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 Psalm 97:10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil.Thou hast good reason to "hate evil," for only consider what harm it has already wrought thee. Oh, what a world of mischief sin has brought into thy heart! Sin blinded thee so that thou couldst not see the beauty of the Saviour; it made thee deaf so that thou couldst not hear the Redeemer's tender invitations. Sin turned thy feet into the way of death, and poured poison into the very fountain of thy being; it tainted thy heart, and made it "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Oh, what a creature thou wast when evil had done its utmost with thee, before divine grace interposed! Thou wast an heir of wrath even as others; thou didst "run with the multitude to do evil." Such were all of us; but Paul reminds us, "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." We have good reason, indeed, for hating evil when we look back and trace its deadly workings. Such mischief did evil do us, that our souls would have been lost had not omnipotent love interfered to redeem us. Even now it is an active enemy, ever watching to do us hurt, and to drag us to perdition. Therefore "hate evil," O Christians, unless you desire trouble. If you would strew your path with thorns, and plant nettles in your death-pillow, then neglect to "hate evil:" but if you would live a happy life, and die a peaceful death, then walk in all the ways of holiness, hating evil, even unto the end. If you truly love your Saviour, and would honor him, then "hate evil." We know of no cure for the love of evil in a Christian like abundant intercourse with the Lord Jesus. Dwell much with him, and it is impossible for you to be at peace with sin. "Order my footsteps by thy Word, And make my heart sincere; Let sin have no dominion, Lord, But keep my conscience clear." Daily Light on the Daily Path Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,Luke 11:5-8 Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; • for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; • and from inside he answers and says, 'Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' • "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Genesis 32:26,28 Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." • He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed." Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; Luke 6:12 It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. 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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