What a powerful prayer that Daniel is confessing for the whole nation. Then he asks God to act, not for the people but for Gods own great compassion. What a great reminder of the Gospel! We are saved by His work, grace, mercy and compassion…literally nothing of our own efforts!!!
“Any male among Aaron’s descendants may eat it. It is a permanent portion , throughout your generations from the food offerings to the Lord. Anything that touches the offerings will become holy.”
Leviticus 6:18 CSB
It’s very interesting that most of the laws about touching things will bring the touches down to the level of the “unclean” thing…this seems logical. Contamination of germs and illnesses work like this. But the sacrifices are the opposite, anything that touches them, becomes holy like they are! This is a pointer to Jesus who had the same impact on people who were sick, they could touch Him and be healed…He would ultimately become the sacrifice for my sin.
“The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for your lives.”
Exodus 30:15 CSB
This atonement ransom interestingly points to the gospel. The amount of the ransom is not correlated to how much they can afford, or their position or even reputation…they all needed the same ransom, just like we all need the same payment for our sins. Jesus is the only possible payment for the ransom we owe and God was pointing that out here, thousands of years before He even sent Jesus.
“But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”
That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.”
Exodus 14:13-14, 30-31 CSB
What a powerful forebear to the Gospel. That God would fight for us against the penalty and power of our own sin. It would be God who concurs it while we are on the sideline and trust Him.
Lord, thank You for saving me. Thank You for fighting for me. Thank You for knowing that I am too weak, frail and foolish to follow You without the power of Your Spirit.
“For I rescued the poor who cried out for help, and the fatherless child who had no one to support him. The dying blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart rejoice. I clothed myself in righteousness, and it enveloped me; my just decisions were like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy, and I examined the case of the stranger.”
Job 29:12-16 CSB
I have felt like Job before …fully and thoughtfully reviewing my performance and seeing nothing but good… that was shortly before God revealed what my motivations were. I had no idea that pride was driving much of my good works! I actually think, that was not the case with Job, I think he was a good guy. But this reminded me of how blind I can be to my own reality.
More importantly, it reminded me that God carefully and lovingly walks with us on the road to sanctification. He doesn’t point us in a direction and tell us to go…but He is with us every step of the way, revealing reality slowly so that we can be made new, one layer at a time.
God is so patient with us, lovingly opening our eyes to the next failing He wants us to surrender to Him. He then reshapes us to resemble Jesus just a little bit more, then on to the next, and the next, and the next…
“If only I knew how to find him, so that I could go to his throne. I would plead my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.”
Job 23:3-4 CSB
What a blessing that we know how to approach God! Better still that we do not need to argue our case before Him, rather Jesus is our Lawyer. Jesus is our intercessor, who pleads our case to the Father. The case is compelling because it has nothing to do with what we have done, only what Jesus has done for us!
Lord, thank You for revealing yourself to us through Jesus and Your Word! Thank You for allowing us to know You and desiring relationship with us.
“Yes, I know what you’ve said is true, but how can a person be justified before God? If one wanted to take him to court, he could not answer God once in a thousand times. God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed him and come out unharmed?”
Job 9:2-4 CSB
Jobs’ question is one we all must deal with- “but how can a person be justified before God?”
The answer is - no one! Only Jesus payment for our sins can justify us before God. All of our own attempts are just waisted energy and frustrations. No matter how great we are at being good, we still fall infinitely short of justification. Our efforts are meaningless.
Lord, thank You for sending Jesus so that I can have a restored relationship with You! Help me to rest in Jesus work alone. Allow me strength to surrender in every area of life so that the Spirit would continue to conform me to Your image!
“Everything with the breath of the spirit of life in its nostrils #— #everything on dry land died. He wiped out every living thing that was on the face of the earth, from mankind to livestock, to creatures that crawl, to the birds of the sky, and they were wiped off the earth. Only Noah was left, and those that were with him in the ark. ”
Genesis 7:22-23 CSB
God saving one family was a pure act of mercy. He was not required to, and would have been just to destroy even them. Yet, that is not what He did…He demonstrated who He is by choosing one family to be saved and the giving them the plan for what to do. Their salvation hinged on following Gods plan.
They believed God and built a boat, and made preparations for something seemingly unknown to them…
God made a way to save us too! Jesus work of salvation on the cross, we just need to believe God and trust in Jesus. What a God of grace and mercy!
“And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which, if every one of them were written down, I suppose not even the world itself could contain the books that would be written. ”
John 21:25 CSB
John was selective about what he wrote because he was telling a story about the greatest man to ever live…a story that would be compelling and force the reader to deal with the truth about God. The undeniable truth is that Jesus was a real person, He performed miracles that are not possible even today, He loved people as if they were His family even when they were against Him, and He spoke with authority, clarity and conviction like nobody in history. Then, He died, punished as a criminal for you and me, and miraculously came back to life.
All of these things were undeniable. The people who witnessed them could have torn down these as lies when they were written if that was the case…but they didn’t because it is all true.
So, the question is: will you believe? Or will you reject Jesus love for you? That is the only question that matters…
“After this, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus #— #but secretly because of his fear of the Jews #— #asked Pilate that he might remove Jesus’s body. Pilate gave him permission; so he came and took his body away. Nicodemus (who had previously come to him at night) also came, bringing a mixture of about seventy-five pounds of myrrh and aloes. They took Jesus’s body and wrapped it in linen cloths with the fragrant spices, according to the burial custom of the Jews.”
John 19:38-40 CSB
The planning of God here is amazing, he strategically placed two men to be able to take care of Jesus body after he dies on the cross. These were men with authority, power and standing,,,the only type of people who could have helped in this way…and God orchestrated previous circumstances to have them follow Jesus.
