Seek First – Kingdom Focused Devotionals

The word “father” has great meaning to me.  My father was my dad, my pastor, my friend, my confidant, and my counselor.  Yes, I admit it—I am a preacher’s kid.  But I never had even the slightest desire to live in rebellion from the principles my dad taught me.  His integrity made me want to be like him. 

                The early disciples must have been shocked when Jesus taught them to address the sovereign God of the universe with the intimate term, “Father.”  Paul wrote—“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’” (Rom. 8:15).  Through Christ Paul had experienced a new level of familial intimacy with the Creator. 

                We have been looking at Isaiah 9:6 this entire week.  We look today at the title “Eternal Father.”  The mention of “eternity” indicates that Christ has a timeless quality.  Further it assures us that His kingdom will have no end.  Only one who possesses “eternity” in his own being can give everlasting life.  But note that “Eternal Father” not only speaks of eternity, it speaks of intimacy.  This great King of ours cares for His children like a loving Father.  He is always present and ever caring. 

                I confess that I miss my earthly dad who has preceded me to heaven, but I rejoice that in Christ I have an Eternal Father who always cares for me

Prayer:  It is beyond my comprehension that you allow me to address You as Father.  Thank You that You give eternal life.  Amen

“What a mighty God we serve!  Angels bow before Him.  Heaven and earth adore Him.”  So goes a portion of the lyrics from a chorus which has had a long run of popularity.  Perhaps its hand-clapping rhythm is what made it so popular, but the truth of its words is what is most important.

                Isaiah wrote to a suffering people whose life had been filled with gloom and despair.  They needed a word of hope.  Isaiah saw the dawn of a new day and light for those who were walking in darkness and for those who dwelt in the shadow of death (9:2).  Hope would come through the birth of a child, whose greatness is such that one name will not suffice. 

                The title “Mighty God” speaks of His sovereign might and heroic nature.  Like the Israelites of old, we should take comfort in knowing we serve a God whose power is unlimited.  There is nothing you will face in life that moves beyond the power of Mighty God. 

                Do you remember the song of praise that Mary sang when she visited Elizabeth after learning that she was to give birth to Jesus?  “Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me” (Luke 1:48-49). 

                What do you need to surrender to Mighty God?  What keeps you from doing so?  Remember Daniel’s conviction—“The people who know their God will be strong and take action (Daniel 11:32).  Do you know Mighty God?

Prayer:  I praise You Mighty God.  May my life reflect my confidence that You are sovereign.  Amen

We have looked at the affirmation that Jesus is a wonderful counselor, but truth is “wonderful” can be considered as a unique title for our Lord. 

                “Wonderful” indicates that Jesus exceeds the limits of human understanding and transcends the boundaries of human existence and power.  When God sent an angelic messenger to Manoah to tell him of the impending birth of Samson, Manoah wanted to know the name of the angelic messenger.  The messenger responded, “Why do you ask My name…since it is wonderful” (Judges 13:18).  If the name of a messenger of God is “wonderful,” how much more wonderful is the name of His Son?

                Jesus once told his listeners about an owner of a vineyard whose tenants killed both his messengers and his own son.  He concluded the story with a quotation from Psalm 118—“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.  This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes” (Matt. 21:42).  That God would come in human flesh to redeem sinful man is too wonderful for us to comprehend.  Yet it is the wonderful story of Christmas.

                When you come to know Jesus as your Savior, this relationship will fill every fiber of your being and fill every event of every day with wonder—for He is Wonderful.   

Prayer:  I worship You as Wonderful.  I live in awe of you.  Amen

As we have been celebrating the holiday season,  it is appropriate that we focus our attention of some of the names and characteristics of the one who came to bear our sins.  I will be taking the abbreviated devotions from the Kingdom Promise book entitled God Is. 

                Isaiah prophesied—“He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).  Isaiah penned this verse during dark days of Israel’s history when the people were in great need of a “wonderful counselor.”   The prophet swept back the clouds of gloom, promising that those “walking in darkness” would see “a great light.”

                The cause of celebration would be the birth of a child.  But this would be no ordinary child.  The breadth of what is said about Him so far exceeds human boundaries, even the most profound skeptic would be hard pressed to argue that the prophet had an earthly prince in mind.  He must have been looking forward to the day when Messiah would come. 

                Isaiah saw the child with the royal symbol of government flowing from His shoulders.  He was so glorious that one name proved insufficient to describe Him.  Thus we find five descriptive titles, including “counselor.”  In chapter eleven, verse 2, the prophet indicates that the Spirit of counsel and strength will rest on Him.  Just look at Jesus as He counsels the woman taken in adultery or the woman at the well. 

