Perfect Patience

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December 4th

Perfect Patience “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:15-17 At five years old I decided my parents were keeping a secret from me: “Don’t touch the stove!” “Give me that lighter!” and, “Back away from the fireplace!” are things I heard often. After a while they morphed into tottering watchtowers whenever I skipped into the room--stomping around, barking commands that burned my little ears. I yearned to know what the fuss was about. One day I squirreled a half-crumpled matchbox into my bedroom just before naptime. Coast clear, I eased a twig free from its prison and sniffed the distinct aroma of forbidden joy. My heart pounded, giving rhythm to the scene: Swipe. Swipe. Strike! Yes! The flame devoured the wood, and the smoke flared into my face, stinging my eyes and nose. Disoriented, I dropped the lit match onto my bed… A few days later I stared in shock at the bundle in my mother’s hands. The burnt sheets. No... “Why hide this, son?” she snarled. My dad fumed in silence, waiting. I pleaded, “I was too traumatized by the fire! I knew I would get a whuppin’, and I just couldn’t handle it all right then. But I’m ready now. I can go get The Belt.” My mother’s death-stare swung over to meet my father’s--and they burst into laughter. “’Traumatized?’ Where’d he learn that word, Sallie?” “That’s your son!” They laughed until they cried and left me standing there puzzled by the sound of chortles piercing through their bedroom door. Paul writes to Timothy that Jesus demonstrated “perfect patience” toward him as an example “for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” The apostle even refers to himself as “the foremost” of all sinners. Paul was saying that he was a disobedient child in need of a “whuppin’,” but that Christ saw fit to show complete patience toward him for you, me, and everyone who will believe in Him. The word patience in this passage comes from a combination of two Greek words. One word means “long; far; distant,” and the other means “temper; rage; wrath.” Not quite what we typically define as patience, right? This time of year stress kicks into high gear, and we live in a period where nearly everything is a sensitive subject, and almost everyone is just a tweet, post, or scroll away from being sparked into fiery, self-righteous indignation. It just takes one match, and our love for God and others can be “smoked out.” My dad loves to retell “The Burnt Sheets Story” often. To me. As if I wasn’t there. But I like hearing it. It reminds me that my folks loved me enough to laugh when they could’ve scourged me in fierce parental wrath. They demonstrated patience. I sometimes imagine Jesus doubled over in the Throne Room spluttering between guffaws, “He didn’t think that one through!” Our Lord is so immensely patient with me, it’s amazing. He’s the same way with all of us. I wonder how the Body of Christ would look if we all showed that patience toward the world and toward one another? Would we walk in more of the miraculous power of God, changing lives everywhere He sends us? Let’s challenge each other to do just that this Christmas season, in honor of Jesus, our King forever. Amen.

Charles Spencer

December 5th

The Most Important Job And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. “And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. Luke 1:46-50 Every Christmas season I stand in awe when I think about Mary’s story. I imagine myself in her shoes and wonder what it would feel like to be entrusted with such an important job. What an honor it would be to stand in Mary’s position. How privileged would I feel to fulfill such an important job? How would I respond? I would definitely be afraid. Could I overcome the fear in order to serve the Lord? I marvel at the courage Mary expresses as she carries out the job God had given to her. This year as I read through Mary’s song I realized something: Mary and I are not nearly the same, but the Lord has given me a very important job, too. Matthew 28:19-20 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” I am so very blessed. I cannot stop praising the Lord for His faithfulness and for entrusting me to do His work. What an honor it is to serve where I am. I feel just as Mary describes in this passage. My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. God wants me. He wants to use me to increase His kingdom and to share His love. I can barely believe that I have been called to such a worthy cause. I am not afraid of the task, nor do I have to be. Jesus promised to be with me always; therefore, I have nothing to fear. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord“ (Rom. 8:38-39). No, I am not worthy of the task, and I am not capable on my own. Yet God has chosen to use me for His purposes and has extended the grace I need to fulfill them. Just as Mary was called, so are you. You and I both get to participate in this mission for the Lord. Let us rejoice together, for the Lord wants us. He has chosen us to be His children and to work with Him for His glory. Praise the Lord! All glory be to God alone.

Maddy Myers

December 6th

Dwelling Among Us “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 My wife Helen and I had the privilege of bringing this wonderful Good News to the Dani stone-age people, a people who had never been in touch with the outside world. After we had learned their language, one of the first truths we brought them was this truth that the God Who had made their ancestors had Himself come into this world so that the people whom He had made would be able to see what a great God He is and how much He loved them, even though they had never heard of Him. Clearly, we now cannot see Him and His glory like the people of that time when He lived among them. But then He told them that if they would put their trust in Him, He would come to live in them, just as God the Father lived in Him. And so again, the Word becomes flesh in those who follow Him. And now some of that love and glory can be seen in those of us who follow Jesus, and we have the privilege of sharing this great Christmas story with others whom God loves but who as yet have never heard. What a great privilege! I think that is what Christmas is all about.

John T. Dekker

December 7th

Get Wisdom When [the magi] saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11 As I child I often referred to the magi as “wise men.” However, as a ten-year-old, to me these “wise men” were simply old, wealthy, bearded guys who liked to travel on camels and bring expensive gifts. The term “wise” was not associated with something valuable or truly necessary in the eyes of a young girl who just wanted a Barbie and cookies for Christmas. Now I am continuing to learn how much wisdom is valued, viewed, and treasured by God. Proverbs 4:7 states, “The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding.”Also, Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” In Matthew 2 we can gather the extent to which the magi went just to find, see, and worship Jesus. The magi noticed the star in the distance, voluntarily left their homes, and endured the long travel to Bethlehem. All of this to simply follow a star. I still like to call the magi the “wise men,” but not because of their wealth, given stature, or technical name. These men knew what they were following and at all costs continued to follow. Once reaching Bethlehem and the star, Matthew 2:10 states that “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” This reaction was not just triggered by finally finding the star. Rather, they found the Reason for the star. My favorite part of these verses is the reaction of the magi upon seeing the Child. They fell to the ground and worshiped. These kings, the magi, and the wealthy rulers stopped and worshiped the Child. After worshiping, they presented gifts. I would consider the magi as wise men who knew what they were following. When Jesus returns to this earth as the righteous, mighty, all-powerful, and glorious King, all will know (Rev. 1:7). We will not need a star in the sky to find Him. When He returns I want my reaction to be like these magi, who rejoiced, worshiped, and presented their best gifts to the King. This story continues to show me how when I faithfully follow the King I will reap rewards greater than imagined.

Hannah Smith

December 8th

The Long-Awaited Promise But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5 Four hundred and thirty years. That’s how long the children of Abraham had to wait to inherit the Promised Land. Then they had to wait 1600 more years for their promised Messiah to come! His coming was certain, but certainly not in the way that anyone expected. During all that time God only gave the Israelites veiled hints and promises. That kept them on their toes! Then the fulfillment of that promise came at just the right time, but it was only noticed by those who were faithful--waiting and watching, looking for the “pearl of great value” (Matt. 13:46). Waiting can be so hard! How long must I wait to be rescued from my situation? One month? One year? Five years? When Jesus comes again, will He find me alert and at my post? What about today? What hint or whispered message does He have for me now? The mystery of the long-awaited promise is that the Son of God was born a human, a Jew who obeyed the Law of Moses. The eternal Word of God had to become the Son of Man so He could be our Representative, Advocate, and Redeemer. He freed us from the curse of the law to give us the power to obey the spirit of the law. He became like us, so we could become like Him! Wasn’t that worth waiting for? Lord, I don’t want to miss out on the promises You have given me for today and for tomorrow. Help me to be watching, waiting, and patient. Thank You for sending Your Son, Who rescues me and makes me a true child of God!

Bill Bergman

December 9th

Blessed Are You When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she cried out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to herby the Lord.” Luke 1:41-45 Can you remember when the Lord gave you a promise? How far did you get with it? Did you struggle along the way? Did you doubt? Did you wonder, or question: What am I doing? Or, Is this really God’s plan? Did you quit? I think about Mary, in this passage, and how she had to go through the hill country, with this Word, this Promise, that the Lord had given to her. Think of a hill. When you attempt to climb a hill, you may become exhausted. There are ups and downs, and you have to keep your footing sure. Each step could cause a slip. At times you may feel like you are in a hill country; you need encouragement through scripture and prayer in order to keep your footing. You know with every uphill, the downhill is coming! The weeping may endure for a night, but Joy comes with the morning! Mary continued until she reached Zachariah’s house, but she gave her greeting to Elizabeth. This was not only the confirmation of the Word for Elizabeth, but for Mary, too. Elizabeth says, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” Would you allow me to say the same to you? Blessed are you! Blessed are you for carrying the promise, the Word through each hill of life, and you are still here! Blessed are you that you may have had some moments of discouragement on the way, which may have momentarily delayed you, but you continued on! As the Bible tells us, the race is not given to the swift nor to the strong but to the one who endures until the end! Blessed are you, for you continued to believe the promise, and you allow the Lord to continue to fulfill it! Blessed are you! It’s possible you are reading this now and you can think of a time when you did give up. “Why did I let go?” you think to yourself. But there is no need to feel bad or to panic. You, beloved, are still here! Lord, I still believe You. I still believe Your Word, Your truth, and what You have placed in me to run with. I may have quit, become angry, or even turned my back on You, but I know this: You never stopped loving me, and Your plans in my life never stopped! I can still run on. Greater are You Who gives me strength than he who is n the world. I will run on! In Jesus’s name. Amen!

LaKisha Martin

December 10th

Prepare the Way A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3 A voice is calling out to us to clear the way and make smooth a highway for our God! This verse called out specifically to Jerusalem, and it was a call for hope to rise up within the people. The people were to prepare a way for God, trusting that He would bless them in a difficult season. This blessing would come in the form of Jesus, Who set the world free from the power of sin and death! “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death“ (Rom. 8:2). Some questions we must face today are these: How am I preparing a way for His blessings in my life? What difficult storm of life are you walking through right now, and what promises do you lean on, knowing that God said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5b)? Here are 10 promises that Jesus gave us to stand upon in the midst of trouble. (There are plenty more than these to stand upon; these are only a few examples): • You will see heaven open. (John 1:51) • You will find your life in Him. (Matthew 16:25) • Great is your reward in heaven. (Matthew 5:12) • Your sins are forgiven. (Matthew 9:2) • He will confess you before His heavenly Father. (Matthew 10:32) • You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8:32) • You will never experience death. (John 8:51) • You will have life, even life more abundantly. (John 10:10) • Where two or three have gathered together in His name, He is there in their midst. (Matthew 18:20) • The heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. (Luke 11:13) If we continue to lean on His promises, trusting fully in Him, we will see Him move in mighty ways! If you are looking for freedom, if you are facing a difficult path in life, or if you are seeking a way to glorify Him more, look for ways to make a path clear in your heart and in your life to see the Lord move in a mighty way!

Kendell Liden