Pastor Mary Haley

What does it mean to be a worshiper? The Book of Proverbs will be teaching us for the next month. We need to be able to answer that question, because from the beginning of time it has been God’s mission to make human beings in the image of Christ—a speaking spirit and a true worshiper of God. So, to be a worshiper is to be Christ-centered in our nature and character. Essentially, we live like Christ.

Since the Word of God is brought to life by the Spirit, we need to make sure we are focused on and looking for the revelation of Christ in our readings, because in them we will see the heart of our worship Leader—the Christ. Therefore, a relationship with Christ is the Way to Wisdom and as we trust him we will learn how to navigate our lives.

Since we are looking for Christ and not just practical tips for living, the Bible is the focus of our study. We are looking to grow in our relationship with God; so we need to prepare ourselves by being willing to dig deeper beyond what we think we already know about God. Worshipers are interested in restoring harmony with God and that means we gain a hunger for the transformation he alone can perform.

In our passage from yesterday, we stopped with verse 7, but I hope you kept reading the whole chapter. If not, please do so today, before moving on. The pulse of vv. 8-33 is to draw attention to the two paths in life: 1) a wise (righteous) path, and 2) a foolish (evil) path.

Solomon teaches his son to follow the righteous path, because the evil way is a path of violence and robbery which destroys life and separates a person from God’s presence. Stealing is a sin. A greedy spirit is sinful. Evil people will suffer the consequences of their sin; reap what has been sown. So, repentance is key! Wise people want to please God and know he will protect and guide them to good things.

In our passage today, we will look at Chapter 2. Jesus is the only one who can rescue and save us from living foolishly. Sometimes it looks like foolish people are getting ahead, but God’s Word teaches us the Lord will turn the tables. Wisdom is a Person—Jesus—so we need to accept him as the Wisdom of God.

Jesus has promised to be our Shepherd and Guide, so listening is wisdom when it comes to forming a relationship with Christ. The Lord is not trying to withhold good things from us; instead, he is seeking to protect us from the things he knows will destroy us or lead us away from God. The Spirit is the Voice of Truth, so we need to listen and allow ourselves to receive instruction and even correction. It all happens by faith and choice—a gift to receive and fear or respect for God’s ways.

Human flesh has a voice and tries to direct individual lives, as well. So, Solomon exhorts his son to commit his way to Wisdom—Christ. Solomon knows moral failure and the power of temptation, so he wants more for his son. Satan is a thief and he is behind every act of evil.

Proverbs 2:1-22 NLT Moral Benefits of Wisdom
1 
My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
2 
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
3 
indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
4 
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
6 
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 
Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
10 
For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 
Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.
12 
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 
who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
14 
who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 
whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.
16 
Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 
who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.
18 
Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 
None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.
20 
Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 
For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 
but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

Prayer: Lord, we have all been foolish; so, thank you for Jesus who makes it possible for us to be forgiven, as well as to receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. We know turning toward Wisdom is trusting the Spirit to transform us and help us follow your covenant commands of love. Our moral behavior and choices matter to our relationship with you. We need to live like Jesus who as a Son listened to his Father. If we find ourselves trying to justify our sin, Lord, we know we have not been listening to Wisdom. It is clear if we reject Wisdom, we reject the Lord Yahweh. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sometimes I find myself reading sentences in the biblical text that are so packed full of truth, it is difficult to parse them in order to gain all the Wisdom made available. However, that is not the case when reading Solomon’s Book of Proverbs—these are statements or truths that also provide applicable practical instructions for living in God’s Wisdom. Remember, according to Scripture, Christ has been made Wisdom for believers, so Solomon is essentially referring to obeying the Lord—the Living Word (1 Cor 1:30).

The Wisdom literature was written and encouraged to be passed on from one generation to another—by being practical living examples—so people would not lose their fear of the Lord [respect and awe for God]. Solomon wanted the youth to know that living righteously was possible, but a person needs the Wisdom of the Lord as a Helper. Wisdom is revealed by how we live.

In our passage today, Solomon begins his Wisdom writings by telling the reader the purpose of them—to embrace humility and understand the knowledge of God. As well, Solomon reveals to whom they are addressed—both the simple and wise need to surrender in complete dependence upon God. We cannot know about life and ourselves, without knowing the Giver of life and the Creator who made us in his image. Proverbs teaches how to successfully navigate life with God. We are never too simple or too wise to learn from the Lord.

