TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Joshua 5:13-6:27
It was not by their sword that they won the land . . . it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them. - Psalm 44:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
In late May 1588, King Philip of Spain sent his “Invincible Armada” of 125 ships toward England. They were to ferry an army across the Channel to march on London.

When the Armada neared the coast, it was challenged by the English fleet, which harassed it until it anchored at Calais, France. When no army appeared, the English attacked with fire ships, sinking and scattering many of the enemy. Attempting to run home, more Spanish ships were destroyed by storms off the Scottish coast. The survivors returned home utterly demoralized.

The defeat of the Spanish Armada marked the rise of England to a new position as world leader. This famous victory opened a new chapter in Western history. Similarly, Joshua’s victory at Jericho opened a new chapter in the history of Israel.

After a generation of wandering in the wilderness, the people were poised to enter the Promised Land and conquer it, as God had promised. They had just finished a national circumcision to consecrate themselves. Now they faced the first target: the fortified city of Jericho.

Once again, God made Himself known, involving Himself personally in the flow of history. The “commander of the army of the Lord” was the Lord Himself, as we know from Joshua’s worshipful response and the instructions to remove his sandals (5:14-15). God met Joshua with a battle plan, which was actually a promise (6:2). This would not be a battle for human glory or material booty--God alone would win the victory for His people (Ps. 44:3). Everything in the city was to be devoted to the Lord.

Joshua responded with strong faith. No questions are recorded, only obedience. He organized the people to march, as God had ordered. The Ark went with them, symbolizing His presence (cf. Josh. 2:9-11). Joshua never doubted God, and gave instructions to ensure that when the city fell, the promise to Rahab would be kept.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Now might be a good time to review our study so far. Look back through these first eleven days and any notes you’ve taken along the way. Are you keeping the thread of the story?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ruth 4:1-22
Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. - Ruth 1:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Early in the book of Acts, we see God’s heart for the nations in the story of the Ethiopian eunuch. On the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, he met Philip by divine appointment for a lesson in Messianic prophecy.

He was reading Isaiah 53, but he didn’t understand about whom the prophet was speaking. Riding along in the chariot, Philip explained how these Old Testament words had been fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The eunuch, a high court official in Ethiopia, responded immediately in faith and was baptized on the spot (Acts 8:26-39).

God’s heart for the nations, His desire that all peoples know Him, is evident throughout Old Testament history. Many foreigners believed in the one true God. Some are named, such as Rahab, while others are not, such as those who joined in the Exodus (Ex. 12:38). The Law anticipated that this would be the case (see Ex. 12:48-49).

The story of Ruth provides yet another example. We’ve moved ahead in our study to the era of the judges, and today’s reading is the conclusion of a courtship.

In arranging to marry the young foreign widow, Boaz acted courageously. As we see from the other relative’s response, by marrying Ruth he risked letting his estate pass into the hands of another family. He acted as “kinsman-redeemer,” but this title also applied to the child born to him and Ruth, Obed (vv. 14-15). In this child, the family line was renewed.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today’s verse records Ruth’s definitive statement of faith. She must have seen something in her husband’s and Naomi’s lives and beliefs that attracted and impressed her, and led her to this radical profession of loyalty.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Samuel 7:2-17
If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods . . . commit yourselves to the Lord. - 1 Samuel 7:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
On July 1, 1800, the earliest recorded Methodist camp meeting in America was held in Kentucky. When a normally sedate annual “Communion meeting” turned emotional, a group of ministers became convinced that the Holy Spirit was at work. They planned special services for a weekend the following month. Hundreds of people came to the town of Gaspar River, prepared to camp out and seek God.

This revival grew and spread, and today we know the years 1800-1835 as the “Second Great Awakening” in American history. In today’s reading, Samuel also led a revival, calling Israel to return to God.

Our passage recounts the start of Samuel’s official leadership, at the end of the period of the judges. The spiritual landscape looked bleak. The Ark had been captured in battle by the Philistines. Though they’d sent it back to Kiriath Jearim, there was nowhere to put it, for Eli was dead and Shiloh had been abandoned (cf. Ps. 78:60-62).