                You have a wonderful counselor, but to benefit from His counsel with must hear and heed His word.  When you read the word of the counselor, do you say “yes” without reservation?

Prayer:  Father, thank you for the counsel of Your word.  Give me ears to hear and a heart to obey.

“For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (Lk. 2:31-32). 

                We are nearly finished Luke’s telling of the Christmas story but we still have one more caroler named Simeon and a prophetess named Anna who had been anxiously awaiting this day of the consolation of Israel and the redemption of Jerusalem. 

                Simeon is described as follows—“this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him” (2:26).  The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would see the Lord’s Christ before he died.  When he saw Mary and Joseph bring Jesus into the Temple to carry out the custom of the Law, he knew that God’s promise had been fulfilled.  He takes Jesus into his arms and pours for praise unto the Lord. 

                He glorifies God for providing salvation for all the peoples.  The redemption made available in the sending of His Son is not for a select few, not even for the Jews alone, but for all peoples.  People who have lived in the darkness of sin will enjoy “light of revelation.”  The birth of Christ as a member of the Jewish people will be to their glory as the nations understand what wonderful privileges God has granted to Israel over the centuries. 

                Simeon is joined on stage by Anna the prophetess who was now 84.  She had been widowed after only seven years of marriage and had devoted the remainder of her life to serving in the temple with fastings and prayers.  It is noteworthy that Luke ends his Christmas story with “seemingly insignificant” people.  Aren’t we glad that Christ came for all mankind?  This Christmas pray for the nations to come to Him.  Pray for those who serve as missionaries.  Tell your neighbor that Jesus came for him/her. 

Prayer:  Thank you for coming as a light to the nations.  Help me to have the courage to tell others of the Great Light.  Amen

“When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth” (Lk. 2:39)

                 Luke alone gives us any further details of Jesus birth and early childhood.  We are most familiar with the story of the visit to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve, but today I want to look back to an earlier visit to the Temple. 

                The circumcision and purification customs after a birth were specified by the Law and had reference to the state of sin in which human being is born.  Jesus, the sinless One, undergoes these customs not for His sin but as a sign that He was voluntarily under the Law, taking upon Himself the obligation of His people, that He might provide their redemption.  The actual giving of the name Jesus (Jehovah the Savior) at circumcision underlines this truth (2:21). 

                Verse 22 refers to the purification provisions recorded in Leviticus 12.  A woman was ceremonially impure for 40 days after the birth of a son.  Notice the child is involved in the impurity and thus the verse reads “their” purification.  Here again we see the sinless Son of God taking upon Himself the impurity of His people that He might provide their redemption.  According to the Law, a lamb had to be sacrificed as a burnt-offering and a pigeon as a sin-offering.  Provisions were made to allow the poor to sacrifice a pigeon in the place of the lamb. 

                Apart from the sacrifices, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple “to present Him to the Lord” (1:22).  The consecration of the first born was often little more than a ritual for many Jews, but for this young couple it was a sacred commitment.  As I read this part of the Christmas story, I am reminded that God chose to send His only Son to an earthly couple that was devout.  When you read this section, notice how many times it refers to their obedience to do all that was written in the Law.  The verse that follows (2:40) tells us that Jesus grew and developed in every dimension of life through the ministry of these earthly parents.  We who are parents are reminded to see our children as a sacred gift from God.

Prayer:  Thank you for exalting the family by sending Your Son to Mary and Joseph.  Teach me daily how to give my children back to You.  Amen.

“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over the flock by night” (Lk. 2:8).

                When I was a child, I regularly played the shepherd in our children’s Christmas play.  Our plays were of a different quality and nature to those of today.  My shepherd’s costume was one of mom’s discarded robes and our staffs were pretty basic.  I loved the part because there were no lines to learn.  All you had to do was act “terribly frightened” which came naturally for a young lad with stage fright.  Once again, we have romanticized the shepherds.  These were simple men who were often looked down upon by others in the first century.

                It appears that several shepherds had driven their separate flocks together in the open pasture to make it easier to watch over them at night.  It is possible that these particular shepherds were pious men who had been waiting for the coming of the Messiah.  To these lowly men, God made His majesty known as He did to Moses at the burning bush.  Overcome by the awesome reality of the moment, the shepherds were frightened. 

                The angel stills their fear by announcing good news which will be for all people, even lowly shepherds.  The Savior Christ the Lord was to be born this day in the city of David.  I love the immediate and passionate response of the shepherds—“Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us” (2:15). 