We can grow in Wisdom every single day. We do not need to walk in darkness, because a great Light [Revelation] has come to lead the Way. Solomon did receive great wisdom and understanding, but Jesus himself said Someone greater than Solomon was among humanity—Christ himself.

Let’s define Wisdom as basically choosing to apply the Truth of God’s Word to our lives. With this being said, we are invited to read the Book of Proverbs once a month; there are approximately thirty-one chapters, so a chapter a day is doable. Wisdom is personified as a woman, but that does not change the relevance of the passages for all human life. Proverbs will grow us in the righteous character and integrity of God which should be our goal for 2025. So, keep on reading…I’ll be reading with you!

Proverbs 1:1-7 NLT The Purpose of Proverbs
1 These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.
2 
Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
    to help them understand the insights of the wise.
3 
Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives,
    to help them do what is right, just, and fair.
4 
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
    knowledge and discernment to the young.
5 
Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
    Let those with understanding receive guidance
6 
by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables,
    the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge,
    but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the Wisdom we can gain as we read the Book of Proverbs. We take this time to thank you for Christ who is Wisdom incarnate and who now lives in our hearts. In Christ, lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, so we can live meaningful and successful lives in obedience to him. Help us to make a commitment to read, study, and look for the growth of wisdom in our souls. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

I received a variety of thoughtful gifts for Christmas and I want to say, “Thank you for blessing me!” Some of the gifts are edible and I am probably enjoying them a little too much! Some gifts are more practical in nature and I have found and continue to find more ways to enjoy and utilize each beautiful item. Some gifts are just fun—make me smile—and remind me of who I am as God’s daughter and provide ways to enjoy my days in our temporary home. Finally, some of these wonderful gifts bring with them a sense of expectation and challenge for the future; I always enjoy looking ahead. For example, a dear sister-in-Christ gave me a 2025 flip calendar—Church Signs to Help You on Your Way—which I enjoy, because I find these little sayings so fresh and encouraging. In fact, I have enjoyed reading farther into the year, because these little short sayings provide a unique perspective! Therefore, I will begin by sharing today’s “sign” (New Year’s Day) to encourage us all: “Before us lay 365 days = 365 new chances!” In Scripture, the word chance is associated with the word opportunity and a way to see how one event flows into another in the goodness of God and being at the right place in our souls at the right time. So, pray for opportunity and pray for oneness with God this year.

As we enter the new year of 2025, let’s remember God has planned out our lives and has positioned us to see his goodness. Now, of course, we are not able to see his goodness in everything we face when challenges stare us in the face, but if we will spiritually press on and endure, we will gain a much bigger perspective of God’s love for us. Each day is a chance or opportunity to see God do some of his best work. Although it may be tempting to get caught up in the “task or work” of the day, let’s not allow that to navigate our lives in such a way that we forget to enjoy our moments. My goal for 2025 is to recognize and enjoy something really good each day (an indescribable awareness of God) as I live in Christ. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10).

No one understood what was meaningless like King Solomon. In our passage today, this king who was given divine Wisdom has made his way to a great Truth: the Lord is the only One who can bring meaning and satisfaction to life. We cannot find eternal meaning or satisfaction in life if we are not looking for the goodness of God that has been extended to believers in Christ’s work of salvation. We all want to serve our Lord, but we can do that in many ways. Jesus came to bring us genuine life; and he wants us to enjoy it! If we will feed on God’s Word, we will learn how to eat, drink, grow in, and enjoy the Truth he provides. We will see each day as a gift from God and with each twenty-four hour period, we have choices to be made in order to experience a rich and satisfying life.

So, this year, look at each day and say, “Show me your goodness, today, Lord, so I may proclaim your love and live in a way that brings you glory, as well as increases your kingdom on earth!” To enjoy life is to live it in continual fellowship with our Shepherd! It is time to stop wandering and follow the Shepherd!

January 1, 2025

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 A Time for Everything
1 
For everything there is a season,
    a time for every activity under heaven.
2 
A time to be born and a time to die.
    A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 
A time to kill and a time to heal.
    A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
    A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
    A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 
A time to search and a time to quit searching.
    A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 
A time to tear and a time to mend.
    A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 
A time to love and a time to hate.
    A time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Prayer: Lord, we ask for you to lead and guide us in this new year onto the paths of righteous living. May we become beacons of love and grace that attract others to you. Holy Spirit, you are the only One who can make this happen within and through us, so help us glorify our beautiful Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

In this world, we will always reveal a mark on our lives: 1) The mark of the Spirit or 2) The mark of the world. We determine that mark by how well we take charge of our hearts—the central core of our being—mind, will, and emotions. If we surrender to the work of Christ on the cross and follow his Word, we will treasure the eternal life and wisdom we have been given in the Spirit and align to produce the fruit of God’s pure love. If we resist the work of Christ and live for the desires of our flesh—the world’s temporary and selfish dainties—anything we accomplish that is not of the Spirit will perish right along with us.

