of the private plane Doug’s family had chartered suddenly passed away. Doug stepped into the cockpit with just three-month’s training in flying less sophisticated aircraft. He then carefully listened to controllers at a local airport who talked him through landing the plane. Later, Doug said, “[They] saved my family from an almost certain fiery death.”

We have one who alone can help us navigate the challenges in life. Moses, speaking to the Israelites, said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you . . . . You must listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15). This promise pointed to a succession of prophets God provided for His people, but it also spoke of the Messiah. Both Peter and Stephen would later state that this ultimate prophet was Jesus (Acts 3:19-22; 7:37, 51-56). He alone came to tell us the loving and wise instructions of God (Deuteronomy 18:18).

During Christ’s life, God the Father said, “This is my Son . . . . Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7). To live wisely and avoid crashing and burning in this life, let’s listen to Jesus as He speaks through the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Listening to Him makes all the difference.

Reflect & Pray

Why is it sometimes challenging to hear Christ’s voice in this world? How can you better follow His wise and loving words today?

Dear Jesus, please help me hear and obey Your voice.

For further study, read Unknown Caller: Recognizing Jesus and the Kingdom

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You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 1:18-25

Today’s Insights

Matthew clearly states that Mary was pregnant “before [she and Joseph] came together” (1:18). Joseph would have considered this apparent violation of their engagement to be the same as adultery, which carried the death penalty (Leviticus 20:10). That Joseph, who was “faithful to the law” (Matthew 1:19), planned to divorce Mary discreetly reveals his gracious character. Just as important, he believed what the angel told him (v. 24) and married Mary. This exposed them both to public ridicule. When Jesus later returned to “his hometown” to carry out His ministry, the people wondered, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? . . . Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” (13:54-55). But He was more than just “the carpenter’s son.” He was the Messiah.

Today’s Devotional

What began as a normal cable car ride across a Pakistani valley turned into a frightful ordeal. Shortly after the ride began, two supporting cables snapped, leaving eight passengers—including school children—suspended hundreds of feet in the air. The situation sparked an arduous twelve-hour rescue operation by the Pakistani military, who used ziplines, helicopters, and more to rescue the passengers.

Those well-trained rescuers are to be commended, but their work pales in comparison to the eternal work of Jesus, whose mission was to save and rescue us from sin and death. Prior to Christ’s birth, an angel instructed Joseph to take Mary home because her pregnancy was from “the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18, 20). Joseph was also told to name his son Jesus, because He would “save his people from their sins” (v. 21). Yet, while this name was common in the first century, only this child was qualified to be the Savior (Luke 2:30-32). Christ came at the right time to seal and secure the eternal salvation of all who repent and believe in Him.

We were all trapped in the cable car of sin and death, suspended over the valley of eternal separation from God. But in His love and grace, Jesus came to rescue us and bring us safely home to our heavenly Father. Praise Him!

Reflect & Pray

What significant mission would Mary’s baby have? What does the rescue Jesus secured mean to you?

Dear Jesus, please help me to rejoice in the reality that though I once was lost, I can now be found because of Your grace.

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Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Today’s Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:4-11

Today’s Insights

To encourage believers in Jesus who were suffering because of their faith, Paul reminded them of the blessed hope of His imminent return (1 Thessalonians 1:3, 10; 3:13; 4:13-17; 5:1-10). Twice, he instructed them to “encourage one another” (4:18; 5:11). The Greek word translated “encourage” (parakaleō) means “to come alongside”; “to give one the strength and courage to get up and get going again.” It’s like giving a much-needed push to a child’s swing to get it moving. The apostle John used paraklētos to refer to the Holy Spirit, who comes alongside us to be our “Advocate” (John 14:26). It’s difficult to find an equivalent to this Greek word, so it’s translated in several different ways to describe the Spirit: “Helper,” “Counselor,” “Comforter,” “Companion,” or “Friend.” These are all apt descriptions of coming alongside to encourage.

Today’s Devotional

An Indiana schoolteacher suggested that her students write notes of encouragement and inspiration for their peers. Days later, when a school tragedy occurred in a different part of the country, their notes buoyed the spirits of their fellow students as they dealt with the resulting fear and pain that something could happen to them too.

