Today's Soul Food
 

 

DECEMBER 15

GOLDEN WORDS


For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 KJV

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The Jew longed for peace. He yearned for the day when swords would be beaten into plowshares. He waited for the era when Prince of Peace would come to end the incessant hostilities. So important was to the Jew was his quest for peace that the very word peace became a daily greeting. Where we say "hello" or "good-bye'" the Jew said simply, "Shalom."

R. C. Sproul - The Holiness of God




December 15 

"If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" (Genesis 17:18). 

What a beautiful intercessory plea Abraham prayed for his child. Although the covenant blessings would be for Isaac, Abraham wanted Ishmael also to live before God for the father would always love his son. If Sarah and Abraham had waited for God to fulfill His promise to them, Abraham would not have experienced such confusion about this beloved son and what would now happen to him.

But God answers: "As for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him..." (Gene-sis 17:20).

Pat Nordman ©



Today's Bible Question

 


What New Testament character was the "voice crying in the wilderness?"         
 

Previous question and Answer:

What king was referred to by Jesus as "that fox?"

Herod (Luke 13:31)

 

 

Excerpts from today's Spurgeon's Devotions

Spurgeon's Morning for December 15

Spurgeon's Evening for December 15
 

"Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her."

- Ruth 1:14

  

"And lay thy foundations with sapphires."

- Isaiah 54:11

It is one thing to love the ways of the Lord when all is fair, and quite another to cleave to them under all discouragements and difficulties.

The deep foundations of the work of grace are as sapphires for preciousness, no human mind is able to measure their glory. We build upon the covenant of grace, which is firmer than adamant, and as enduring as jewels upon which age spends itself in vain.
   

 

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 December 15  Heb 11:1 - 13:2

Linked to Bible Gaitway TM 

 

 

Amal and the  Night Visitor

 

 

One of the most appealing Christmas stories is that of Amal and the Night Visitors. You will remember that it is in an operatic setting by Menotti. The three wise men are on the way to Bethlehem, and they come to the home of a poor woman who has a little boy named Amal. Amal is crippled; he could not walk without a crutch. 

One evening their humdrum existence was interrupted by a loud knocking at their door, and his mother said to Amal, "Go see who is at the door." He went, and he came back and said, "Momma, a king is there." She lashed him with her tongue for exaggerating so much and sent him back to the door, and he came back the second time. He said, "There are two kings out there." He was in big trouble by then. So for a third time she sent him to the door, and he said, "Momma, there are three kings out there." 

Eventually, after all kinds of conversation, the three wise men came in, and she was impressed with them, particularly with the gold they carried. She tried to steal some of that, but in all the uproar of her attempted theft, one of the wise men said to her, noticing her plight of need, "You can keep the gold. The babe we are going to worship does not need it." But she was caught up in the spirit of generosity by then, so she said, "I would never keep that gold. Take it to the baby king, and if I had anything to send myself, I would do it."

Then comes the most poignant moment of Amal and the Night Visitors. Amal, sensing what was happening all around him, sensing he had nothing at all to send but wanting to send something, decided, "I will send my crutch." The one thing that was indispensable to him, he was going to give away. So he lifted up his crutch and gave it to the wise men. He gave what he had; he gave it personally; he gave it completely. And then a miracle occurred. His mother noticed first that he could walk now. He could stand alone. He was healed. He did not limp anymore. "Light and life to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings"--it's true. 

W. Frank Harrington, "The Love That Brought Him," Preaching Today,     


Merry Christmas

Christmas Quotation, Fact and Inspiration.

Advent 1

 Advent 2 Advent 3 Advent 4
Advent 5 Advent 6 Advent 7 Advent 8
Advent 9 Advent 10  Advent 11  Advent 12 
Advent 13 Advent 14 Advent 15 Advent 16  
Advent 17      

 

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Today's  Devotion

 

... ...and by his light I walked through darkness!    JOB 29:3 NIV

 

 

Ordinary Things

by Pat Nordman

 

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" 

Colossians 3:23

"So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, `We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty'"

 Luke 17:10


The true calling of a Christian is not to do extraordinary things but to do ordinary things in an extraordinary way." Dean Stanley. We feel we need to do great things for God, when all God asks of us is that we do our duty. What a tiresome word, duty! Brother Lawrence, a remarkable man who lived many years ago, wrote a remarkable book titled The Practice of the Presence of God. Brother Lawrence tells us that he is content with the pots and pans; that he is delighted to pick up a straw where no straw should be. His daily duty was in the kitchen, work that he didn't like but, by practicing the presence of his precious Christ, he made it into joyful service for others.

"Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?" Matthew 20:6c. We have all kinds of excuses for not working: we lack experience, opportunity, money, or time; we couldn't find work; we didn't hear the alarm clock, etc. But we are told that whatever we do (which implies we are to do something), we are to do it with all our might, for we are to do it for God and not for men's approval.

"As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me" John 9:4. There are two interesting words here, "day" and "we." Jesus is honoring us by including us within His work. Jesus went about doing good and doing His Father's work (Acts 10:38) while there was still time. He didn't go about seeking honors or approval; He simply went about doing good and working the works of love and duty, and this is what He asks of us. "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" Ecclesiastes 12:13.

...we are told that whatever we do (which implies we are to do something), we are to do it with all our might, for we are to do it for God and not for men's approval.

© Pat Nordman

 

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