This sad situation lasted twenty years. The Philistines dominated Israel. But God worked in the people’s hearts, causing them to seek Him and to grieve over their sins and the state of the nation. He also provided a leader, Samuel, who preached a clear message of repentance in the country (1 Sam. 7:2-3).

By the time Samuel called a national assembly, the Israelites were ripe for revival. What was the key? To remember the Lord their God, and to give up their idols. They gathered at Mizpah, north of Jerusalem, to fast and confess their sins. Samuel offered sacrifices and interceded for them, representing God before the people and the people before God. They also poured out water before the Lord, probably signifying intense humility and repentance (cf. Lam. 2:19).

The Philistines attacked at this time, but Israel looked to God for help, and He mercifully rescued them. With their spiritual transformation, God could restore them physically as well (cf. Deut. 20:1-4).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We’ve all experienced times of personal revival, but probably we’ve also all experienced frustrating seasons in which our revivals seem to evaporate.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Samuel 17:20-51
I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. - 1 Samuel 17:45
TODAY IN THE WORD
Veteran mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer is the first blind man to reach the summit of Mount Everest. On the way to the top last summer, his face was accidentally cut by an ice ax, and he also suffered from dehydration and dysentery. He and his teammates risked death daily.

Weihenmayer took a highly qualified volunteer team with him up Everest. Though the odds were against them, they reached the summit thanks in large part to his experience and inner toughness. One teammate called him “mentally one of the strongest guys you will ever meet.”

Many said it couldn’t be done, but Weihenmayer proved them wrong and conquered his “Goliath.” Like David in today’s reading, he moved forward despite the naysayers.

We’ve entered the days of Israel’s kingdom. The nation was at war with the Philistines, and David took supplies for his three oldest brothers to the front lines. There he saw the giant, Goliath, challenging the Israelites to one-on-one combat. Though the enemy didn’t mention God specifically, David understood that an insult to God’s people was an insult to God (v. 26). During the fight, Goliath cursed David “by his gods,” further highlighting the fact that God’s honor was at stake.

David’s offer to fight was motivated by a zeal for God’s glory: “that the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel” (v. 46). Despite his brother Eliab’s jealousy and King Saul’s doubts, David came against Goliath with only a slingshot. Quite different from today’s children’s toy, the biblical slingshot could launch baseball-sized rocks at up to 100 miles per hour from as far away as 100 yards. He stunned Goliath in this way, then cut off the warrior’s head with Goliath’s own sword.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If God could help a shepherd boy defeat a gigantic, experienced soldier, what might He be able to do for you? Is anything too hard for the all-poweful Lord?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Samuel 7:1-29
I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my unfailing kindness promised to David. - Isaiah 55:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
A postcard from a Dutch gas company to one of its World War II customers reached its destination . . . 56 years after it was sent. Postal officials had no explanation for this delay.

A California woman received a love letter from her Army boyfriend 46 years late. The letter had gotten stuck between walls and was discovered by construction workers. She had married him, and told reporters the note meant even more to her now.

Letter carriers in Scotland last year were unable to deliver a letter posted from Australia on January 4, 1889. Said the postmaster: “It arrived in Aberdeen a few days ago. We have no idea where it’s been.”

Like the recipients of these letters, David waited a long time to hear good news from God. He had been anointed at age fifteen, but didn’t become king of all Israel until 22 years later. Finally, his patience paid off. He was crowned king, conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital city, and brought to it the Ark of God’s presence.

God chose this time to make a special covenant with David. He reminded him that he owed his position and success to the true King (2 Sam. 7:8-9). He promised that He would make his name great, that Israel would be secure, and that Solomon would have the privilege of building the Temple. The key in all this was God’s faithful love, communicated by the Hebrew word hesed (see “Today Along the Way”).

The Lord also said that the throne of David would be established forever, a promise fulfilled in the coming of Christ. The New Testament specifically cites verse 14 as referring to Christ (Heb. 1:5), and only God Himself could meet the eternal requirements of such a covenant. God worked with an individual in order to work with a nation in order to work in all the world and throughout history.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Hesed(or chesed) is an important Hebrew word often used in Scripture to describe God’s covenant faithfulness. Some English Bibles translate it “lovingkindness.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 10:1-13
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. - Proverbs 9:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Think back to the hardest teacher you ever had, the class you struggled with the most, or the most difficult exam you ever took. Perhaps you remember late nights spent studying, long conversations with a friend who understood more than you, or a sinking feeling of being in over your head as you looked over the test questions. Even if someone paid you, you wouldn’t relive the experience!