Encouragement and mutual concern were also on Paul’s mind when he wrote to the believers at Thessalonica. They had lost friends, and Paul instructed them to hope in Jesus’ promised return to bring their loved ones to life again (1 Thessalonians 4:14). While they didn’t know when that would occur, he reminded them that as believers they needn’t wait in fear of God’s judgment when He returned (5:9). Instead, they could wait with confidence in their future life with Him and meanwhile “encourage one another and build each other up” (v. 11).

When we experience painful losses or senseless tragedies, it’s easy to be overcome with fear and sadness. Yet Paul’s words are helpful to us today, just as when they were written. Let’s wait in hopeful expectation that Christ will restore all things. And meanwhile, we can encourage each other—with written notes, spoken words, acts of service, or a simple hug.

Reflect & Pray

How have you been encouraged by others? How can you encourage someone today?

Risen Jesus, despite my hurts in a messed-up world, please help me to wait on You with hope and faith and to encourage those around me until You come again.

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She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Luke 2:7

Luke 2:1-7

Luke 2:1-7

Today’s Insights

Many of us have heard that Jesus was born in a stable, largely due to the translation of the Greek word katalyma as “inn” in Luke 2:7 in some versions. This, combined with the detail that Jesus was placed in a “manger,” has led many to assume Mary and Joseph were turned away from an inn and found refuge in a stable. But katalyma is better translated “guest room.” In ancient Near East peasant homes, there would often be a space reserved for guests separated from the area of the home where animals would also stay. Joseph went to Bethlehem to stay with family during the census (v. 4). But because there wasn’t enough room in the guest area of the house, Mary gave birth in the area of the home that had an animal manger (v. 7), an ideal shape for cradling a newborn.

Today’s Devotional

I loved my weekend in New Orleans—happening upon a parade in the French Quarter, visiting the National World War II Museum, and trying grilled oysters. But as I fell asleep in my friend’s spare room, I missed my wife and kids. I enjoy opportunities to preach in other cities, but I most enjoy being home.

One aspect of Jesus’ life that’s sometimes overlooked is how many of His most important events happened on the road. The Son of God entered our world in Bethlehem, an incalculable distance from His heavenly home and far from His family’s hometown of Nazareth. Bethlehem was overflowing with extended family in town for the census, so Luke says there wasn’t even a spare katalyma, or “guest room,” available (Luke 2:7).

What was missing at Jesus’ birth did show up at His death. As Jesus led His disciples into Jerusalem, He told Peter and John to prepare for their Passover meal. They should follow a pitcher-carrying man to his home and ask the owner for the katalyma—the guest room where Christ and His disciples could eat the Last Supper (22:10-12). There, in borrowed space, Jesus instituted what is now called Communion, which foreshadowed His looming crucifixion (vv. 17-20).

We love home, but if we travel with the Spirit of Jesus, even a guest room can be a place of communion with Him.

Reflect & Pray

Where have your most meaningful moments occurred and what made them memorable? When you’re on the road, how might you make the most of your temporary stay for Christ?

Dear Jesus, friend of the traveler far from home, please help me to remember You’re always with me.

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Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. Acts 3:6

Acts 3:1-10

Today’s Insights

The book of Acts begins just before Jesus’ ascension and then proceeds to chronicle the acts of the apostles and the early church. After Christ ascended on the Mount of Olives (1:9-12), the disciples returned to Jerusalem and appointed Matthias to replace Judas (vv. 12-26). In chapter 2, we learn it was on the day of Pentecost, when Jews gathered from many nations to celebrate the festival. The disciples and other believers were gathered in a house when they heard a sound like roaring wind and what looked like “tongues of fire” (v. 3) separated and settled on each of them, filling them with the Holy Spirit (vv. 1-4). The believers immediately began speaking in other languages. The racket brought the crowds running. At once, Peter shouted to address the crowd and preached the gospel. Afterward, three thousand people believed and were baptized (v. 41).

