Author: Kerry

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Matthew 2:11

A Gift That Inspires Our Gifts

Daily Devotion – January 8, 2025

Devotion based on Matthew 2:11


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Have you ever received one of those gifts? The kind of gift that made you say, “Wow, you shouldn’t have.” (And not the way you say it to the relative who gave you that sweater that you wouldn’t be caught dead in.)

Have you ever received one of those gifts that was so generous that you truly didn’t expect it and had no idea how to respond? If selfish thoughts don’t take over first, don’t such gifts inspire you to look for ways to give something back to the person who gave it to you or to pay their generosity forward to others?

We know little about the men who came to Bethlehem looking for the infant Jesus. We don’t even know how many there were. But we do know this: their gifts were generous gifts fit for a king. Gold is a valuable gift in every era. Frankincense was burned in ritual worship and may have had medicinal uses as well. Myrrh was used to anoint kings and priests or wrapped with bodies in ancient burial customs.

Their gifts showed that they knew that Jesus was no ordinary baby. These men traveled great distances and brought generous gifts. Why? Because they recognized that the baby was God’s gift to them—a gift more precious and valuable than any other gift ever given or received.

Jesus was born to keep ancient promises and bring eternal treasures. He came to bring the abundant love and mercy of God as he conquered spiritual foes and set sinners free from the torture of hell. He came to earth to open heaven, an eternal paradise where pain, sorrow, and death are gone forever.

Jesus is God’s gift to you and me, too. How will we respond to this generous gift? We live our lives to serve him. We joyfully and generously serve those God brings into our lives. We give to support churches that share the gift of Jesus with our communities and the world. We give ourselves as gifts to him.

Prayer:
Jesus, you are the greatest gift. Accept my life as my gift of thanks to you. Amen.

May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.
Psalm 72:11,12

One Size Fits All

Daily Devotion – January 7, 2025

Devotion based on Psalm 72:11,12


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Little in this world is universal. People speak different languages. They have different abilities and come in different shapes and sizes. One-size-fits-all clothes are too big for some and too small for others. Laws meant for all often have loopholes and exceptions. Political policies that help the poor may hurt the rich and vice versa.

Imagine a leader lauded by kings and loved by peasants. Picture a king who truly cares for the greatest and the least, for those who have it all and those who have nothing. A king so wise that he understands what every single person needs. A king that is so powerful that he can provide exactly what everyone needs.

Who wouldn’t choose such a candidate? But you won’t find his name on any ballot. You won’t see him signing bills in the White House or your local city hall.

The Bible describes a King that all kings bow down to and all nations serve. Such a thought would horrify us if he were merely a human king. Rulers with far less influence have been corrupted by such power.

But this is not just any king. He’s not just a king that rich kings bow down to because he acts in their best interests. He’s a king who “delivers the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.”

Jesus is that king. As the Son of God, he rules over all kings and nations with unmatched wisdom and limitless power. But when he came as a human being, he experienced what it was like to be needy and afflicted with no one to help. And he rules to help people in their most desperate time of need.

That means no matter who you are, he rules for you. He rules to rescue you from your desperate need for mercy and hope. He fights to free you from the oppression and affliction of death itself. He listens to your cries and reigns to bring you safely to a perfect, peaceful kingdom that never ends. A one-size-fits-all-perfectly King.

Prayer:
Jesus, my perfect King, hear my cries and help me trust and worship you in every time of need. Amen.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew 2:1,2

A King for All

Daily Devotion – January 6, 2025

Devotion based on Matthew 2:1,2


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Imagine the conversation. It may be happening through an interpreter. These men are from out of town. They probably don’t speak Aramaic like most of the people in Jerusalem.
“Where is he?”
“Where is who?”
“The King of the Jews.”
“Oh, you mean Herod? He lives in that palace over there.”
“No, not Herod. The new king. We are here to worship the one who was born king of the Jews.”

At this point, maybe you wonder if there’s something lost in translation. It is not entirely unheard of for people to worship kings. Some kings even demand it. But not usually the Jewish kings. And, even if they did, why would foreigners want to worship them?

But the king they are looking for isn’t just the King of the Jews. He was born to be their king, too. They heard prophecies predicting his coming. And now he has come. A careful search of those prophecies is made. Maybe it is even their idea.

And the scholars find a prophecy about a king who would come from Bethlehem. The men from out-of-town hurry to Bethlehem and worship him whose name is Jesus.

Today some people might happily look for a new king or ruler to guide their nation. Others are perfectly happy with the one they have. But these men come looking for a different kind of king—a heavenly King who rules over an eternal kingdom. This king is not just for them but for all. He’s your king, too—God’s gift for all people.

Jesus was born to rule with perfect justice, to bring true freedom from guilt, shame, and even death. He came with perfect love for all—mighty and lowly, rich and poor, young and old, Jew and Gentile. He came for Magi from the east and for Jewish locals. He came for you to be your powerful, loving, and merciful King.

Prayer:
Jesus, the King that I need and long for, move me and all people to find you and worship you in joy! Amen.

When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son.
Galatians 4:4

Timing Is Everything

Daily Devotion – January 5, 2025

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4


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Think about those words from today’s Bible reading for a moment. “When the set time had fully come, God sent his Son.” Throughout human history, God had a specific, precise timetable for when the Savior of the world would enter the world. It would not be a minute too late or too soon. But until the moment of his birth arrived, God’s people throughout the centuries had had to wait.

You and I have a real luxury. We have the luxury of reading exactly how God fulfilled his promise of a Savior. Believers who lived before Jesus’ coming could only wait and trust. But wait and trust they did. And their trust was not misplaced, “for when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son.” God kept his promise.

There are times in our lives when the noblest work we can do as Christians is not something heroic or dramatic. For we please our Lord when, in the difficulties and disappointments of day-to-day life, we wait for him, when we trust his promise to work everything out for our good. When we do that, our trust is well placed because the God who delivered on his promise to wash us clean of our every sin is the One we can trust for absolutely everything.

Prayer:
Lord, empower me by your Spirit to wait. For I know that you will fulfill all your promises to me in your own good time. In the name of Christ, I pray. Amen.

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


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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


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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


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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


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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


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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


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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.