No matter how tough you had it, in today’s reading Solomon had it worse. A skeptical examiner, the Queen of Sheba, showed up prepared not to believe that he was as wise as people were saying. She had a long list of baffling questions. He was definitely on the hot seat!

We know that Solomon’s abilities came from the Lord. Offered anything, he had chosen wisdom, a choice that pleased God. He recognized God as the Giver of wisdom and asked for this gift in order to fulfill his God-given responsibilities as king. As today’s verse indicates, as long as Solomon feared the Lord, he had wisdom.

Early in his reign, Solomon used his wisdom to glorify God among the nations. Powerful men such as the king of Tyre saw God at work in Solomon’s life, and people from all over the world visited his court. His plans and actions had earned such a reputation that the Queen of Sheba--a kingdom in southwest Arabia, present-day Yemen--had to come and see for herself. She already knew that his fame came from his faith (v. 1).

Oh, to be a fly on the wall during her visit! We don’t know what questions she asked, but we do know that Solomon answered them all; “nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her” (v. 3). She was overwhelmed by his wisdom and achievements, and by his worship (v. 5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Perhaps you know someone like the Queen of Sheba--skeptical and full of tough questions. Are you ready to give an answer for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15)?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 Kings 18:16-46
Answer me, O Lord, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again. -
TODAY IN THE WORD
No doubt you’ve seen one of those old-time cowboy movies that climaxes in a “shootout at the OK Corral.” The bad guys, feeling the sheriff has become too much of a nuisance, force a showdown. They come armed to the teeth and full of hatred. The good guys want to restore peace and justice to their town. They’re willing to risk their lives to enforce the law.

Allowing for differences in history and culture, that’s basically the situation we find in today’s reading. A feisty prophet squared off against a wicked king and queen–a high-noon shootout for the hearts of the Israelites!

Since the days of David and Solomon, Israel had slid downhill in every way. Although Ahab showed no respect for God or His prophet, Elijah boldly issued a summons to Mount Carmel. The challenge: Choose between God and Baal (1 Kings 18:21; cf. Josh. 24:15). The test: Whose God could light a fire?

On Baal’s side, 850 pagan priests who enjoyed the queen’s favor rose to the challenge. For the better part of a day, they called on their god. They shouted and danced wildly. They slashed themselves. Elijah mocked them, and they redoubled their efforts. “But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention” (v. 29).

On God’s side, one faithful prophet stepped forward. He built an altar from twelve stones, a symbol to the watching Israelites that God was mercifully calling them back to Him. He poured water over the sacrifice, seemingly stacking the deck against God. His quiet prayer contrasted with the others’ frenzied behavior.

The fire of God fell and consumed everything. The people dropped to the ground in fear and worship, and Elijah seized the moment to have Baal’s prophets executed. In response to another prayer from Elijah, the Lord mercifully ended a drought. God had rescued the nation spiritually and physically!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Where’s your heart today? Evaluate its condition. Is there a possibility you are following any “false gods”?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 6:1-8
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory. - Isaiah 6:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
The Lord’s Prayer begins, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matt. 6:9). Another version of the Bible translates this, “Our Father in heaven, let your name be kept holy.”

Martin Luther commented on this verse: “God’s name is holy in and of itself. It is not made holy by us. God is the one who makes all things holy and makes us holy as well. So 'let your name be kept holy’ means that God’s name should be made holy in us. When this happens, God becomes everything, and we become nothing.”

The time of today’s reading is about 740 B.C. in the days of the divided kingdom. In his vision, Isaiah came face to face with the glorious holiness of God. What did he see? He saw God, seated on a throne, high and exalted--that is, sovereign and supreme. The train of His robe filled the Temple, an image of immensity, majesty, and completeness (cf. Rev. 1:13). He also saw seraphim, six-winged angels who covered their faces and feet in God’s presence and proclaimed His holiness (cf. Rev. 4:. The smoke and shaking remind us of God’s presence on Mount Sinai. The bottom line: “The whole earth is full of His glory” (Isa. 6:3).

