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Read Isaiah 40:9-11
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (v. 11).
Have you ever seen young parents with several small children in a busy place? They try to carry on conversations even as their eyes dart around, constantly keeping track of their children’s movements. Every once in a while one parent may step away from the cluster of adults to count the children. As soon as Daddy runs down the list and assures himself that all are still nearby, he rejoins the conversation.
What happens when his count comes up short? The conversation is forgotten. Perhaps he begins by gathering the children to his wife’s side — he does not want to have to search for more than one — then he begins to walk in an ever-widening circle, looking behind and under things as he goes, until he finds his lost child. When the child is found, he may even scoop him up and not let him go again.
That is the image of our concerned Shepherd. He guides us as loving parents do young children. He does not give us a list of rules and expect us to be able to follow them on our own. He watches us closely, provides the Holy Spirit for encouragement and wisdom, and seeks us out when we lose our way. (Michelle Avery)
Praise the Lord! He cares for us.
This is the Tuesday, December 24, 2013, devotional of Opening the Word.
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Read Matthew 3:11-17
"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased" (v. 17).
On June 21, 1982, the announcement was made in London, England that a new prince, William, had been born into the royal family. As the son of the heir-apparent to the throne of England, he was and is now in line to rule as the monarch of Great Britain. Undoubtedly, this announcement was a source of joy to all of the loyal subjects who are a part of the British Commonwealth of nations.
Whether William will ever actually rule or not is unknown. There are many things that could happen to him personally or to the country over which he would reign. Even if he should, he will be but one more in a long line of kings and queens who have come and gone throughout the world's history.
"There is another king, one Jesus" (Acts 17:7) whose person and kingdom infinitely overshadow any and all earthly monarchs. His kingdom encompasses the entire world, is founded not on brute power but rather on passionate love. It is a spiritual kingdom that will transition into a literal one. And it is a kingdom that will never end! This is so because He is the eternal God who was and is and is to come, the King of kings and Lord of lords. (Mike R Williams)
The world's final Ruler is coming.
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Read Ezekiel 33:30-33
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness" (v. 31).
Covetousness might be called "the sin that is most ignored." The tenth commandment is the one that is normally skipped in discussions. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said of the thousands he had seen saved, he never heard someone say they were saved from the sin of covetousness. LaSalle was a famous priest of the Middle Ages, and he said this sin was never confessed to him.
There is an old Jewish saying that we are born into this world with hands grasping after everything we can obtain, but when we die our hands are wide open and nothing in them. This is the problem of covetousness.
A story is told of a peasant who murmured to a giant landholder of the unfairness of it all. Knowing the nature of men, the landholder promised to give the peasant all the land he could walk around in a whole day. The peasant, greedily trying to take in all the area possible, overexerted himself and dropped with a heart attack and died. He ended up with nothing.
Covetousness is a debasing sin - it will turn you into less than you can be (1 Timothy 6:9-10). It is a deceiving sin - usually the covetous person does not recognize the problem (1 Thessalonians 2:5). It is a damning sin - one to take seriously (Ephesians 5:5). (L. Gayle Woods)
Do not ignore this sin; with God's grace, overcome it.
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