Category: Daily Devotions

Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Luke 2:52

Family Priorities

Daily Devotion – January 4, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 2:52


See series: Devotions

What do you want most for your family this year? Good health? Economic prosperity? A comfortable home? Great vacations? Harmonious relationships between parents and children? Great educational opportunities for your children? Popularity? Peace in this world?

Parents may consume most of their available time, making sure their children play on sports teams, participate in music lessons, and get to all their medical and dental appointments. They vacation, eat together in restaurants, and do all sorts of “family things.” All of these are good things, but all too frequently, God is either not included in family activities or relegated to a lower priority.

We can infer that Joseph and Mary made God’s Word a priority in their home. Luke gives us a glimpse of Jesus’ spiritual growth in Luke chapter two. Every year, the family obeyed Jewish law by going up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Passover. On one occasion, as a 12-year-old, Jesus took a seat among the teachers of the Word of God. The crowd that gathered around Jesus recognized that this was no ordinary boy. Obviously, Mary and Joseph had kept the “main thing the main thing.” Luke tells us that, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

We cheat our families when we fail to make provision for family spiritual growth a priority every day and throughout the year. It’s not too late! Make Jesus and his Word your family’s top priority this year.

Prayer:
Gracious Father, forgive me for all my misplaced priorities. Help me in the new year to make your Word an important part of my daily living. Amen.

The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary.
Isaiah 50:4

Strength for the New Year

Daily Devotion – January 3, 2025

Devotion based on Isaiah 50:4


See series: Devotions

The new year has just begun. Are you weary already?

You may have thought the new year would bring the turn of a page, a new start, the beginning of great new things. But then you may have discovered that the same problems hung around, and the same accusations rang in your ears, and the same hindrances kept you from being the best version of yourself.

What is to be done?

The Lord provides the answer. When Jesus came into this world, he encountered accusations and misunderstandings, mocking, spitting, and beatings. He endured all that for your sake, to make things right between you and God. You have peace with God through your Lord Jesus Christ.

That peace is the word that sustains the weary. The difficulties of this life are much easier to bear when you have someone to bear them with. Jesus is always there for you with his promises. Your weakness and your weariness do not scare him away.

Morning by morning, Jesus returns with his word of peace and forgiveness. Evening by evening, he comforts you with the assurance that he will always be with you.

If you are not weary now, you certainly will be sometime this year. Jesus will sustain you.

Prayer:
Lord, when I am weary, send me strength, and give me the peace that passes all understanding through Jesus Christ. Amen.

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.
Luke 2:52

Growth in the New Year

Daily Devotion – January 2, 2025

Devotion based on Luke 2:52


See series: Devotions

Wait, what? It makes sense to me that Jesus would grow in stature. I mean, he came to earth as a baby after all, and he had to grow into an adult, so I understand the physical growth. But Jesus “grew in wisdom”? He is God! How could he get any wiser?

This verse of the Bible reminds us that when Jesus came to earth to be my Savior, he humbled himself, deciding not to make use of all the divine powers that he had from eternity. This verse of the Bible helps me to appreciate his sacrifice.

God the Father appreciated the sacrifice, too. “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17) were words that the Father spoke about his Son. Jesus also grew in favor with people as they saw the way he lived.

The more I hear about Jesus, the more he grows in favor with me as well. When I consider that he made the ultimate sacrifice for me, suffering hell and dying, I am moved to thankfulness and praise. Based on that, I want to grow even more in my appreciation of Jesus in the coming year.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, let me love you more and more, always better than before. Amen.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:18

Help With New Year’s Resolutions

Daily Devotion – January 1, 2025

Devotion based on Hebrews 2:18


See series: Devotions

Happy New Year! Are you making any resolutions for the new year? Have you already broken them? It’s a time-honored tradition to resolve to do better in some way as you enter a new year. It’s also a time-honored tradition to fail quickly in your new resolve.

It doesn’t have to be a new year for you to resolve to fight harder against temptation. You are reminded of temptation every time you pray, “Lead us not into temptation,” in the Lord’s Prayer.

And the Lord you are praying to understands how difficult temptations can be. Jesus is God, and when he became human, he made himself subject to temptation. He even suffered when he was tempted. He knows what you are going through when you feel tempted.

He is able to help you when you are tempted. In his power and love, he provides a way out. And when you fall into temptation, he provides forgiveness and the promise of his continuing presence in your life.