The mark of a mature Christian is made certain by how we discern what is right and what is wrong according to God’s Word. Our decisions matter to eternity, so we are wise to understand godly decisions from ungodly ones. An immature Christian looks for ways to satisfy the flesh or fulfill only the Word of God that is self-serving or easy to honor. A mature Christian is satisfied by Christ and so whatever he or she has or does not have is enough. The life goal is always to please the Father, through the Son, by following the Spirit. If God says something must go—does not please or honor him—the mature believer says, “Yes, Lord,” while the immature believer says, “Yes, but…”

In our passage today, King Solomon has an encounter with God through a dream. For a while, he has watched and learned from the life of his father, David, and he has caught some Truth from that vantage point. Solomon is young and he knows God must equip him if he is going to lead the chosen people. So, he asks for Wisdom which pleases God. This is a very mature request for such a young man. Sadly, when Solomon begins to rule in Wisdom, as well as gain favor and riches, his head is turned toward fulfilling his flesh and worshiping other gods. Due to this failure, Solomon wrote in the Wisdom literature so we could learn, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life” (Pro 4:23).

May God grant you a Happy New Year filled with abundant grace that produces the gift of wisdom and the fruit of divine love. Blessings!

1 Kings 3:5-14 NLT
5 That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, and God said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

6 Solomon replied, “You showed great and faithful love to your servant my father, David, because he was honest and true and faithful to you. And you have continued to show this great and faithful love to him today by giving him a son to sit on his throne.

7 “Now, O Lord my God, you have made me king instead of my father, David, but I am like a little child who doesn’t know his way around. 8 And here I am in the midst of your own chosen people, a nation so great and numerous they cannot be counted! 9 Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for leaving us with the gift of wisdom so we can discern the difference between right and wrong—good and evil. It is our desire to please you and to live in a way that prospers our spirits, souls, and eternal life. Holy Spirit, help us to gain spiritual maturity in the year to come. Help us to live for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Bible—the Word of God—reveals so many miracles within its pages, because nothing is impossible with God if people will believe [Mk 9:23]. Miracles display the love and power of God over even the natural order of things, because God compassionately responds to human need. God created the human race, so he is most certainly going to care for us.  

Today, please consider three of God’s greatest miracles he performed for the purpose of meeting human need if we will believe: 1) The Word of God miraculously came down from heaven and became human—in the form of a humble baby—to show humanity the Way we were originally created to live in the world; 2) The Word of God humbly laid down his physical life of holy Truth in exchange for our human life filled with sin [rebellion against God] in order to be the powerful and redeeming Door of Hope for the believer’s eternal life and future miraculous resurrection from the dead; and 3) The Word of God is the new miraculous Life imparted to believers and empowered by the Holy Spirit so we can now live the Truth in the midst of a world filled with sin [Jo 10:7, 14:6].

This is the miracle of Christmas:  The Lord of Love has been born as a Gift to humanity. The Lord of Love came with the purpose of being the Savior for humanity. The Lord of Love now offers humanity new life—eternal life—that is filled with His perfect presence.  Believers now live with the anticipation that at any moment the divine life and activity of God may be revealed through and around us. Let the Word open your spiritual eyes and ears and shine the love of Christ! Merry Christmas!

John 1:1-4 NLT Christ, the Eternal Word
1 
In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
2 
He existed in the beginning with God.
3 
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
4 
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the love Gift of your Son, the Savior, for your human creation. Now we can live with your indwelling Presence leading and guiding us toward your righteous character and holy nature. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

NOTE: I will be taking a break from writing the devotionals, but will start back up New Year’s Day. Love to all! Merry Christmas!

During this Advent season, we have explored in greater detail some beautiful Gifts that have been deposited within us because of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Christ. We have Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love when we connect to Christ. According to Scripture, the greatest Gift given to humanity is God’s LOVE.