                This Christmas will you join the shepherds and go straight to Jesus—no distractions and no delays?

Prayer:  Thank you for coming to simple people like me.  I join the shepherds in coming straight to You.  Amen

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Lk. 2:14).

                We have already noticed that Luke records many of the wonderful songs of Christmas.  Perhaps none is more beloved than the song of the angels.  We will consider the audience for this heavenly choir in our devotional thought tomorrow.  For today let’s look at the content of the message declared by the angels. 

                The song has two major chords—glory and peace.  It is the work and ministry of the angelic hosts to glorify God continually.  Now they are allowed to praise Him in the presence of a group of angels selected by God to see this celestial glory and hear the great promise of peace on earth.  The coming of Christ is the high point of God’s self-revelation and thus it is the revelation of God’s glory.  It is unimaginable that God’s glory would manifest itself in human flesh, born in a stable.  But such is God.

                The birth of Christ also makes possible authentic peace.  Only Christ can give peace in the inner being.  Only Christ can reconcile sinful man to holy God.  Only Christ can enable a man to be at peace with himself and with others. 

                The final phrase of the song should render—“among men who are the recipients of God’s pleasure.”  The good will or peace originates with God and is now available to man through Christ.  Remember, Jesus later indicated that His coming also brought a sword (Matt. 10:34).  How do we reconcile these two statements?  The advent of God’s only begotten Son mandates that man  is fully accountable to approach God through the means He provided—His Son who would declare that He is the way, the truth, and the life (Jn. 14:6).  Yes, peace is available but only for those who have made room for Him in the “inn” of their heart. 

Prayer:  Thank you for sending Your Son to reveal Your glory and provide the means to know Your peace.  Amen

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). 

                We have so romanticized the stable as the birthplace of Jesus that we have forgotten the unsanitary and unsavory conditions it would have presented to a young mother giving birth to her first child.  This was not a romantic place for anyone to spend the night much less give birth to the King of kings. 

                The census had caused a large number of people to travel to Bethlehem and thus the lack of space in the inn.  It would have been apparent to any observer that Mary’s condition was critical, no one was will to give up their accommodation to Mary and Joseph.  The result was that the audience for the birth of the King was barnyard animals.  Justin Martyr (c. A.D. 150) states that the stable was in a cave. 

                Without any pomp or circumstance the greatest event of all of the history of mankind had taken place.  God in human flesh had entered into His creation to bring redemption to fallen Man.  The Son had left the glory of heaven and humbled Himself to be born as a human child in the lowliest circumstances imaginable. 

                When I read the simple phrase—“no room in the inn”—it occurs to me that what many of the inhabitants and visitors to Bethlehem had done in their ignorance is done today out of simple indifference.  They had no place for Christ in the inn and we make no place for Him in our life and in our plans.  Don’t neglect the Christ of Christmas.  

Prayer:  Father, I am sometimes guilty of crowding you out of my everyday affairs.  Forgive me.  Amen

  “Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth” (Luke 2:1).

                God had so directed the events of history that everything was now prepared for the coming of His Son.  The Old Testament revelation had been completed, the forerunner John had been born and now the “fullness of time” had come at last.  Luke now explains the historical circumstances that brought the Nazarenes, Joseph and Mary, to Bethlehem.  Caesar Augustus had decreed that the whole Roman Empire should be taxed.  The reference to “all the inhabited earth” points to the arrogance of Rome. 

                Caesar Augustus reigned from 30 B.C to A.D. 14.  He had put an end to the civil wars which had raged for years throughout the Roman Empire.  Through his peaceful rule he ushers in the “peace of Rome” which actually facilitated the spread of Christianity.  By establishing a time of peace and requiring an empire-wide census which ultimately led to the fulfillment of the prophecy of Micah 5:2, he was an unwitting instrument in the hand of God. 

                In such a census the name, occupation, property, and kindred had to be entered into public registers.  The likely purpose of this census was the collecting of taxes.  The Jews were exempt from military service but required to pay taxes to Rome.  Respecting the national customs of the Jews, Augustus allowed the inhabitants to go to their original native city.  Joseph therefore went to Bethlehem the city of David because he was of the house and family of David (5). 

                Can you see God at work in the details even when the human instrument is unaware of the role he plays?  Can you trust God to work in the details of your life even when you don’t always see Him at work? 

Prayer: Help me to trust Your care even when I can’t always comprehend the circumstances of my life.  Amen