Dawn 2 Dusk Already OvercomeAs the year draws to a close, many of us feel the weight of things that didn’t go the way we hoped—prayers that seem unanswered, conflicts that still sting, fears that haven’t faded. Jesus spoke into a room full of men who were about to watch their world crumble, and He told them that in Him they could have peace even as trials and sorrows closed in. He did not promise an escape from trouble, but a victory that stands above it. That promise is not just for them; it is the banner He raises over your life today. Peace in a World That Shakes Listen to His words: “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33). Notice where peace is found. It is not in improved circumstances, not in people finally treating you right, not in your plans working out. It is “in Me.” Peace is not the absence of storms; it is the presence of Christ, steady and unshaken, right in the center of them. This is why Scripture can command what feels impossible: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7). Peace that “surpasses all understanding” means people may look at your situation and say, “You should be falling apart,” and yet you are held. That guarding peace is like armor around your heart and mind, and it is fastened to one place: “in Christ Jesus.” If you drift from Him, you drift from peace; if you cling to Him, you stand in something the world cannot give or take away. Tribulation Is Not a Failure of God’s Plan Jesus doesn’t hide the hard part: “In the world you will have tribulation.” No fine print. To follow Him is not to avoid heartbreak, loss, persecution, or disappointment. It is to discover that none of these things are evidence that God has abandoned you. They are the very ground on which He proves His faithfulness. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1). You don’t need an “ever-present help” if life is always smooth; trouble is the place where His nearness becomes more than theory. Paul calls your present battle “light and momentary,” not because it feels that way, but because he compares it to what is coming: “For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). Your tribulation is not wasted. In the hands of God, it is “producing” something—eternal glory, deeper character, a sharper vision of Christ. What feels like everything right now will one day look small next to the joy of seeing Jesus face to face. The cross looked like defeat on Friday; it was revealed as victory on Sunday. Your story, in Him, is patterned the same way. Living Like the World Is Already Overcome Jesus doesn’t just inform you that He has overcome; He invites you to live like it’s true: “take courage.” Courage is not pretending you are not afraid; it is choosing, in the fear, to lean your full weight on the One who has already won. “For everyone born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who then overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:4–5). Faith is not vague optimism; it is a settled trust in a real Person—Jesus, the Son of God—who walked out of the grave and now reigns. You may feel anything but victorious today, yet God says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). “In all these things”—not after them, not apart from them. Right in the middle of your unanswered questions, God calls you “more than conqueror” because your story is anchored to Christ’s story. So lift your eyes. Preach to your own soul: He has overcome the world. Pray like that is true. Obey like that is true. Love your enemies like that is true. And as you do, “You will keep in perfect peace the steadfast of mind, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). Fix your mind on Him, and walk into the coming year with a courage that doesn’t come from you at all. Lord Jesus, thank You that You have overcome the world and offer me Your peace. Today, help me take courage by trusting and obeying You in every situation I face. Morning with A.W. Tozer Doting on the PastI always get an uneasy feeling when I find myself with people who have nothing to discuss but the glories of the days that are past! Why are we not willing to believe what the Bible tells us? The Christian's great future is before him. Therefore, the whole direction of the Christian's look should be forward. It is a fact that we should ponder soberly that so many Christians seem to have their future already behind them! Their glory is behind them. The only future they have is their past. They are always bringing around the cold ashes of yesterday's burned-out campfire! Even their testimony, if they give it, reveals their backward look. Their downcast look betrays that they are facing in the wrong direction. We should take Paul for an example here. I think he occasionally took a quick, happy backward look just to remind himself of the grace and goodness of God enjoyed by the maturing believers in their Savior, Jesus Christ! Music For the Soul Future AnticipationLooking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God. - 2 Peter 3:12. Keep yourself awake first, and then let the waking, wide-opened eye, be looking forward. It is the very differentia, so to speak, the characteristic mark and distinction of the Christian notion of life, that it shifts the centre of gravity from the present into the future, and makes that which is to come of far more importance than that which is, or which has been. No man is living up to the height of his Christian responsibilities or privileges unless there stands out before him, as the very goal and aim of his whole life, what can never be realized until he has passed within the veil, and is at rest in the " secret place of the Most High." To live for the future is, in one aspect, the very definition of a Christian. It is not for us, as it is for men in the world, to fix our hopes for the future on abstract laws of the progress of humanity, or the evolution of the species, or the gradual betterment of the world, and the like, - all these may be true; I say nothing about them. But what we have to fill our future with is that that same Jesus "shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go." No man can rightly understand the whole contents of the blessed proclamation, "Christ has come," unless he ends the