Salvation is a Gift that comes by the grace of God, but we must believe in Christ’s abundant and perfect Love to rescue us (Eph 2:8). God is Love and his Love is central to the work of salvation—the Good News or Gospel. Believers are those who have received Love’s rescue of eternal life. Christ delivered us from sin and death and now we live by faith in that pure Love to help us become like Jesus.

Becoming can be tough. The challenges before us are always an attack on faith and our choice to Love God through “the difficulties,” as well as Love those who are “the difficult.” But, fear not, because God makes his Love possible. Our part is to make the choice. It is God’s Love that energizes our faith and gives us direction and patient endurance for living in the likeness of Jesus.

In the New Testament, God’s Love in Greek is agapao: unconditional and preferential Love that is activated by a choice of the will. It is not based on natural emotion or given to the deserving. We are to be filled with agape for everyone; it is the mark of the Spirit on the physical temple of genuine believers. Agape is Love that seeks the good and well-being of others; a Love we have chosen to receive and share. Jesus is our example of agape and everyone born of God allows his Love to fill and flow by FAITH.

We are rapidly heading toward the celebration of Christmas and Hanukah. Christ is the Light of God’s Love who shines the Truth of God in the darkness of the world and reveals the way to his heart and presence. Let God’s agape for you fill and overwhelm you with his goodness and grace. Receive the Spirit of Christ as you think about Christmas and choose to walk in God’s Love each day. You will be making a journey of Hope, Peace, and Joy in the Love of God for YOU!

1 John 3:16-18 NLT 16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the Gift of Love to fill our hearts. We confess our barrenness and brokenness to reveal agape apart from you. Our hearts are open to the ways you desire to rescue us and we rejoice in the fulness of your Loving Presence. May you be glorified in our understanding and in our obedience. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Worship that leads us into missional service is the goal for believers. Worship is really coming into oneness in Christ through adoration and devotion; yet, worship alone is only part of our purpose while on earth. If believers are reborn and renewed by the Spirit in the image of Christ, we are going to need to understand the essential connection between the two. Mission is the believer’s action of helping others see and experience the love, compassion, and rescue of Jesus for the world. Christians [Christ-followers] are known by their holy love for God and neighbor [everyone else].

In our passage today, Dr. Luke wants us to understand our worship must come from a pure heart filled with love for God and others. Christ offered himself to God as a sacrifice for the world. In Christ, God has rescued us from an empty self-serving life. We are now invited to love God wholeheartedly and love our neighbors as we love ourselves; this demonstrates our desire to embrace holy works that brings salvation to the world and glory to our Lord. In this way we are being made holy and set apart for God’s purposes.

In his epistles, the Apostle Paul teaches those who are becoming holy have become “living sacrifices” (Ro 12:1). So, remember today you are called to be a “living sacrifice” for Jesus the Living Lord! Your will in exchange for God’s will; love calls for a sacrifice. Grace and blessings for your journey in Christ’s love, today!

Luke 10:10-18 NLT
10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,
16 
“This is the new covenant I will make
    with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
    and I will write them on their minds.”

17 Then he says,
“I will never again remember
    their sins and lawless deeds.”

18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the new covenant that no longer requires animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. You became the only blood sacrifice needed; now we simply sacrifice our wills, so we can live for you and your purpose to save the world. We offer ourselves to you and the work of grace. Please continue to make us a holy people motivated by pure love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The world is confused and sometimes I am startled by the folks who buy into the deception. God’s children are called to live in Christ’s wisdom; and we know true wisdom when we hear it. That means believers also know foolishness when it travels past our discerning ears.

In our passage today, Jesus is speaking to the crowds. The Pharisees are also listening. He wants to hear them answer his questions about John the Baptist. Will the Lord hear wisdom or foolishness? One thing the crowd could all agree upon was the righteous ways of God. 

Wisdom’s children are recognized when they seek to live in godliness and obedience to the instruction of God’s love commands. The Pharisees sought to separate themselves from sinners as a way to be righteous in the love of God. However, Jesus—who has been made wisdom for us—proclaims righteousness is revealed through loving acts of mercy and compassion. We cannot separate ourselves from the sin that permeates the world, but Jesus can separate us from the sin that tries to hide in our hearts. Praise God!

Luke 7:31-35 NLT 

31 “To what can I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “How can I describe them? 32 They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends,

‘We played wedding songs,

    and you didn’t dance,

 so we played funeral songs,

    and you didn’t weep.’