How did Isaiah respond to this vision? He was immediately and absolutely conscious of his sinfulness. He cried out that he was “ruined” or “undone” (KJV). Surely no sinner could see the holy God and live.

How did God show mercy to Isaiah? Isaiah was not consumed (cf. Lam. 3:22-23). What’s more, the Lord sent an angel to him with a live, cleansing coal from the altar before His throne. The coal touched his mouth, corresponding to Isaiah’s sense of “unclean lips” and his imminent prophetic calling. He had been eternally transformed!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you feel led to join the angels in proclaiming the utter holiness of our God, sing a relevant chorus or hymn, such as “Holy, Holy, Holy,” during your prayer time today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Hosea 1:2-9; 3:1-5
The land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord. - Hosea 1:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
Let’s begin today with a hypothetical question: If you found out that you were a victim of adultery, could you forgive your spouse? Imagine that the unfaithfulness was not a one-night stand, but a long affair. Imagine further that your spouse wasn’t very repentant and was even rather open about what he or she was doing. Would you still love your spouse? Would you want him or her back?

We have asked this question to highlight the incredible love of God. When we–His people–are unfaithful, spurning the love of our true Husband, He continues to love us. He pursues us, wooing us back and disciplining us. That’s the picture we see in the lives of Hosea and his wife Gomer.

Hosea 1:2 records God’s command to Hosea to take an “adulterous wife.” We don’t know if Gomer was unfaithful only after the marriage or before it as well. Probably her second and third child were conceived with other partners, because Hosea was not listed as the father. He was instructed to continue loving her unconditionally, but also to discipline her for her own good–for example, by driving her out of the house (Hosea 2).

Hosea’s marriage and family were a living symbol of God’s message of judgment. In front of the nation, they acted out the relationship between God and Israel. Just as Gomer chased after other men, Israel chased after other gods. Just as she dishonored the marriage covenant, so the nation dishonored its covenant with God (cf. Jer. 3:8-9; Ezek. 16:32-34). Punishment was imminent.

God commanded Hosea: “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is . . . an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites” (Hosea 3:1). Hosea even had to pay to take Gomer back, perhaps because she had debts, was a shrine prostitute, or was a slave. He gave her love she had in no way earned--the very definition of grace or mercy. In the same way, God would restore Israel (cf. Isa. 54:6-8).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In light of the faithful love of God on display in the narrative of Hosea and Gomer, we suggest you take another look at “Today Along the Way” for January 15. If you skipped this application, please consider doing it.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jonah 3:1-10
From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry. - Jonah 2:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
On January 23, 1960, Swiss scientist Jacques Piccard and U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh set a deep-sea diving record that stands to this day. In their “bathyscaphe” (which means “deep boat”), the Trieste,Triesteon display at the Navy Museum in Washington, D.C.

The undersea experience of Piccard and Walsh in the Trieste evokes for us the story of Jonah. God sent the prophet to Nineveh, but Jonah resisted the idea of Israel’s enemies repenting before the Lord, so he ran away. God sent a storm and a “great fish” after him, and in today’s reading Jonah finally obeys his God-given commission.

God’s mercy was not only for Israel. Despite Jonah, it reached the foreign sailors on his boat. Through Jonah, it reached even to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, Israel’s enemy. And when the king and the entire population repented with humility and fasting, God relented and didn’t destroy the city (Jonah 3:8-10; cf. Jer. 18:7-8). He must have prepared their hearts in order for them to res-pond so quickly to a “foreign” God. (For a later, less soft-hearted Nineveh, see the book of Nahum.)

God showed great mercy to Jonah as well. He disciplined him when he fled, but preserved his life and offered him a second chance. In his irritation at the mercy given to Nineveh, Jonah showed that he understood God’s nature, but didn’t share His heart (Jonah 4:1-3). Still, God didn’t lose patience. He gave His prophet a special plant as an object lesson in the scope of His divine love (Jonah 4:11).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In Companions for Your Spiritual Journey,Mark Harris wrote: “To confess our sins is to express confidence in God’s goodness. It is His goodness that leads us to repentance . . . It is God who prompts our confession, and it is God who meets it with love.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Jeremiah 18:1-12
We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. - Isaiah 64:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
C. S. Lewis wrote in The Great Divorce:“The choice of every lost soul can be expressed in [Milton’s] words 'Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven’ . . . There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.’ All that are in Hell, choose it.”

