December 9

Joel 1:1-3:21, Revelation 1:1-20, Psalm 128:1-6, Proverbs 29:18

Pray: “Turn to me now…Give me your hearts.” It’s a call to repentance and reconciliation with God. It follows a litany of destruction and desolation, a result of rebellion against the decrees of the Lord. In short, there are always consequences to our actions. Pause and see what is in your life for which you need to confess and repent. Turn to the Lord. Give Him your heart.

Read: “I have the gift of the Holy Spirit.” I heard someone say this to me once. I assumed they meant they had a spiritual gift. Nope. The intent was to inform me that they (not everyone else) had the gift of the Holy Spirit. Joel would take issue with that, as would I and Scripture as whole. “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people…sons and daughters…old men…young men…servants…men and women alike.” For those who name Jesus as Lord, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon them. 

Edify: One theme throughout Revelation is of God’s timeless nature. “I am the Alpha and the Omega - the beginning and the end…I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come - the Almighty One.” Trends come and trends go. Fads operate much the same way. Remember Pokemon Go? God and His Word will stand forever. Amen and amen!

Practice: We make much of obedience. That’s only because Scripture makes much of obedience. Proverbs tells us today, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.” Guidance is not restrictive, though sometimes people assume it is. We will never find as much joy and freedom as when we are obediently in the center of God’s will.