Today’s Devotional

While I was on an outreach during a short-term mission trip to Peru, a young man asked me for money. For security reasons, my team had been instructed not to give out money, so how could I help him? Then I recalled the response of the apostles Peter and John to the lame man in Acts 3. I explained to him that I couldn’t give him money, but I could share the good news of God’s love with him. When he said that he was an orphan, I told him that God wants to be his Father. That brought him to tears. I connected him with a member of our host church for follow-up.

Sometimes our words can feel so insufficient, but the Holy Spirit can empower us as we share Jesus with others.

When Peter and John came across the man by the temple courts, they knew that sharing Christ was the greatest gift ever. “Then Peter said, ‘Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’ ” (v. 6). The man received salvation and healing that day. God continues to use us to draw the lost to Him.

As we search for the perfect gifts to give this Christmas, let’s remember that the true gift is knowing Jesus and the gift of eternal salvation He offers. Let’s continue to seek to be used by God to lead people to the Savior.

Reflect & Pray

Who can you pray for this Christmas? How can you prepare to share Christ with others?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus.

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When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Isaiah 43:2

Isaiah 43:1-5

Today’s Insights

Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of four kings of Judah (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah). Ancient Jewish and Christian writers say that Isaiah was “sawn asunder”—perhaps being the incident referred to in Hebrews 11:37.

The book of Isaiah is the first of the “major” prophets. The Major Prophets are distinguished from the Minor Prophets mostly based on their length, with the Major Prophets being substantially longer than their smaller counterparts. Isaiah is the sixth longest book in the Bible. One of its distinguishing characteristics is that it contains a substantial amount of messianic prophecy. Isaiah is quoted (or alluded to) in the Gospels alone more than twenty times. In John 12:40, for example, the apostle John quotes Isaiah 6:10, then says, “Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him” (John 12:41).

Today’s Devotional

It was a long day at the hospital. Still no answers to the sickness that afflicted a young, bright nineteen-year-old. Arriving home, the family felt discouraged. To their surprise, a nicely decorated box sat on the step with Isaiah 43:2 printed on the front. Inside, were assorted encouraging Bible verses that friends had written out by hand. The next hour was spent being encouraged by Scripture and the thoughtful gesture of the family’s friends.

People going through tough times or family challenges can always use a heartfelt boost. Scripture—either a large portion or just a verse—can encourage you, a friend, or family member. Isaiah 43 is filled with little bits of encouragement—received either individually or as a whole. Consider a few choice thoughts: God has “created you,” “formed you,” “redeemed you,” and called you “by name” (v. 1). God “will be with you” (v. 2), He’s “the Holy One of Israel,” and He’s our “Savior” (v. 3).

As you consider the promises of God, may they encourage you. And as He provides what you need, you can encourage someone else. The verse box didn’t cost a lot, but its impact was priceless. Even after five years, some of those verse cards are still cherished by the family.

Reflect & Pray

What other promises can you find in Isaiah 43? Who can you share a promise card, text, or email with today?

Dear God, I thank You today that the Scriptures are full of promises, and that I can be encouraged even by one verse at just the right time.

For further study, read Stay Alert and Walk with Your God.

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Matthew 25:34-40

Today’s Insights

Matthew’s gospel was written to a primarily Jewish Christian audience to present Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah of Israel, a king descended from the line of David. Matthew (Levi) frequently uses messianic language (such as “Son of David”) and Old Testament references to point to Christ as the Messiah.

Matthew 25:1-46 contains three parables detailing what it means to be ready for Jesus’ second coming: the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the bags of gold, and the parable of the sheep and goats. Some commentators believe that although the story of the sheep and goats contains elements resembling a parable, it’s better viewed as a symbolic representation of the final judgment. Its message is that one day Christ will return to judge the nations (all people). Until then, we’re to serve Him by caring for others.

Today’s Devotional

At a Christmas dinner held at our church to celebrate the cultures of the international guests, I joyfully clapped along to the sound of the darbuka (a type of drum) and the oud (a guitar-like instrument) as a band played the traditional Middle Eastern carol, “Laylat Al-Milad.” The band’s singer explained the title means “Nativity Night.” The lyrics remind hearers that the spirit of Christmas is found in serving others, in ways like offering a thirsty person water or comforting someone weeping.