In short, either the clay yields to the Potter or the pot will be broken. Today’s passage reinforces the importance of our submission to God’s loving sovereignty. Here, as at many points in the prophetic writings, we are given a creative object lesson in spiritual truth.

Jeremiah went down to a potter’s house and watched him at work. When the pot was marred in process, the potter saved it by reshaping it into another form. From this, Jere-miah saw that God is sovereign--after all, clay is powerless to resist the will of the potter. He also learned that God’s ways are always good and perfect. The flaw was in the clay, not in the one molding it. Given these facts, humble submission to God’s will is the only rational choice (cf. Isa. 29:16).

At a national level, Jere-miah was told that a country’s fate depended on its response to God (Jer. 18:7-10), just as we saw yesterday with Nineveh. At a personal level, as indicated by today’s verse, the metaphor of pottery-making suggests creation and God’s hands-on in-volvement in shaping our lives. God is the Potter, and on His wheel are individuals, groups, nations, and the entire world.

The message for Israel was this: Repent! God had planned a disaster, but there was still time for them to repent and Him to relent. He mercifully gave them this chance, even though He knew they wouldn’t take it (vv. 11-12).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
God didn’t just give Jeremiah a metaphor–He sent him on a field trip. We recommend the same!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Daniel 6:1-28
I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. - Daniel 6:26
TODAY IN THE WORD
Last year, Chinese provincial official Xia Yisong discovered that honesty didn’t pay.

During his first month in office, he found under his door envelopes with cash from businesspeople and others hoping for favors. He returned the money and refused the bribes. A few months later, he received more money. Once again he refused the attempted bribes, which by this time totaled nearly $90,000. He later uncovered a fake diploma and résumé scam, through which 181 local government officials had obtained their jobs.

While some admired Xia, many powerful people hated him, and he received many death threats. Last April, he was “promoted” to a safer desk job in another city, but in fact, he regards his career as “already dead.” Like Daniel, he learned that integrity can be costly.

As prophesied, Israel had been conquered and exiled (cf. 2 Chron. 36:15-20). Daniel, one of the captives, had achieved a high position, and in today’s reading he was on the verge of another promotion. But he’d made enemies, ones motivated by jealousy, greed, and probably racism. In the face of Daniel’s integrity, his well-known faith was their only possible target, and by flattering King Darius they aimed right at it.

Daniel was no dummy. He saw them coming and understood the nature of the test. What harm would it have done him to change his habits or to pray more discreetly? Under the circumstances, to alter his routine would have meant hiding his light under a bowl and betraying God (cf. Matt. 5:14-16).

So, with godly integrity, Daniel prayed as he always did. He prayed regularly, three times a day. He faced Jerusalem, showing a longing for the Temple, symbolizing God’s presence. He offered both praises and petitions (Dan. 6:10-11).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you work in a secular environment? If yes, is your witness as good as Daniel’s had been to the unbelievers?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Nehemiah 2:11-18; 7:73-8:12
I will bring my people . . . back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess. - Jeremiah 30:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
At about 11,000 feet, the highest vehicular tunnel in the world is the Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel in Colorado. As many as 1,140 workers spread over three shifts worked intensely for five years before it was first opened to traffic in 1973. To construct the 1.69-mile tunnel, engineers overcame a number of unexpected challenges, used approximately 38,000 tons of steel, and spent $108 million in tax money.

The Eisenhower tunnel building project required a great deal of effort and perseverance. Sound familiar? Nehemiah took on a similar project to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

In His plan and time, God did what He promised and in His mercy brought His people back from their exile. When King Artaxerxes gave approval for the rebuilding plans, God opened the door for Nehemiah.

Nehemiah was an outstanding leader. He was discreet and didn’t discuss his plans; he knew Israel’s enemies would not be happy to see Jerusalem rebuilt. He also wanted time for advance intelligence gathering. At just the right time, he motivated his countrymen for the project and shared the vision that God had given him (Neh. 2:17-18).