33 For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man,[a] on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being our Wisdom and helping us to recognize foolish living. We can grow in your character and nature, so we live in your Wisdom. Help us to live with mercy and be filled with compassion, because without you we would be living like the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Jesus calls us to be peacemakers; blessed is our future when we work for peace (Mat 5:9).  We need to study that word “peace” and the work of peacemaking in more detail, because people tend to have the wrong idea about it.  Sin disconnected us from God in whose image we were originally created.  Peace (wholeness) is what we experience when we enter back into a relationship with God; he begins to restore our broken images by his wholeness.  We work for peace as we help others find that same wholeness in God’s unfailing love.  

When we place our hope in becoming biblical peacemakers as God designed, we are purposefully revealing divine love so others can see how much God cares for the restoration of all his creation.  God’s love seeks to lead every human being to a place of wholeness in his presence.  This restoration in God’s love not only would affect people on a personal level, it would influence change in families, neighborhoods, communities, countries…the world.  This restoration is the work of King Jesus to build his Kingdom on earth.  

In our passage today from Isaiah, we must acknowledge Jesus is the God who deeply cares for people.  We can make gods [idols] of many things and try to worship them, but those gods will never be there for us or seek to draw us into a place of wholeness [hope, peace, joy, and love).  The false gods human beings make are dominating, demanding, demeaning, and very dangerous to those made in the image of the One True God; Satan is the author of each and every false god.  

Those beautiful gifts can only be found in the Savior who loves his creation.  God pursues people in order to love them into wholeness.  Therefore, the followers and believers of Creator God serve him by building others in his love and working to bring the wholeness of the Kingdom of heaven to earth.   

Isaiah 11:1-9 NLT  A Branch from David’s Line

1 

Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot—
    yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.

2 

And the Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 

He will delight in obeying the Lord.
    He will not judge by appearance
    nor make a decision based on hearsay.

4 

He will give justice to the poor
    and make fair decisions for the exploited.
The earth will shake at the force of his word,
    and one breath from his mouth will destroy the wicked.

5 

He will wear righteousness like a belt
    and truth like an undergarment.

6 

In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
    the leopard will lie down with the baby goat.
The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion,
    and a little child will lead them all.

7 

The cow will graze near the bear.
    The cub and the calf will lie down together.
    The lion will eat hay like a cow.

8 

The baby will play safely near the hole of a cobra.
    Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without harm.

9 

Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,
    for as the waters fill the sea,
    so the earth will be filled with people who know the Lord.

Prayer:  Lord, when human beings are being made whole in your perfect love, there is a greater measure of peace in the world. We are less selfish and more compassionate; we are more like you, Lord.  So, continue to draw us deeper into your shalom and help us to work for the peace of your Kingdom on earth.  One day your shalom—government of peace—will rule the world.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen. 

God is so good to give us “a second chance” with our acts of faith.  I often remind people, God just gives believers more tests, because complete failure is not an option.  He is our Champion and he just keeps spurring us on to victory. He wants glory for us.  God is with you; failure is not your image!  Do we fail at using our faith to live in righteousness?  Yes, sometimes we do, but we do not quit.  We press on to the high call of our Savior.

In our passage, today, Zechariah gets a second chance to be a champion of the faith. At first, Zechariah does not believe the angel Gabriel’s message about Elizabeth giving birth to a son, so he is struck mute.  When the baby is born, Zechariah has the opportunity to speak faith.  He makes a decision to be obedient and faithful; not to make the same mistake.  When Zechariah is asked to share the name of the child, he breaks tradition—instead of naming the child after himself—he writes on a tablet, “His name is John!”  Immediately, Zechariah can speak once again.  Joy erupts in the house, because God is pleased with his heart!

Our obedience is the foundation of our joy; because joy is the fruit of the Spirit and the work of faith.  When we produce spiritual fruit, God is pleased and we sense him rejoicing and singing over us.  Our hearts overflow when God is pleased with us!

Luke 1:57-66 NLT  The Birth of John the Baptist

57 When it was time for Elizabeth’s baby to be born, she gave birth to a son. 58 And when her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had been very merciful to her, everyone rejoiced with her.

59 When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!”

61 “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” 62 So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God.

65 Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. 66 Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for this lesson from the life of Zechariah.  Thank you for your mercy when we don’t rise to obey you; and thank you for helping us move beyond those momentary failures into victory.  Our faith is in you alone and we call for the work of the Helper to keep us obediently producing the fruit of joy.  We know the joy of the Lord is our strength!  In Jesus’ name. Amen.