sentence with "and Christ will come." Blessed is "that servant whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching." Of course, I need not remind you that much for which that second coming of the Lord is precious, and an object of hope to the world and the Church, is realized by the individual in the article of Death. Whether Christ comes to the world or I go to Christ, the important thing is that there result union and communion, the reign of righteousness and peace, the felicities of the heavenly state. And so, dear brother, just because of the uncertainty that drapes the future, and which we are often tempted to make a reason for dismissing the anticipation of it from our minds, we ought the more earnestly to give heed that we keep that end ever before us, and whether it is reached by His coming to us, or our going to Him, anticipate, by the power of realizing faith grasping the firm words of Revelation, the unimaginable, and - until it is experienced - the incommunicable blessedness revealed in these great, simple words, "So shall we ever be with the Lord." Spurgeon: Morning and Evening 1 Samuel 7:12 Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. The word "hitherto" seems like a hand pointing in the direction of the past. Twenty years or seventy, and yet, "hitherto the Lord hath helped!" Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honor, in dishonor, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us!" We delight to look down a long avenue of trees. It is delightful to gaze from end to end of the long vista, a sort of verdant temple, with its branching pillars and its arches of leaves; even so look down the long aisles of your years, at the green boughs of mercy overhead, and the strong pillars of lovingkindness and faithfulness which bear up your joys. Are there no birds in yonder branches singing? Surely there must be many, and they all sing of mercy received "hitherto." But the word also points forward. For when a man gets up to a certain mark and writes "hitherto," he is not yet at the end, there is still a distance to be traversed. More trials, more joys; more temptations, more triumphs; more prayers, more answers; more toils, more strength; more fights, more victories; and then come sickness, old age, disease, death. Is it over now? No! there is more yet-awakening in Jesus' likeness, thrones, harps, songs, psalms, white raiment, the face of Jesus, the society of saints, the glory of God, the fulness of eternity, the infinity of bliss. O be of good courage, believer, and with grateful confidence raise thy "Ebenezer," for-- He who hath helped thee hitherto Will help thee all thy journey through. When read in heaven's light how glorious and marvellous a prospect will thy "hitherto" unfold to thy grateful eye! Spurgeon: Faith’s Checkbook He Will Carry Us HomeThe year is very old, and here is a promise for our aged friends; yes, and for us all, as age creeps over us. Let us live long enough, and we shall all have hoar hairs; therefore we may as well enjoy this promise by the foresight of faith. When we grow old our God will still be the I AM, abiding evermore the same. Hoar hairs tell of our decay, but He decayeth not. When we cannot carry a burden and can hardly carry ourselves, the LORD will carry us. Even as in our young days He carried us like lambs in His bosom, so will He in our years of infirmity. He made us, and He will care for us. When we become a burden to our friends and a burden to ourselves, the LORD will not shake us off, but the rather He will take us up and carry and deliver us more fully than ever. In many cases the LORD give His servants a long and calm evening. They worked hard all day and wore themselves out in their Master’s service, and so He said to them, "Now rest in anticipation of that eternal Sabbath which I have prepared for you." Let us not dread old age. Let us grow old graciously since the LORD Himself is with us in fullness of grace. The Believer’s Daily Remembrancer I Will Never Leave Thee, Nor Forsake TheeIf the Lord is with us, all will be well; but He has promised to be with us always, even unto the end. Anyone but our God would have left us long ago; but He is longsuffering, full of compassion, and of great mercy. He will go through the whole journey with us, He will be our God to all eternity, and will conduct us through life with safety. He will be with us in every trouble, to support us - in every trial, to comfort us - in every difficulty, to provide for us--in every danger, to deliver us - and under all circumstances, to bless us. He will be with us as our heavenly Father - as our firm and faithful Friend - as our God; and we shall be with Him by-and-by, as His children, dependants, and jewels, to be glorified with Him forever. Beloved, let us rejoice in this, that God will never leave us, troubles may come upon us; but our God will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake, because it hath pleased the Lord to make them His people. Having loved His own, He will love them unto the end. Since He has said, "I’ll ne’er depart", I’ll bind His promise to my heart, Rejoicing in His care : This shall support while here I live, And when in glory I arrive, I’ll praise Him for it there. Bible League: Living His Word Jesus answered, "I assure you; everyone must be born again. Anyone who is not born again cannot be in God's kingdom." — John 3:3 ERV Salvation is reconciliation with God through Christ Jesus! It is unmerited favor and forgiveness of sin. God sees those who have repented as guilt-free because the blood of Jesus has spoken for our deliverance and salvation! Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, a governing body for the Jews. In the Roman government, the Jews were allowed to have their independent court attending to matters regarding Jewish law and faith. Nicodemus did not know much about being born-again. He came at night to Jesus because of the miracles that Jesus had done. However, Jesus did not beat around the bush; He emphasized the importance of being born-again to Nicodemus. Jesus reiterates the word "born-again" several times in this chapter. In Acts 8, Philip had to reach out to the unreached and he led many people to Christ! The Ethiopian man went home excited after hearing the Good News. "The official continued on his way home. He was very happy" (Acts 8:39). The Good News draws our hearts to Christ's grace, leading each one to repentance! A minister of the Word once said that he would have lived a useless life if he did not lead his audience and colleagues to Christ! He shared a story about two friends who used to socialize and have parties together. One passed on before he was saved, and the minister was requested to preach and comfort the bereaving family. The friend who was alive heard the Gospel message and gave his heart to Jesus. Several years later, the saved friend died too. The minister imagined that in the spiritual world, they met together since both had died. The one who died before receiving Jesus invited the one who received Christ to the area where there are worldly parties, but the born-again one said, "No, my friend, I cannot come where you are, because I accepted Jesus Christ at your funeral. Now, I am crossing over from judgement to eternity, from darkness to light, from death to life in Christ" (John 5:24)! Beloved, Jesus said everyone must be born again! Give Jesus your heart and follow him! The Kingdom of God is governed by one King, Jesus Christ! So, to be part of it, one has to surrender everything to Jesus Christ. Nicodemus was a blessed man, but he visited Jesus during the night because of fear. You might be going through the darkest valley, but Jesus is there; even during the brightest day in your life, He is extending an invitation to come to His Kingdom! When the judgement was supposed to condemn us, we escaped by coming to His Kingdom which is filled with grace and wonder! (John 3:18). Nicodemus realized the most important decision was to give his life to Jesus. Scripture says: "I tell you this, brothers, and sisters: Our bodies of flesh and blood cannot have a part in God's kingdom. Something that will ruin cannot have a part in something that never ruins" (1 Corinthians 15:50). Nicodemus became a true follower of Jesus while being a leader of his community, he advocated that Jesus must have a fair trial (John 7:50-51). He even assisted a wealthy man in burying Christ's body after he died (John 19:38-39). When you follow Christ, you are not to be persuaded by anything—focus on Him alone! By Christopher Thetswe, Bible League International staff, South Africa Daily Light on the Daily Path Ephesians 5:17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.1 Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; Job 22:21 "Yield now and be at peace with Him; Thereby good will come to you. John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Colossians 1:9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, Ephesians 1:17-19 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. • I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, • and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 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. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.Insight Here, John was attacking the second claim of the false teachers: that people had no natural tendency toward sin, that they “[had] no sin,'' and that they were then incapable of sinning. This idea is at best self-deception and at worst a bald-faced lie. The false teachers refused to take sin seriously. They wanted to be considered Christians, but they saw no need to confess and repent. The death of Christ did not mean much to them because they didn't think they needed it. Instead of repenting and being purified by Christ's blood, they were encouraging sin among believers. Challenge In this life we are always capable of sinning, so we should never let down our guard. Devotional Hours Within the Bible The TransfigurationMatthew 17:1-8 , Matthew 17:14-20 Three men, Peter, James and John were with the Master when He was transfigured. All the disciples belonged to His personal family but these three were taken into the inner circle and enjoyed closest intimacy with Him. On several occasions we find Him choosing the same three for special companionship. In the Garden of Gethsemane these three were chosen to be nearest to Him, that by their sympathy and tenderness, they might strengthen Him and thus help Him to endure His sore agony. We know that the holiest will get nearest to Christ. Faith brings men near, while doubt and unbelief separate from Him. Purity of heart brings us close the pure in heart shall see God. Likeness to Christ fits for close personal friendship with Him. Jesus said that those who serve most self-forgetfully, are first in His kingdom. Selfishness keeps us far off. It is a comfort to find that Peter, though a very faulty disciple was one of those who were admitted to closest friendship with Christ. It is interesting to learn from Luke’s gospel (9:28-36) that Jesus was praying when this wonderful change in His appearance occurred. While He knelt before His Father the change began to come on His face. It is recorded of certain saintly men, that a like change has come upon them when they prayed. We learn thus that prayer has a transfiguring power. Communing with God brings heaven down into our life. It was after Moses had spent forty days on the mountain alone with God that the people saw the dazzling brightness on his face. So it was when Stephen was looking up into heaven, beholding the glory of God, that even his enemies saw his face as if it had been the face of an angel. Only the upward look can give heavenly beauty. Our communings make our character. If we think only of earthly things we shall grow earthly. If we dote on gold, our lives will harden into sordidness. If we look up toward God we shall grow like God. A life of prayer will transform us into spirituality and bring upon us the beauty of the Lord. Not only was the face of Jesus transfigured but His very garments shone. A writer suggests that the garments here may represent the circumstances and experiences of the Christian’s life. When one lives near Christ, everything that concerns him is transfigured for example, care. Every life has its cares, its burdens, its anxieties its experiences that would naturally fret and vex the spirit. Paul tells us that if we make known all our requests