Month: December 2023

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

Complete Joy Can’t Keep Quiet

Daily Devotion – December 22, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 61:10


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When a small child receives a gift she cherishes, she can’t keep quiet. On Christmas morning, she unwraps it. It’s the little princess tiara and dress fit for royalty. The expression of joy turns into a shout. She can’t keep quiet. She puts them on, wears them with pride, and announces to every person she sees that day, “Look what I got!”

Our Bible passage for today describes this kind of joy, except the person rejoicing isn’t excited about a toy tiara and pretend princess dress. This is the joy of a person who has been spiritually clothed like royalty.

Jesus has removed our sins, the filthy rags that never adequately covered us. He doesn’t give us a flimsy facade to hide behind. He fully clothes us in his complete salvation, and he wraps us tightly in the robe of his righteousness so that we are completely covered by his perfection. He crowns us with his royal status and eternal victory.

Those who know about these gifts can’t keep quiet! They shout, “Look what I got! Look what my God has given me.”

Prayer:
Come, King Jesus, and fill my heart with the joy of my salvation and my lips with praise. Amen.

He has sent me to . . . provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1,3

Complete Transformation

Daily Devotion – December 21, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 61:1,3


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Everyone loves a before and after picture. To appreciate the restoration, you need to see the pictures of the old, dilapidated structure now turned into a stunning new home. To marvel at a life-changing transformation in someone’s life, you need to see where they’ve been. Imagine someone in dire straits enslaved in addiction and homeless, but now free from that slavery, off the streets, and living in luxury. A complete turnaround gives complete joy.

Look at the incredible transformation Jesus brings about in the lives he touches. In the prophet Isaiah’s time, ashes were used to outwardly display inward sorrow over one’s sin. Jesus wipes the ashes away because he has removed every sin. In place of the ashes, he gives a crown of victory, a mark of royalty. He puts an end to mourning and instead pours out the oil of joy. In ancient times, oil was used as an ointment to heal and soothe. Jesus brings healing to wounded hearts, he even transforms from death to life. He bestows a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. The transformation isn’t just on the surface. He transforms the heart. He takes a soul in despair and gives it every reason to rejoice.

It is a complete transformation. No wonder we have such complete joy!

Prayer:
Come, King Jesus, and bestow gifts that only you can give! Amen.

He has sent me . . . to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.
Isaiah 61:1,2

Complete Joy Through Comfort

Daily Devotion – December 20, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 61:1,2


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“I need to tell you something.” When someone starts a conversation with these words, you brace yourself for what they are about to say. What’s the nature of the news? Is there a problem? Is everything okay? Whether good or bad, you want to hear the news. You don’t want to be left hanging.

Jesus needs to tell you something important. Don’t be alarmed because what he says is for your ultimate comfort; it will give you reason to rejoice. He announces the Lord’s favor. It is not a favor earned by us. It is a favor that was earned for us by Jesus.

This is why our Servant-King can comfort those who mourn. When we sorrow over our sin and recognize the punishment our sin deserves, our King comes to comfort us by announcing the gift of God’s love. He is not the God who comforts only from afar. The comfort he sends is up close and personal. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to draw near to a broken world and share good news face-to-face. Jesus came to face the wrath of God and spare us from it completely. He declared his undeserved love and full and free forgiveness to us. He comes to bring up-close and personal comfort through his Word and promises that he is right there with us. He comes in the waters of baptism to personally comfort and cleanse. He comes in bread and wine with his body and blood to comfort mourning hearts and fill us with his joy.

Prayer:
Come, King Jesus, with words of comfort for my mourning heart, and fill me with the joy of your salvation. Amen.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me . . . He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.
Isaiah 61:1

Complete Joy

Daily Devotion – December 19, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 61:1


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There is great joy when what is broken can be mended and made new. The glass Christmas ornament, which was handed down over generations, falls from the tree and shatters. But it’s not just swept up and thrown in the trash. Someone takes the time to piece it back together, something that seemed impossible, and now it’s better.

Jesus, your Savior-King, is also the miraculous mender. His expertise is mending broken hearts and souls shattered by sin and its devastating impact on our lives. Even when no one else knows your brokenness and pain, your Savior knows. Even when it seems impossible to pick up the pieces, Jesus doesn’t consider you too broken to fix. He binds up your broken heart with his love. His forgiveness mends the once-shattered relationship with God. That is why he came.

The Lord sent, literally deployed, his Son on an intense, feet-on-the-ground mission. The Savior-King comes, not riding high up in a chariot. His feet are on the ground, and he’s getting right down to where the brokenhearted are stooped over. He goes all the way to where people are cowering in dark dungeons. He comes and opens the prison doors and sets them free. Jesus met people in the streets, under the darkness of night, in their homes, wherever they were. He spoke words that powerfully healed broken hearts. He proclaimed forgiveness and set free consciences that were held captive by guilt. He declared peace and pardon to those still trapped in the darkness of their past.