This carol likely draws from a parable where Jesus commends His followers for deeds they’d done for Him: providing food when He was hungry, drink when He was thirsty, and companionship and care when He was sick and alone (Matthew 25:34-36). Instead of simply accepting Jesus’ commendation, the people in the parable are surprised—thinking they hadn’t actually done these things for Christ. He responded, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (v. 40).

During the holiday season, the encouragement to get in the Christmas spirit is often a nudge toward expressing a festive attitude. “Laylat Al-Milad” reminds us that we can put into practice the true Christmas spirit by caring for others. And amazingly, when we do, we not only serve others but Jesus too.

Reflect & Pray

How have you understood the Christmas spirit? How might you serve others this season?

Dear Jesus, please help me reflect the spirit of Christmas You modeled by coming to earth not to be served but to serve.

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Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42

Luke 22:41-44

Today’s Insights

In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose their own will over the will of their creator. God said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17). Their actions have affected all future generations.

The garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:36-46) is the second garden to have a universal impact on the course of human experience. There, Jesus was faced with a similar choice: do what seemed beneficial to Himself or submit to the will of the Father. Christ asked for there to be another way. But in a decision that would undo the rebellion of Adam and Eve, He submitted to God’s will and went to the cross (Luke 22:39-44).

Today’s Devotional

As a young believer in Jesus, I picked up my new devotional Bible and read a familiar Scripture: “Ask and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7). The commentary explained that what we really should be asking God for is our will to line up with His. By seeking for His will to be done, we would be assured that we’d receive what we asked for. That was a new concept for me, and I prayed for God’s will to be done in my life.

Later that same day, I became surprisingly excited about a job opportunity I’d already turned down in my mind, and I was reminded about my prayer. Perhaps what I didn’t think I wanted was actually a part of God’s will for my life. I continued to pray and eventually accepted the job.

In a much more profound and eternally significant moment, Jesus modeled this for us. Before His betrayal and arrest, which led to His crucifixion, He prayed: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Christ’s prayer was filled with anguish and agony as He faced physical and emotional pain (v. 44). Yet He was still able to “earnestly” pray for God’s will to be done.

God’s will in my life has become my ultimate prayer. This means I may desire things I don’t even know I want or need. The job I originally hadn’t wanted turned out to be the beginning of my journey in Christian publishing. Looking back, I believe God’s will was done.

Reflect & Pray

What prayer request is on your heart? What do you believe God is calling you to do?

Heavenly Father, please guide me to do Your will.

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1 John 1:1-10

Today’s Insights

The word life in John’s writings means more than physical existence; rather, it describes the vibrant, rich quality of joyful fellowship with God—“the eternal life, which was with the Father” (1 John 1:2). Divine life transforms human life from mere existence into something more, as light transforms darkness (John 1:4-5). Through our bond with Jesus, believers in Him access that rich life—so that “our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). And believers’ fellowship with God also draws them into “fellowship with one another” (v. 7).

Today’s Devotional

In 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine dominated the world’s attention. As the magnitude of the catastrophe became apparent, officials scrambled to the critically essential task of containing the radiation. Lethal gamma rays from highly radioactive debris kept destroying the robots deployed to clean up the mess.

So they had to use “bio robots”—human beings! Thousands of heroic individuals became “Chernobyl liquidators,” disposing of the hazardous material in “shifts” of ninety seconds or less. People did what technology could not, at great personal risk.

Long ago, our rebellion against God introduced a catastrophe that led to all other catastrophes (see Genesis 3). Through Adam and Eve, we chose to part ways with our Creator, and we made our world a toxic mess in the process. We could never clean it up ourselves.

That’s the whole point of Christmas. The apostle John wrote of Jesus, “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us” (1 John 1:2). Then John declared, “The blood of Jesus, [God’s] Son, purifies us from all sin” (v. 7).

Jesus has provided what His creatures could not. As we believe in Him, He restores us to a right relationship with His Father. He’s liquidated death itself. The life has appeared.

Reflect & Pray

How might you be trying to clean up your own mess? How will you give your struggles to Jesus today?

Loving God, thank You for sending Your Son into this world to clean up my mess.

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