The people rebuilt not only physical walls, but also spiritual walls. All Israel assembled to hear Ezra read aloud the Book of the Law, most likely all or part of the Pentateuch. When they saw him open the scroll, they stood up to honor God’s Word and bowed down to worship the Lord (8:5-6). They were so hungry to listen that they stayed for five or six hours, with the Levites circulating among the crowd translating, interpreting, and instructing as necessary.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The people of Israel were so hungry to hear the Word of God that they listened to Ezra for five or six hours! What a lesson for us, who often feel fatigued if the sermon goes more than 30 minutes.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Luke 2:1-20
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. -
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1958, during the Cold War, an international piano competition was held in Moscow. In all likelihood, the judges had been instructed to vote for a Russian, but things didn’t go according to plan.

A young Texan named Van Cliburn wowed judges, contestants, and audiences with his passionate performances of concertos by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. The other pianists asked Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for permission to choose the American as the winner, and he agreed. For a moment, music crossed international lines and brought a taste of peace and hope to the peoples of two hostile nations.

The birth of Christ has brought true peace and hope to all nations for all time. All of Scripture leads up to this event. From the hint embedded in the judgment on Eve, to promises of blessing the nations, to prophecies of One who would set the captives free, this is what, or rather Whom, God had in mind all along. Christ is the theme of the “one story” of the Bible, for in Him God’s mercy to us reached a climax (cf. Eph. 2:13-18).

Sin required a penalty of death, owed by every individual who has ever lived. If anyone were to be saved, God Himself would have to step in and pay this penalty for us. He became one of us: the miracle of the Incarnation (cf. Isa. 9:6-7; Heb. 4:14-16).

Joseph and Mary made a difficult journey to Bethlehem late in her pregnancy. Because the inns were full, the Son of God was born in a stable and laid in a humble feeding trough. Angels proclaimed to shepherds the earth-shaking significance of His arrival: “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (v. 10). The glory of the Lord shone around them. Indeed, God’s favor truly rested on humanity!
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The calendar may say January, but we’ve just read the original Christmas story, the history-changing news that God became a man. With this in mind, during your devotional time today sing one of the Christmas carols you sang last month. Or listen to one of the Christmas albums you put away, perhaps Handel’s Messiah. Why limit such great music to the month of December? The true spirit of Christmas is never out of date!

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: John 9:1-41
This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. - John 9:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
How often have we wondered why God allows painful situations?

We encounter problems and struggles at home, on the job, or at church, and our natural reaction is often, “How can God allow this? What is He doing to me?!” Even if we don’t accuse God of wrongdoing, we feel angry or frustrated. Sometimes we say, “God’s ways are mysterious,” and try not to think about it.

We can do better. God’s ways are higher than ours, but Scripture gives us quite a bit of information about why God allows people to suffer. Today’s story, and especially today’s verse, can help us see one significant answer to our questions.

We could take every incident from the life of Christ and include it in our “one story” survey of Scripture, but today we’ll take just one of His miracles as a sample.

The disciples assumed that the blind man’s troubles or suffering resulted from sin. They knew something about divine justice, but they didn’t understand divine mercy. Jesus re-vealed a bigger picture (John 9:3). The work of God would be shown, and His name glorified, through a healing miracle highlighting His mercy and power. His interconnected, multi-dimensional plan would be displayed at this moment in this man.

The Pharisees responded with skepticism to the formerly blind man’s straightforward testimony (vv. 15, 24). They investigated carefully and even interviewed the man’s parents. They worried about whether their traditional Sabbath regulations had been broken. While a few wondered how a sinner could do miracles, many were afraid to believe that Jesus was the Messiah because of the religious leaders (v. 22).

The blind man made a personal declaration of faith in front of the irritated Pharisees. Meeting with Jesus later, the man confirmed his faith to Christ Himself (vv. 30-33, 38).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Write out today’s verse on a card small enough to tuck in your wallet, purse, or pocket. Whenever you encounter a difficulty, take it out and read it. Ponder the truth that our sovereign Lord controls everything, and He will use every situation in your life, every test and trial, to conform you to the image of Christ, for His eternal purposes and glory.