to God, the peace of God shall guard our hearts and our thoughts. The same is true of life’s toils and tasks. Many of us find life hard, with its incessant duty and drudgery. But when the secret of the Lord is in the heart we can sing songs of joy, even in the most wearisome way. The same is true of sorrow. Every life has sorrow. But if Christ is ours, we have comfort in sorrow. Thus all the garments of life all life’s experiences and conditions are brightened by peace in the heart. While the disciples were awed by the shining on the face and garments of their Master, they became aware of the presence of heavenly visitors beside Him. “Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus!” How they learned who these men were, we are not told. Perhaps the Master told them afterward. This was something very wonderful. For more than nine hundred years Elijah had been in heaven, and for more than fourteen hundred years Moses had been away from this world; both reappear here on the earth, still living, speaking and working! There are many proofs of immortality; here is an illustration we see two men long centuries after they had lived on earth still alive and busy in God’s service! It will be the same with us and our friends thousands of years after we have vanished from earth we shall still be alive and active. This is a great thought. If we could only get it into our heart how much grander it would make all life for us! We would then form our plans to cover thousands of years not merely the little space which we now call time . The transfiguration was not a purposeless incident in the story of Jesus. Evidently it was intended to prepare Him for what was before Him. It had just been discussed, that He was to die at Jerusalem. He had known long before, that He was going to the cross. Yet as He now set out on His last journey and saw the end, He needed encouragement and cheer, and it was for this that the transfiguration was given, with its embassy from heaven and its confirming voice. When we keep this purpose in mind, the meaning of the several incidents become plain. It is interesting, with this in mind, to think of the talk which these two men had with Jesus. It was about His decease, His exodus from this world, Luke tells us. They had been sent from heaven to comfort and strengthen Him as He set out on His journey to His cross. He would have bitter sorrows and great sufferings, and they came to speak their world of cheer before He entered the experience. No doubt, all the way unto the end, His heart was braver and stronger because of this visitation. Peter could not keep quiet. Even heavenly glory did not silence him. When he became aware of the wonderful splendor which he was witnessing, he proposed to keep it on the earth and not allow it to depart. “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Peter was right it was good to be there. But at this very moment work was waiting for Jesus at the foot of the mountain. There was a poor demoniac there, whom the disciples could not cure. Then, farther off, were Gethsemane and Calvary for Jesus; and for Peter there was Pentecost, with years of earnest apostolic service, and then martyrdom. It is very sweet to commune with God in the closet, at the Lord’s Table but we must not spend all of our time even in these holy exercises. While the raptures fill our soul we must not forget that outside are human needs and needs are crying for help and sympathy. We may not build tabernacles and keep our heavenly visions; we must get the vision into our heart and then go out to be a blessing to the world. Then came the other witnessing. Moses and Elijah had come to talk with Jesus about His death, and the blessed outcome it would have in human redemption. Then, from heaven the Father speaks, witnessing to the Messiahship of Jesus. The disciples had been greatly startled by what Jesus had said a week before that He must suffer and be killed. Their idea of the Messiah had been an earthly one. Their faith must have been strengthened by the words, “This is My beloved Son,” and by the command that they should listen to His voice and to His voice only. Even if they could not understand, and if the things He said seemed to destroy their hopes they were content now to hear. There are times when God’s ways with us seem mysterious when we think disaster is coming to every fair prospect in our life. In all such hours we should remember that He who rules over all, is the Son of God, our Friend and Savior and our trust in Him never should fail. We should listen always quietly and submissively to what He says, and when everything seems strange and dark we should never doubt nor be afraid. What so staggered the disciples then concerning the Messiahship of Jesus we see now to have been the most glorious and loving wisdom. So in our strangest trials there are the truest wisdom and richest love. This voice came out of the cloud; out of the clouds that hang over us come the voices of most divine love. When Jesus and the disciples came down next morning from the Mount of Transfiguration, they found the other disciples in trouble. In the Master’s absence and epileptic boy had been brought to them for healing. They tried to cure him but failed. When Jesus appeared, the distressed father knelt before Him, pleading that He might have mercy on his son. He told his story in all its pathos the boy’s grievous suffering, and his bitter disappointment when the disciples could not cure him. Jesus listened with compassion and then said, “Bring him here to Me.” A word from Him was enough, “The child was cured from that hour!” Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingZechariah 10, 11, 12 Zechariah 10 -- God Will Bless Judah NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zechariah 11 -- The Two Shepherds: Feed the flock of slaughter NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Zechariah 12 -- Jerusalem a Burdensome Stone to Her Adversaries: They will mourn the one they have pierced NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Revelation 20 Revelation 20 -- Satan Bound for a Thousand Years; The Judgment NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. |
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