Devos 365

Matthew 5:7-12 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. As Jesus preaches His radical message, there is a recurring theme. When we choose to live without arrogance or pride w...

Matthew 5:4-6 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Jesus continues His discourse on what it means to live in the kingdom of God with more unexpected admonishments. Everything outside of God demands that you take care of yourself first. The wants and needs of the individual take on way more importance in the secular world than they do in the Kingdom of God. For the follower of Christ, the opposite is true. The needs of others outweigh your own desires. Since we are trusting in God to care for us, we are able to reach outward rather than in to the self. Each of these phrases can be thought of alone, and certainly are worthy of singular mediation. So that Matthew doesn't take several years to accomplish, we will look at them in small groupings. In verse 4, Jesus says that those who mourn will be comforted. That ...

Matthew 5:1-3 1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." As we dive back into our study of Matthew after a few weeks of holiday divergence, we are standing right in the heart of the message of Jesus as we read what has come to be known as The Sermon on the Mount." Recognize that the title is man made, not a part of the original text. When Jesus begins His public ministry, He does so at a time when the world is in turmoil. The Romans have a firm (and punishing) grip on almost everything. The Jews are somewhat disorganized and being governed by sects rather than by the Torah. The Pharisees have risen up as the ruling class among the Jews and the faith that they practice does not resemble the Judaism of the Old Testament very clearly. Now the Son of God comes onto the scene and...

Prayer: Let all together praise our God,              Before His glorious throne;      Today He opens heav’n again      To give us His own Son,      To give us His own Son.      He leaves His heav’nly Father’s throne,      Is born an infant small,      And in a manger, poor and lone,      Lies in a humble stall,      Lies in a humble stall. Read:   Luke 2:1-20 http://www.esvbible.org/Luke+2%3A1-20/ Think about It: The story is not new. Many of us can repeat the words of our reading for today from memory! And that’s a problem. In our culture, we are addicted to the “new”; the next new thought, the next new show, the next new singer, the next new food. But the story of Jesus is not new. It is ancient. It began, as we disc...

Prayer: Now sing we, now rejoice,              Now raise to heav’n our voice;       He from whom joy streameth,       Poor in a manger lies;       Not so brightly beameth,      The sun in yonder skies.      Thou my Savior art! Thou my Savior art!      Come from on high to me;      I cannot rise to Thee.      Cheer my wearied spirit,      O pure and holy Child;      Through Thy grace and merit,      Blest Jesus, Lord most mild,      Draw me unto Thee! Draw me unto Thee! Read: Revelation 1:12–18 http://www.esvbible.org/Revelation+1%3A12-18/ Think about It: The Newborn King comes with humility and simplicity. He is humbled ...

Prayer: Let our gladness have no end, alleluia!        For to earth did Christ descend, alleluia!        On this day God gave us, Christ,        His Son, to save us        Prophesied in days of old, alleluia!        God has sent Him as foretold, alleluia!        On this day God gave us,        Christ, His Son, to save us Read:   Isaiah 44:21–24 http://www.esvbible.org/Isaiah+44%3A21-24/ Think about It: Almost 700 years before Jesus is born, the prophet Isaiah wrote the words we share today for our devotion. They are words of great hope and promise. God has not forgotten the promises for redemption that He made to His people!      As we enjoy the great birthday celebration of Jesus, we must keep Him connecte...