TODAY IN THE WORD

[Def]

Read: John 1:10-13
To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. - John 1:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
One large computer engineering corporation boasts of its extensive benefits package. In addition to a competitive salary, health insurance and retirement accounts, its employees also receive additional fringe benefits: state-of-the-art dining facilities, several workplace gyms, laundry rooms, massage rooms, and services such as haircuts, carwashes, and dry cleaning. By virtue of their employment, employees in this company have a right to all the wealth of benefits at their disposal.

Many Americans think of benefits only in these terms. Which company can give the biggest office, the most comprehensive health insurance, or the most luxurious perks? Even as Christians, we can become entangled in such a perspective, overlooking the most significant benefit already in our possession: being a child of God and calling Him our Father.

Today's passage refocuses our attention on what is most important: we are members of God's own family. This membership, says Scripture, is by faith. As our key verse today says, all those who “received” Jesus and “believed in his name” are given the greatest benefit of all: they are declared to be “children of God.” Furthermore, this benefit is universal in scope. “All” who put their faith in Christ—not just those with the right intelligence, pedigree, or ethnicity—may have the ultimate spiritual benefit of knowing God as Father.

Scripture calls this benefit a “right.” The right of membership in the family of God is ours by virtue of faith in Christ; no one can take it away or call it into question. This is counter-cultural news. Even in many Christian communities, rank still counts for much. We size up our neighbors; we compare our possessions, jobs, and levels of education; we struggle with self-worth. But in the family of God, none of that matters: we are all, by right, children of God. What an important message for today, that we are nothing less than members of God's own family, that by those rights freely given us, we may call Him "Father.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many of us struggle with the temptation of comparison. Although called into one family, the church today is often marked by attitudes of comparisons that reflect cultural, racial, and socio-economic lenses. Perhaps you struggle with this as well. Pray today that God would conform your self-perspective to His truth: that you, along with all who trust in Christ, are a child of God, in equal standing before Him. Then make an effort this week to reach out to another child of God with a love that breaks the walls of comparison.

AMEN

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Galatians 3:26-4:7; Romans 8:15-17
But you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” - Romans 8:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Russell Moore, of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recounted a question he received after adopting two boys from Russia. Asked whether the boys were brothers, Moore responded, “They are now.” The questioner then replied, “I know but are they really brothers?” Moore returned, “Yes, now they are both our children so they are now really brothers.” The question displayed the ignorance about the status-changing reality of adoption. Biologically related or not, those two boys were now members of the Moore family, and because of that, true brothers.

Understanding the full meaning of our adoption into God's family is central to both our readings for today. In Galatians, we are first reminded of our new family through faith (3:26-29). But then an important contrast is made. Formerly, we were “no different from a slave” (4:1-3). But when God sends His Son, something happens: we “receive the full rights of sons” (4:5). In the Romans reading for to-day, we are told that we have not received an enslaving spirit, but rather “the Spirit of sonship” (Rom. 8:15). In both passages, a single Greek word is used to describe what we receive, and its most basic meaning is “adoption as sons.” Although once no better than slaves, in Christ we have now received full adoption as God's sons. We have been made members of His family.

What difference does this make? First, both readings describe the same benefit of adoption: we can now call God “Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:15). The term “Abba” was a name of intimacy used by children for their fathers. