December 23 – Sovereign Promises

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)

The book named after the prophet Isaiah is packed with promises from our sovereign God. Today we are familiar and know the true reason we celebrate December 25 as Christmas. No, it isn’t the loveable fat old man called Santa Claus – a name derived from Saint Nicholas. Nicholas was a real person between the years 220 A.D. and 343 A.D. He was a Christian bishop during the time of the Roman Empire. Many far-reaching, even dark legends developed around that name.  But there’s a name, Immanuel, connected to December 25, that is not legend. It’s the real story of a man who’s birth was prophesied centuries before His birth. In Isaiah 7:14 is a promise of the birth of a son named Immanuel to a young girl who was yet a virgin. Today’s verse elaborates on the name Immanuel.  Wonderful Counselor. This King will implement supernatural wisdom in discharging His office; Mighty God. As a powerful warrior, He will accomplish the military exploits mentioned in 9:3–5; Eternal Father. The Messiah will be a Father to His people eternally; Prince of Peace. The government of Immanuel will bring and perpetuate peace among the nations of the world.

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July 21 – He Has Done Great Things

“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.” – Luke 1:47-49 (NASB)

As we are approaching what some call “Christmas in July” we take this moment to remember again the words of Mary the mother of Jesus. After receiving the word from Gabriel, God’s arch angel that she would bear the Son of God in human form, Mary visited her cousin. Mary referred to God as “Savior,” demonstrating both that she recognized her own need of a Savior, and that she knew the true God as her Savior. Mary did not see herself as one free from the taint of original sin. She sang about the wonderful works that God was doing in her life. She had learned that she would become the Mother of Jesus, the Messiah and she realized that it was God doing it. We can praise the Lord just like she did. God does do great things for us and He is ready to do such things for us every day. We can remember that He is the Mighty One and His love for us is so great. So whatever we are facing today, you and I can know that God is able to take care of it for us. Let’s trust Him because He has promised.

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May 31 – He Cares For You


“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:6-7 (ESV)


So, how are you doing with the task of humbling yourself? Not easy is it. Sort of like we pray for patience and immediately we encounter a circumstance where patience is needed. It doesn’t take long to fall like that. Pride is the same. If we want to give up pride, we must accept being humbled by circumstances and people. It can be a pretty bitter pill to swallow. Successful at humility comes from God and submitting to His leading. As we allow ourselves to accept opportunities for humility, we do so under the might of God’s hand. He is able to give us all that we need to swallow pride and give up all our self-needed sufficiency. At the proper time (which is God’s time, not ours) God will exalt us by manifesting Himself through us. People will see His work in our lives, not our own efforts. When they comment on such times, we give credit and glory to God. Our other promise is: God cares for us so much that he is willing to take on all things we worry about. We do not have to worry because He cares and takes care of us.

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May 3 – Qualified By God


“…strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light” – Colossians 1:11-12 (NASB)

Again we look at this passage from the letter Paul the Apostle wrote to the church in Colossae. He cared much for the people in all the churches he had a part in establishing. Praying for them every day, he sought God’s very best for them and for them to recognize the promises and blessings they received. These are promises for us as well. In our passage today is a third factor, spiritual strength, that results from knowing God’s will and pleasing Him. Being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, a promise for overcoming uses three words for strength: “being strengthened” ⸺enable; make strong;¹ “power” ⸺be able, can;² and “might” ⸺power that overcomes resistance;³ This God-given strength produces great endurance and patience. This endurance or perseverance (James 1:3), we saw characterized by Job (James 5:11). To this endurance Paul added “patience,” a word generally associated with gentleness and calmness. When patience-producing power is manifested it is often accompanied with a joyful spirit of thanksgiving to the Father from whom comes every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). Our promise is we are made qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints.

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¹[dynamoumenoi]
²[dynamei]
³[kratos]

February 9 – One in Creation. One in Salvation.


“Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power.” – Psalm 106:8. (ESV)

Jesus Christ is our Savior; but not more so than God the Father, or God the Holy Spirit. Some perceive God the Father as being a great being full of wrath, and anger, and justice, they think of God the Spirit perhaps as an influence proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nothing can be more incorrect than such opinions. The Son redeems me; The Father gave the Son to die for me, chose me in his everlasting grace. The Father blots out my sin; He accepts me, and adopts me into his family through Christ. The Son could not save without the Father any more than the Father without the Son. It is God the Holy Spirit that regenerates us. It is He that makes us new creatures in Christ, who purifies our soul, who sanctifies our spirit, and who, at last, presents us spotless and faultless before the throne of the Most High, accepted in the beloved. When we say, “Savior,” remember there is a Trinity in that word—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As they are one in creation, so are they one in salvation, working together as one God for our salvation.

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C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 1), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 1998), 39.

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Jesus Christ is our Savior; but not more so than God the Father, or God the Holy Spirit. Some perceive God the Father as being a great being full of wrath, and anger, and justice, they think of God the Spirit perhaps as an influence proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nothing can be more incorrect than such opinions. The Son redeems me; The Father gave the Son to die for me, chose me in his everlasting grace. The Father blots out my sin; He accepts me, and adopts me into his family through Christ. The Son could not save without the Father any more than the Father without the Son. It is God the Holy Spirit that regenerates us. It is He that makes us new creatures in Christ, who purifies our soul, who sanctifies our spirit, and who, at last, presents us spotless and faultless before the throne of the Most High, accepted in the beloved. When we say, “Savior,” remember there is a Trinity in that word—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. As they are one in creation, so are they one in salvation, working together as one God for our salvation.

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C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 1), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 1998), 39.