December 25 (Christmas Day): He Is Here
Today we celebrate an event that took place over two thousand years ago, and we also celebrate a present reality: God is with us.
December 24 (Christmas Eve): I Am With You Always
In a rapidly changing world where almost nothing is certain, Matthew 28 reminds us that there is something we can be sure of.
December 23 (Advent, Day 26): The Road To Emmaus
Jesus was walking with them, but they didn’t recognize him. This makes me ask the question: how often do we live our lives unaware that Jesus is right next to us?
December 22 (Advent, Day 25): At The Door
Jesus doesn’t seek perfect people in whom to dwell, but those who are simply willing to open the door. He’ll take care of cleaning up our mess.
December 21 (Advent, Day 24): When You Feel Like No One Understands
In most paintings and other depictions of Jesus he seems so calm and collected. So unmoved and above it all. But the only problem with the unfazed and unemotional depiction of Jesus is that, frankly, it isn’t biblical.
December 20 (Advent, Day 23): The God Who Also Had To Use The Bathroom
Jesus did, of course. Go to the bathroom, I mean. And that is the glory of the incarnation: he dwelt among us, as one of us.
December 19 (Advent, Day 22): He Made The First Move
Let’s establish a crucial fact: God made the first move. He didn’t wait for us to get our act together. He didn’t wait for us to be perfect.
December 18 (Advent, Day 21): The God Of Tough Cases
Today, in this season of Advent, let God give you a holy expectation. Expectation that God will interrupt that person you’ve been praying for like Paul on the road to Damascus. Expectation that he will turn that seemingly impossible situation around.
December 17 (Advent, Day 20): When You Feel Insignificant
Esther was a refugee, living during the period when the Israelites were held in captivity far from their own land. She was also a woman in a highly sexist society. Not exactly the person you would expect to change the course of history.
December 16 (Advent, Day 19): Of The Tribe Of Judah
If you ever start believing the lie that your mistakes disqualify you from being used by God, remember the story of Judah and take heart: none of the heroes from God’s story were perfect.
December 15 (Advent, Day 18): The God Of Our Enemies
It is easy for faith to become nationalistic. In other words, to believe that God is exclusively in favor of your nation as opposed to others. That God is only for “people like you.”
December 14 (Advent, Day 17): An Insecure World Leader
Moses had a speech impediment and didn’t believe in himself. And yet God called him to lead a nation of millions of people out of bondage and teach them his commands.
December 13 (Advent, Day 16): A Thought For When You Feel Like You’ve Lost It All
I don’t know what you’re going through or where you are right now, but when you hit rock bottom it’s easy to think that your story is over. That there’s no future. I wrote this to give you hope.
December 12 (Advent, Day 15): An Imperfect Man After God’s Own Heart
The Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart. He was also a man who had an affair with a woman and murdered her husband to cover it up. How can both be true?
December 11 (Advent, Day 14): A Thought For When You Feel Disqualified
If you’ve been following the Advent devotionals this week, you will have noticed a theme: apart from Jesus, not one of the people that God used in his story was perfect.