Jesus meets you in a real and powerful way through his Word. His words recorded in the Bible have as much power as when they were spoken face-to-face. His words of healing, forgiveness, and assuring love still hold the power to bind your broken heart. His proclamation of forgiveness still sets your conscience free from guilt. His declaration of peace and pardon scatter the darkness of the past. He still comes through his Word to mend, to set free, and to bring complete joy!

Prayer:
Come, King Jesus, to bind my broken heart and fill it with joy. Amen.

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
Isaiah 61:1

Good News Brings Complete Joy

Daily Devotion – December 18, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 61:1


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News often comes in impersonal ways. You turn on the TV, and the reporter shares the story with anyone listening. You receive a letter addressed to “To whom it may concern.” A company sends a mass email to millions of customers sharing news about a long-awaited product. The less personal the news, the less personal the joy.

Picture ancient times as in the days of the Prophet Isaiah. Kings often sent out heralds to bring news to subjects of the kingdom. You see a messenger riding in from the distance. You squint, and it’s not just any messenger. It’s the king himself, and he has good news for you!

For centuries before Jesus was born, God sent his messengers, prophets like Isaiah and others. They came to share important messages—warnings against sin and promises of God’s salvation. In our bible passage today, Isaiah pictures the King coming to bring good news. The King is not ashamed to come personally to the poor with good news just for them.

Jesus is the one pictured here. He is the King of heaven and earth. God anointed him, set him apart, and sent him on a special mission. He came in humility to bring good news, good news for you! He’s not just an earthly king concerned with physical matters. The good news for the poor is good news for the spiritually poor. We were poor because of our debt of sin. We came empty-handed before that Lord like beggars with nothing to offer except a load of sin. But Jesus, the Savior-King, has good news for you. The debt is paid in full; your sins are forgiven; you are not banished from his eternal kingdom; it belongs to you!

This good news brings great joy! And it’s not just generic or impersonal. Jesus isn’t like the news anchor who blasts off news without knowing who will receive it. He is the King who knows you personally and came to bring joy to your life.

Prayer:
Come, King Jesus, and fill my poor heart with the riches of your love! Amen.

Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
Psalm 98:1-6

Joy

Daily Devotion – December 17, 2023

Devotion based on Psalm 98:1-6


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Why is the third candle pink? That is probably the most asked question about the tradition of the Advent wreath. The story is a bit complicated, so we will focus only on the basics of these devotionally symbolic colors.

In recent decades, blue, a symbol of hope, has become a more common color for Advent. Purple previously was, and in many churches still is, Advent’s predominant color. Repentance, traditionally symbolized by purple, is one of Advent’s several themes. Think of John the Baptist’s repentance message heard in worship on the second Sunday of the season: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2).

On the Third Sunday in Advent, several of the Bible readings and commonly sung hymns exude a joyful tone. Repentance-purple doesn’t seem like the right color. The color pink, a symbol of joy, captures the joyful expectation or anticipation proclaimed on the third Sunday of this season.

Sometimes anticipation makes us impatient. Sometimes it makes us anxious. But anticipation also can bring us joy. That’s not hard to imagine when Christmas is just a handful of days away. Think of a child’s excitement as Mom and Dad help their son or daughter count down the days until Christmas on their family wall calendar. Think of the joy children have decorating the tree with family, trying to guess what’s in the presents that begin to appear under it, wondering if their most hoped-for gift will be inside one of those colorfully wrapped boxes.

How much greater joy is there in the hearts of believers who know, with childlike faith, that the greatest Christmas gift they could ever receive will be unwrapped in a matter of days! What joy to know that our sins will soon be taken up by the holy and innocent Christ Child! What joy to know that our rescue from guilt and the grave is coming not in a beautifully wrapped box but in a miraculously sent child named Jesus! What joy to know that our greatest need will be satisfied by the greatest gift God could give to humankind: his own dear Son from eternity, who became one of us and one with us in time.

The anticipation of these days before Christmas brings joy to children of God of all ages! Rejoice that a Savior came for you once and will come for you again!

Prayer:
Gracious God, in this world of sin and sorrow, you give us joy in Jesus and his coming into our world. Amid the anxieties of this busy time, lead us to rejoice continually that your Son became one of us to redeem us and bring us everlasting joy. Amen.