Don’t let temptation drag you away from a Christian life. Cling to Jesus, he understands. His mercies are new every morning. Great is his faithfulness!

Happy New Year!

Prayer: (Christian Worship: Hymnal – 367)
Gracious God, in years to come, we pray your hand may guide us, and, onward through our journey home, your mercy walk beside us until at last our ransomed life is safe from peril, toil, and strife when heaven itself shall hide us. Amen.

Since the children have flesh and blood, Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14,15

Perspective at the End of the Year

Daily Devotion – December 31, 2024

Devotion based on Hebrews 2:14,15


See series: Devotions

Often, at the end of the year, we remember those who died in the previous 364 days. We reflect on their lives and their impact on our lives.

Are you afraid of dying in the upcoming year? The Bible says you don’t have to fear what happens when your soul leaves your body. Jesus died. His soul left his body, and then he came back from the dead to tell us what will happen when we die.

Before Jesus took on a body and soul at Christmas, he could not die. But he purposefully became a human being so he could die. As a perfect human being, he did not deserve to die. But by dying anyway, he broke the power of the devil to accuse God of unfairness by allowing us to go to heaven even though we have sinned. Jesus died to pay the ultimate penalty for our sins.

Now, we have the promise that everyone who believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life. What a beautiful thing to look forward to in the new year and into eternity!

Prayer:
Lord, as I finish this year, dry my tears of sorrow, and grant me confidence in the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation, through Jesus. Amen.

After three days [Jesus’ parents] found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Luke 2:46,47

Make Good Use of Free Time

Daily Devotion – December 30, 2024

Devotion based on Luke 2:46,47


See series: Devotions

If you have free time between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, make good use of it. Enjoy the company of family and friends, pursue your favorite pastime, and relax.

Above all else, take some time to read the Bible. If you already do that daily, take some extra time. If you do not do that daily, start today. You can begin with the gospel of Luke.

It isn’t long in the Gospel of Luke before you see Jesus as a twelve-year-old. He had some free time since his parents inadvertently left him behind when they set out for home after celebrating a holiday. In that free time, Jesus found teachers of the Bible. He listened to them and asked them questions.

You might think that Jesus was a great example of doing that. But he was more than that. Because he always did the right thing, he earned the right to be your Savior. When he finished his life, he had never sinned but took the punishment for sin and declared that it counted for you. Through faith, you have his perfect life credited to your account. It’s your ticket to heaven.

Because Jesus took care of things for you, you can rest between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Enjoy reading all about him on any day of the year!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, lead me to see you clearly in every word of the Bible. Amen.

His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Luke 2:51

Treasure the Story of Salvation

Daily Devotion – December 29, 2024

Devotion based on Luke 2:51


See series: Devotions

“I’ll google it.”

“Just a minute, let me look that up on Wikipedia.”

“Siri, what is the weather forecast for tomorrow?”

So much information is at our fingertips! We can learn a multitude of new facts every day. But how much of this is worth treasuring?

Luke tells us that Mary treasured events that unfolded in the life of Jesus. First, she treasured the shepherds’ visit to the manger as they made known what the angels had told them. Now, twelve years later, she treasures the words and actions of her growing son.

Mary and Joseph, with twelve-year-old Jesus, had been in Jerusalem for the Passover. When Mary and Joseph set out to return to Nazareth, they thought Jesus was somewhere in the group. But after traveling for a day, he was nowhere to be found. After three days, they found him at the temple, listening to the religious teachers and asking them questions. Jesus explains his actions by answering his parents, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). Jesus was busy carrying out the work his heavenly Father had sent him to do.

We can become so familiar with these events that we pass over them quickly, failing to treasure them in our hearts. These are so much more than random facts on the Internet. Here is the true story of your salvation. Cherish it as a treasure of unlimited value and beauty. Ponder it as a treasure that can never be fully explored. Guard it as a treasure worth holding on to at all costs.

What a treasure to cherish, ponder, and guard!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me treasure in my heart all that you have done for me. Amen.

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach the ends of the earth. And he will be our peace.
Micah 5:4,5

Jesus is Our Peace

Daily Devotion – December 28, 2024

Devotion based on Micah 5:4,5


See series: Devotions

Peace is the absence of trouble, tension, disaster, and surprise. Peace is the presence of safety, security, contentment, and relief. When you experience peace, you’d like things to stay just as they are. You hope that nothing changes.

