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Day 16 – December 12

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  [Psalm 86:12 NIV]

As a kid I loved buffets (I still do)!! There are so many choices and a variety of options to choose from.  That’s what we all love about buffets, the choices (and the large amounts of food).  If you are like me you love any situation when you get to make the choice, rather than one being made for you. When I was a kid at the buffet I got to choose. Beef or chicken; salad bar or steamed veggies; ice cream bar or cakes/pies and the list goes on. It’s the choice for me. 

Today’s verse says, “I will praise… and I will glorify…” these are by choice when we could choose to do other things. The most honoring and obedient thing we can do is to live our lives in a way that brings glory and praise to our God. When you and I make this choice willingly, it brings a smile to your Heavenly Father’s face. Out of all you could do today, choose to praise and glorify!!

Father, I thank You today for giving me free will. I choose today to use that freedom to praise You for all You have done in my life. I thank You for the blessings and I choose to live my life in such a way that brings glory to Your Name, Amen.

Written by: Pastor Lance Courtney

Day 15 – December 11

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  [Luke 1:46-49 CSB]

“My soul magnifies the Lord” were the joyous words of Mary. These words are part of a song of praise as she sings to the Lord for the mighty work he is about to do through her. What is so incredible about this statement is that Mary did not say “My soul magnifies me” but rather “My soul magnifies the Lord.” Mary recognized that she would be the one through whom God would bring the Messiah into the world. Though it would have been tempting for her to boast of herself, rather she points out that this amazing work God is doing, using her, is going to magnify or reveal His glory. She recognizes that only by the grace of God and His sovereign purpose will she be considered blessed by “all generations.” Rather than bringing the spotlight to herself, she has directed it towards God! Magnifying the Lord’s grace that He gives to sinners who can do nothing for themselves.  

As we go into this holiday season, let us focus on the amazing blessings that God has given us and magnify Him. Let us look to the Lord with thanksgiving and proclaim “Holy is His name!”

Lord, You have blessed us tremendously, there is not anything I need that You withhold. You are my provider and my sustainer. Lord let Your gracious and mighty works that You have done in us magnify Your name alone. Let all blessings we receive reflect Your grace and mercy.  Amen.

Written by:  Braydon Hotchkiss

Day 14 – December 10

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”  [Matthew 22:37-40 NLT]

What would it look like if we loved someone else with all of our emotions, all of our actions, all of our inner being, and all of our thoughts? Do the people who we care about most describe us in this way? Ouch! I know I’m guilty many times of loving my interests and myself more than I love God and others.

In this passage, we see Jesus summarizing the entire Jewish Scriptures into two commands. Jesus realigned what a relationship with Him and our Heavenly Father looked like. A surrendered life that is characterized by a love for God with every part of who we are. Every thought, every action, every emotion, etc. But not only to God, but also to others.

This Christmas, let’s ask God to show us how to love Him more and to love others better. Let’s allow our time spent with family and friends to be about what we can give and not about what we can get.

God, help me to fall more in love with you every day. Let every emotion, every action, every thought, and my entire being be a living sacrifice meant to bring a smile to your face. Help me to be a light of love to my family, my friends, and to everyone I meet.   Amen.

Written by: Brian Griggs

Day 13 – December 9

“…No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” [1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT]

We cannot imagine all that God has in store for us, both in this world and for all eternity.  He will create a new heaven and a new earth (Rev. 21:1), and we will live with him forever.  Until then his Holy Spirit comforts us and guides us through all of life’s circumstances.  Knowing the promise of the wonderful and eternal future that awaits us, gives us the hope and peace and courage to press on in this life, to endure hardship, and to avoid giving into temptation.  This world is NOT all that there is – the BEST is yet to come!  

Stop and think about how much the Father loves us to share with us the details and promises our eternal future! He loves us so much to make sure that we have Hope & Peace & Joy about what is to come!   Our Faith is not in vain!  We are not shadow boxing or wishing upon a star.  God is Real – His Word is True – His Promise of Heaven is as sure as the ground you are standing on!

Father, Thank You for loving me so much that you gave me this glimpse of eternity!  I must admit, in my humanity – I have a hard time wrapping my mind around all that Heaven entails – it must be so magnificent! Allow a moment this Christmas to gaze into the night sky and be captivated by the wonder of countless stars and galaxies above and think about how you meticulously created each star and hung each one in place – and how we as humans are still unable to see them all!  Then let my mind be blown to think that Heaven must be 100x more glorious and complex than a million or more galaxies!  Oh the Majesty and Glory of Your Name!  You are so Worthy to be Praised! Amen!

