Bible League: Living His Word “The virgin will be pregnant and will give birth to a son. They will name him Immanuel.” (Immanuel means “God with us.”)— Matthew 1:23 ERV Jesus. They named Him “God with us,” not “God far away from us.” They had to name Him this, or something similar, because that’s what He was. He could have stayed in heaven, He could have refused His earthly mission, but He didn’t. He came down from heaven and took human form in order to be with us. As the Apostle Paul put it, “He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form” (Philippians 2:6-7). He became “God with us” for our benefit, not His. They named Him “God with us,” not “God far away from us,” because He lived and walked among us. He knows what it’s like to be human. Moreover, He knows what it’s like to be human in a fallen world. He didn’t come before the fall. He didn’t come to a perfect world. He came to a world where there are real problems, tribulations, and persecutions. He didn’t try to make it easy on Himself. He didn’t let us experience all the bad stuff and give Himself a pass. Indeed, people treated Him badly before they began to treat us badly (John 15:20). They named Him “God with us,” not “God far away from us,” because He was subjected to the same things to which we are subjected; He was tempted just like we are tempted. He was God, but He was also human, so that He can be a sympathetic high priest for us. “Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When Jesus lived on earth, he was tempted in every way. He was tempted in the same ways we are tempted, but he never sinned” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus is in heaven now, but because He became “God with us” and not “God far away from us,” because He personally knows what we go through, He can make effective intercession on our behalf before God. And that’s why, “we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it” (Hebrews 4:16). Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading2 Chronicles 23, 24, 25 2 Chronicles 23 -- Jehoiada Makes Joash King; Athaliah Slain; Worship of God Restored NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Chronicles 24 -- Joash Repairs the Temple; Idolatrous Reign of Joash; Aram Defeats Judah NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Chronicles 25 -- Amaziah Succeeds Joash in Judah, Defeated by Jehoash King of Israel NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading John 16:16-33 John 16 -- Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit, Foretells His Death and Resurrection NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion “So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.”Insight Planning for tomorrow is time well spent; worrying about tomorrow is time wasted. Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God's guidance. When done well, planning can help alleviate worry. Worriers, by contrast, are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God. Challenge Don't let worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Revelation 3:19 Be zealous.If you would see souls converted, if you would hear the cry that "the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord;" if you would place crowns upon the head of the Saviour, and his throne lifted high, then be filled with zeal. For, under God, the way of the world's conversion must be by the zeal of the church. Every grace shall do exploits, but this shall be first; prudence, knowledge, patience, and courage will follow in their places, but zeal must lead the van. It is not the extent of your knowledge, though that is useful; it is not the extent of your talent, though that is not to be despised; it is your zeal that shall do great exploits. This zeal is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: it draws its vital force from the continued operations of the Holy Ghost in the soul. If our inner life dwindles, if our heart beats slowly before God, we shall not know zeal; but if all be strong and vigorous within, then we cannot but feel a loving anxiety to see the kingdom of Christ come, and his will done on earth, even as it is in heaven. A deep sense of gratitude will nourish Christian zeal. Looking to the hole of the pit whence we were digged, we find abundant reason why we should spend and be spent for God. And zeal is also stimulated by the thought of the eternal future. It looks with tearful eyes down to the flames of hell, and it cannot slumber: it looks up with anxious gaze to the glories of heaven, and it cannot but bestir itself. It feels that time is short compared with the work to be done, and therefore it devotes all that it has to the cause of its Lord. And it is ever strengthened by the remembrance of Christ's example. He was clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How swift the chariot-wheels of duty went with him! He knew no loitering by the way. Let us prove that we are his disciples by manifesting the same spirit of zeal. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 25:18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins.Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. Matthew 9:2 And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven." Isaiah 43:25 "I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, And I will not remember your sins. Matthew 9:6 "But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins "-- then He said to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed and go home." Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Titus 3:5,6 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, • whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, Colossians 2:13,14 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, • having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Psalm 103:2,3 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; • Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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