How many time do we feel like God has ignored us, or forgotten us…the feeling of being deserted and alone? Yet, we can look back at those times and see that God had already been preparing someone to show up, or a situation to play out just when we needed it. We often chalk this up to coincidence, but don’t fool yourself, this is GOD perfectly caring for us.
Lord God, thank you for caring for the most important need, my eternal salvation. Something I could never even start to help with. Thank you for sending Jesus at just the right time to save all humanity from the consequences of our sin. Thank you for orchestrating every aspect of life so that I could know You and that through faith in Jesus finished work on the cross, have a personal relationship with You, the King of the universe! There are not enough or even appropriate words to fully thank You! Help me to always remember that I am so blessed!!! Merry Christmas!
“For these things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: Not one of his bones will be broken. Also, another Scripture says: They will look at the one they pierced.”
John 19:36-37 CSB
Some of the ways that prophecy was fulfilled could have been organized by Jesus. For example, riding into town on a donkey. But things that happened after His death, even by people who were secretly His followers would have been impossible to plan ahead. These type of things give additional credibility to the plan for redemption of God the Father! This was not some faked plot by Jesus to pull one over on people.
Lord, help me to live for You after all that You have done for me.
“You are a king then? ” Pilate asked.
“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
John 18:37 CSB
What an incredible testimony that Jesus gives that His arrest and death are literally what He was born for! This circus of a trial and the ultimate condemnation to death is the very thing God sent Him to earth for. How humbling, that Jesus did all this for me!
God, thank You for stooping to our level to come to us and die for us. It really is the only way that we could possibly have relationship with You! What a privilege to understand that all of this was for me. Help me to love You more!
“Until now you have asked for nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
John 16:24, 33 CSB
Jesus talking to His disciples right before He is to leave them for the cross. His focus was to care for their emotional wellbeing even though suffering was coming. Not only because of His own execution, but because they would face their own trials and suffering.
God desires that we understand the same things today:
1) we should go to Him with everything.
2) He wants us to experience joy in Him.
3) we will experience suffering, but we are not alone.
4) He wants us to experience peace in every circumstance.
This sounds like a realistic God, not one of fairy tales, but One who cares about each of us individually. A God who desires good things for us and will be with us in any and every situation. That is a God I want to worship, a God deserving my praise and my full surrender!
“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.”
John 16:7 CSB
From my perspective today, this is a hard passage to believe. These men had God in person, Jesus…they could talk to Him, ask Him questions. First hand observe miracles and reach out and touch Him. This statement seems impossible, that the Spirit inside of us is better…just sounds crazy.
But, my only experience is that the Spirit is permanently residing in me. There is never a moment where God is not at hand…yet I don’t always listen to Him, ask Him questions or even talk to him. That is the sad reality.
Lord, help me to live as if You were inside of me every moment of every day. Help me to converse with you and observe your works in my life. Allow me to recognize You in me.
“You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”
John 15:16 CSB
Lord, what a privilege that You choose those who follow You. I am not worth being selected on my own. I need Your Spirit inside me to do anything good. If I didn’t have the power of Your Spirit motivating me, I would only be producing fake fruit that does not last…it would take incredible effort and still be rotten. Lord, help me to rest in You, as You produce the fruit in my life!
Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him… the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”
John 14:23, 26 CSB
Placing our faith in Jesus gives us the literal presence of God in our life. The Holy Spirit is with us continually, which is awesome, but He also does the work of a counselor…reminding us of truth and showing us how scripture can apply to our lives.
Lord, help us to remember what a true blessing it is that You are literally with us at every moment of every day. That should motivate us to obedience and thankfulness! When I am feeling weak, low or frustrated, help me to turn to you and find joy and peace in Your presence!!!
“Many came to him and said, “John never did a sign, but everything John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.”
John 10:41-42 CSB
The true testimony of who Jesus is, is enough for people to believe. Lord, help me to talk about You enough that people can believe and have what You promise: LIFE and PEACE!
“The Jews surrounded him and asked, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
“I did tell you and you don’t believe,” Jesus answered them. “The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. But you don’t believe because you are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.”
John 10:24-28 CSB
Lord, thank You for choosing me, help me to listen to Your voice and do what You tell me! I know that on my own, every step of this is IMPOSSIBLE!
Hearing.
Listening.
Following.
Thank You for empowering me to know You!
“Some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Yet, look, he’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to him. Can it be true that the authorities know he is the Messiah? Then they tried to seize him. Yet no one laid a hand on him because his hour had not yet come.”
John 7:25-26, 30 CSB
Jesus is talking publicly in the most dangerous place possible where people literally want to kill Him. Yet He does it fearlessly because He trusts His Father God explicitly.
Lord help me to trust You in every situation. I am often worried about what people will think of me or if I will be in trouble, help me to have boldness and confidence in You!
“After this, Jesus traveled in Galilee, since he did not want to travel in Judea because the Jews were trying to kill him. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples can see your works that you are doing. The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me because I testify about it — that its works are evil.”
John 7:1, 3, 7 CSB
Can you imagine having Jesus as your older brother? Even as a kid he did everything right…I bet they really wanted to see him finally get what he deserved. Someone to finally show him that he was not perfect! How frustrating would that be?!? But did they really want Jesus to be killed?
The reason Jesus states that people want to kill him is very relatable today. They hate Him because he tells the truth about how sinful they are living. Nobody wants to hear that their decisions are motivated by Satan when they are rejecting Gods way.
Lord, help me to speak clearly and lovingly. Full of compassion and tenderness but not shying away from your truth.
