REPOST Today’s AMI QT Devotional, written by Pastor Andrew Kim, was originally posted on December 25, 2016. Andrew is presently pastoring Alive Church in Montreal.
Devotional Thought for the Day of Christmas
“Immanuel”
Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).”
Recently, I noticed while reading through my Facebook feed that many were calling 2016 one of the worst years in recent memory. And once you begin reflecting back, it’s not surprising that many have come to this conclusion: police brutality, racial divide, Aleppo, numerous shootings/bombings around the world, and the election (to half of the nation). Yes, it’s been a terrible year for many. In light of this, many of the comments expressed confusion. Others offered their own well-intentioned solutions in the form of new political policies and strategies. But most were resigned to a loss of hope. What can be done when the issues seem so much bigger than us?
It was a similar situation around the time of the birth of Christ. The people of Israel had been in exile for many years and even as they returned to the promised land, they were met by Grecian, Ptolemaic, Seleucid and Roman oppressions. They had become foreigners in their own land. As a result, many Jews attempted to resolve the situation by means of violent revolution or by colluding with the Roman authorities for more power. But none of it brought the liberation they had been longing for, which led to a profound sense of hopelessness. But little did they know, that true freedom had come in the form of a baby, who was called Immanuel, “God with us.” This baby would go on to bring about a type of liberation that they could have never imagined; one that gave them freedom from their greatest oppressor: the power of sin.
As we go about our Christmas, let us rejoice in the hope found only in Jesus, who is Immanuel. He is the embodied presence of God. He is the true hope of the world. In the midst of darkness and pain, both globally and personally, He is the only answer. This Christmas morning, let us be reminded that our ultimate hope does not lay in politics or human ingenuity but in a baby named Jesus.
Bible Reading for Today: Matthew 2
Lunch Break Study
(By Kate Moon—first posted on 12.25.14)
Read Psalm 144:9-15: “I will sing a new song to you, my God;on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you,10 to the One who gives victory to kings,who delivers his servant David.
From the deadly sword 11 deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful. 12 Then our sons in their youth will be like well-nurtured plants, and our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace. 13 Our barns will be filled with every kind of provision. Our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields; 14 our oxen will draw heavy loads. There will be no breaching of walls,
no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets. 15 Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.”
Questions to Consider
1. What is David’s situation in Psalm 143? What about in Psalm 144?
2. What story do these two psalms tell when they are read side by side?
3. What are his main concerns in Psalm 143 versus in Psalm 144?
4. As we see God’s faithfulness in fulfilling his promise and call on David’s life, what hope can we have for our own?
Notes
1. Where Psalm 143 is the desperate cry of a man on the run, Psalm 144 is the battle cry of the leader of a nation.
2. Taken from two very different periods of David’s life and here juxtaposed, these two psalms tell the story of how after all the hard times, King David finally comes into his own. He has gone from being a fugitive to being a king, and this is evidence of God’s personal goodness and faithfulness to David in his life.
3. In Psalm 144, David is no longer asking for God’s deliverance as one being hunted down; instead, he is now calling on the Lord for victory over foreign nations (v. 11) and blessings for an entire people (vv. 12-15) from the position of being their king (v. 10). Though there are different seasons we go through in life, once we get through difficult stages, our prayers can be less focused on personal struggles and turn more towards establishing God’s kingdom and bringing its benefits to others.
4. God is mindful of us. Though our lives are like a mere breath or shadow compared to His eternal existence, His desire is for us to live it in a significant way. In addition to being thankful for what He has done in the past, let’s continue to hope in God for his future goodness towards us, His faithfulness to fulfill his promise in us.
Evening Reflection
As I celebrated Christmas today, was it a busy day? Was there a moment that I had with the Lord where I felt true joy and celebration in my heart over who he is, what he has done and what he will do? If not, it’s not too late – take a moment in quiet celebration with him even now.