Unfortunately, earthly peace will always change. Earthly peace is always short-lived. Happy relationships bring peace, but can you guarantee that even for one fleeting year, your solid relationship will never once face discord? Christmas presents bring a little peace, but the same gadgets that cause a hearty “Thanks!” are soon broken or forgotten. And how many people ever get everything on their Christmas lists? And even if they did, would they have lasting peace?

For lasting Christmas peace, we look away from earthly things and look to the Good Shepherd, Jesus. His peace is not only for a time or isolated to one area. Jesus’ peace cannot be overruled. In power and compassion, his greatness reaches everywhere, all the time, penetrating into our hearts and lives.

Take note especially of this sentence of God’s Word: “And he will be their peace.” Jesus himself is our peace. It’s not just that he knows where to find peace or shows us the way to peace—he is our peace! In Jesus, we stand confidently under God’s favor. In Jesus, we live with the comfort of God’s abiding presence and almighty power. We know exactly what our eternal future will be. Jesus alone provides eternal safety, security, contentment, and relief. Our peace will never change because Jesus is our peace!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, prevent me from looking to earthly avenues of peace and thinking they will last. Instead, lead me to trust in you, so that I might find true peace that lasts. Then help me to enjoy all the other blessings on earth you provide in a way that honors you. Amen.

“He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Luke 1:53-55

Lord, I’m Hungry!

Daily Devotion – December 27, 2024

Devotion based on Luke 1:53-55


See series: Devotions

I have some friends who, financially, are not doing well. Recently, their phones were shut off, their car was repossessed, and very soon they might lose their home. Many in our friend group have reached out to help—purchasing groceries, giving rides, and helping pay some of their bills. But they are hurting. It’s difficult to see them go through all of this but I can’t even begin to imagine how scared they feel.

You may never have been in such dire financial straits, but you know what it is like to be in want. What is it that you’re hurting for that you can’t seem to find? Maybe you’ve been looking for a spouse, someone to spend and share your life with. Maybe you have been longing for God to give you direction and guidance about the next steps in life you should take. Perhaps you’re physically aching and there is nothing you would love more than for God to heal that pain and restore you like you were when you were young. Maybe there is that guilt for decisions you made in the past and you are hungering for God to forgive you. Maybe you find yourself crying out to God for help.

Whenever a baby is hungry, they fuss and scream and their mother knows what those cries mean and is ready to step in and soothe them. But what made this baby born of Mary so different was that he came to tend to humanity’s cries and fill us with such good things. Jesus brings us peace with God, forgiveness for our sins, and the promise of life with God in eternity!

Whatever is causing you to cry out, take those concerns to the Lord. I pray that he brings peace to your heart. But realize that God already has taken care of our greatest need—the need for forgiveness—by sending us his Son, our Savior!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, thank you for filling my heart with the assurance of peace and forgiveness. May those gifts settle my heart as I labor through my temporary struggles. Amen.

His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
Luke 1:50-52

Lord, Lift Us Up!

Daily Devotion – December 26, 2024

Devotion based on Luke 1:50-52


See series: Devotions

A lot of people love the holidays. Houses shine at night with sparkling Christmas lights. Carols are blasting on radios. Families come together for presents, food, and laughs. It can be a wonderful time that we love and cherish.

However, I know some people who can’t stand this time of year. This time of year, brings out all sorts of problems. Some feel stress from business projects that must be completed before the new year. Others worry about purchasing just the right gift for their loved ones and feel empty when the present falls flat. There are still other people who don’t like the holidays because they remind them of the loved ones they have lost or don’t feel like they have anyone in their life who loves them.

I don’t know where you fall. Maybe you’re on one side or the other. Maybe you have a mix of emotions. But today’s Bible reading reminds us of a wonderful thing that the babe born in Bethlehem does for all of us this Christmas: he lifts us up!

Your heart might be heavy with emotions, and getting through these days might seem like an impossible task. But take care. God delivered on the promise of sending your Savior into this world to pick you up and carry you through those times of stress and strain. When you look into that manger this Christmas, see the Savior who loved you so much that he shouldered your guilt, shame, and sin and carried it with him to a cross so that darkness would be gone forever. Jesus still comes to us through his Word and lifts us up to get us through those dark times.

I pray this Christmas that you don’t get caught up with all the things that cause your heart to ache and that the news of the forgiveness of your Savior lifts you up and brings you peace.

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, crush those thoughts of loneliness and stress and lift me up with your Word. Amen.