Written by:  Pastor Steve Wells

Day 12 – December 8

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever. [Psalm 136:1-3 CSB]

Holidays are hard!

I came face to face with this reality as a teenager.   My family’s Christmas traditions were shaken by my mother’s illness and death.  But more than my own situation, most of my friends experienced similar pain during the holiday season.  The specifics ranged from grief, to divorce, to financial hardship, to familial dysfunction, to illness.   All the while we were comparing our own sadness and holiday challenges to the ‘perfect’ (or so it seemed) circumstances of other acquaintances and portrayals in movies and on television.

Fortunately, I also came to realize that the pain and challenges were only part of the holiday season.  New traditions evolve.  Memories of lost love ones and prior holidays are to be cherished and celebrated.

In the midst of hard holidays, we can all take solace in the psalmist’s words.  God’s faithful love endures forever!  His steadfast love endures forever!  Pick up a Bible and read all 26 verses of Psalm 136.   Let the Word soak in.

Father God, I pray that anyone reading these words and feeling even a little despair that holidays are hard, will pause and reflect on the Word that You laid out in Psalm 136.  Come alongside each of us and fill the holes in our hearts with the goodness of You.  Help us to focus on the coming birth of the baby Jesus, and ALL that Christmas truly means.  Amen.

Written by: Bev Carbert

Day 11 – December 7

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT

You know that feeling when you arrive at your grandma’s house, you can smell the good home cooking, laughter is erupting from the front porch and grandma herself is waiting for you by the front door ready to give you the BIGGEST hug and kiss. There is something about the warmth and love of my Mammaw, that is such a great reminder of the love, faith and hope that endures through most everything. I know I can call my Mammaw and she will be ready with a listening ear and a heartfelt prayer to encourage me. The promise of today’s verse goes beyond even what a grandma can offer in love, faith and hope. The Love of Christ is the only true way to endure through all circumstances. I am grateful for that kind of love. 

Father, I am so thankful for the love You show me by sending Jesus as the perfect example of faith, hope and love. Jesus, continue to make me more like You as I strive to live my life to honor You in all circumstances.  Amen.

Written by: Pastor Lance Courtney

Day 8 – December 4

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [John 3:16 CSB]

This is perhaps the best known verse in all the Bible. We are accustomed to seeing it on eyepaint and banners at football games, wrestling matches, and dog races. If you grew up in church, you probably memorized this verse first. The version you were taught likely begins, “For God so loved the world.” That is not incorrect as a translation, but the one we are reading today is better. Why?

When we are taught, “For God so loved the world,” what we think it means is “For God loved the world SO MUCH.” In fact, it is better thought of in the way that one might tell a story about me washing a car. “For Mr. Corey so washed the car: First, he filled a bucket with water. Next, he added soap. Finally, he asked his kids to wash the rest of the car. “So washed” (or “so loved”) intends to tell HOW I washed the car, not HOW MUCH I washed the car.

Why does this matter? Well, for starters, if you read very far in Scripture, you will find that God is at enmity with the world. That is “the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.” God certainly demonstrates his love to those who will call upon his name, but the reason we need a Savior in the first place is because things are not ok. We are all going to perish without him, because of sin. 

God loves his children. He is good to the world, too good in fact considering the consequences of sin. And he is just. He must pour out his wrath on all who are opposed to his Lordship. 

What’s the good news? “everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” 

Father, thank you for loving us in this way, that you sent your Son to pay the debt we could not satisfy. Thank you that because you are my Lord and Savior, I am no longer your enemy. May your gospel be so prevalent in the world that as many hear as your will allows. Amen.

Written by: Pastor Corey Green

Day 7 – December 3

I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again — my Savior and my God! [Psalm 42:5b-6a NLT]

Life can be so small sometimes. We get so caught up in what’s happening right now in the world right around us, we get distracted. We see so many things on social media or on the news, we get bogged down in the things of this world. Inevitably, those things disappoint us. People let us down. Our expectations are dashed. Yet it doesn’t have to be this way. Our hope isn’t in this world. Our hope is in God. 

In the Psalms, King David reminds us that sometimes we need to adjust our eyes and remind ourselves where our hope is. Through praise and thanksgiving, we can focus on God and His ways. He is our Savior and our God, and in that Truth we can find hope. That’s why consistent times of praise and worship, even if it’s in your car while you drive, are so important. This turns our eyes to Heaven and reminds us where our hope comes from. 

Father, thank You that You are my hope. Please forgive me for the times that I’ve been so distracted by all the small things around me that I forget that my hope is in You. Please help me to remember to keep my eyes on You throughout this Christmas season and beyond.  Amen.

Written By: Pastor Steve Williams