This Advent devotion is brought to you by Forward in Christ magazine. For an enhanced version of this devotion including a flipbook and video or to read other devotions in this series, visit forwardinchrist.net/advent-2023.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
Isaiah 40:1,2

Not Just Water

Daily Devotion – December 16, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 40:1,2


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The POW labor camp wore him down day after day. How long would the warfare continue? How long before he returned home? Would his hard service ever end?

And then the day finally came. What comfort to hear the war had ended! What comfort to hear that he was heading home! What comfort to be in the embrace of his family again!

Sin took the world prisoner, including our own heart and soul. How much must we do to make up for our wrongs? How hard must we labor to make things right?

We could elevate the peaks of our pride by convincing ourselves that our best efforts will get us through. We could trust in the advancements of humanity to eventually smooth out the world’s problems. We could face the harsh meaninglessness of life and live for the thrill of each day until we sink into the depths and want it all to end.

Don’t follow those paths. Yes, our lives dry up like grass and even our greatest glories are like flowers that wither in the wind. But one thing does last. One thing remains sure and certain: “The word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

God’s says that your sin has been paid for. That’s why God’s son, Jesus, came into this world. He became flesh and blood to pay the price we cannot pay. His blood is holy, for Jesus never sinned. His blood is precious, for it is the blood of God. And that is the price he paid for you: his holy, precious blood.

What comfort! No matter what you face in this life, cling to the word of God and his tender words of comfort. He has paid the ultimate price for you and me. The glory our God has prepared for us far outweighs our present suffering. He is the Shepherd who carries us in his arms to take us home. What comfort!

Prayer:
O Lord Jesus, prepare my heart to rejoice in the comfort your word brings. Amen.

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:11

Your Shepherd

Daily Devotion – December 15, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 40:11


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In a little over a week, we will gather in churches or around the tree and peer into a feeding trough to see a King. But he won’t look much like a king. He will look like a baby, an ordinary baby.

The one described in our Bible verse today doesn’t look much like a king either. He’s described as a shepherd. But not a shepherd heroically fighting off wild animals. A shepherd cradling lambs in his arms. A shepherd gently leading ewes and lambs to food, water, and shelter.

It might seem strange to us, but it wasn’t uncommon in many cultures in the Ancient Near East for a king to be compared to a shepherd. No one fits that description better than the one whom the Bible calls the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the one whom the Bible also calls the Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep.

We rejoice that Jesus came as our mighty King to do battle for us. We rejoice that he rules over all things for the good of his people. But, as we prepare to meet him when he returns, we also rejoice that he is the gentle Shepherd we need.

Jesus cares for us completely. He sees our needs and meets every one of them. He came not only to conquer our enemies but to lead and love us and feed and guide us. When we stray, he reaches out to rescue us. When our souls are hungry for peace and hope, he fills us with his promises.

And when Jesus comes again, he will carry us in his arms to our eternal home. He will “lead us to springs of living water.” He will “wipe away every tear from our eyes.” He will bless us with everything we need for eternity. Let’s prepare to meet him!

Prayer: (Christian Worship: Hymnal – 804)
Who so happy as I am, even now the Shepherd’s lamb? And when my short life is ended, by his angel host attended, he shall fold me to his breast, there within his arms to rest. Amen.

You who bring good news to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, “Here is your God!”
Isaiah 40:9

Spread the News

Daily Devotion – December 14, 2023

Devotion based on Isaiah 40:9


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Imagine the president coming to town and nobody noticing. Imagine him standing to speak without any introduction. It is unthinkable. Even when the president enters the chamber in the United States Capitol for his annual “State of the Union” address, where everyone in the room has probably had a personal conversation with him, someone still stands up to announce, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the President of the United States!”

In many civilizations, past and present, the king’s coming is announced by trumpets and a herald shouting, “Make way for the king.” The coming of someone so important should be announced loud and clear—especially if he comes with good news like the defeat of an enemy in battle.

That’s what today’s Bible passage encourages us to do. After all, our King, Jesus, defeated our enemies when he came to this earth. He lived, died, and rose again in a battle against the devil and all of the brokenness that sin brings into the world. His rising from the dead was proof that King Jesus won the battle.

He conquered every enemy for us. That’s good news! We have the victory. Even death can’t overcome us. Eternal life and heaven are ours! That’s news to celebrate, share, shout from the mountaintops!

Just as ancient civilizations celebrated the king’s return from victory in battle, just as modern civilizations celebrated their teams’ coming home with the championship, so we want to celebrate our King’s coming. And we can’t wait to tell others the news.

As you celebrate Jesus’ first coming and prepare to meet him when he returns, find someone to share the news with. A King has come to rescue them. And he’s coming again. Spread the news!

Prayer:
King Jesus, thank you for those who shared the news of your coming with me. Help me spread the good news too. Amen.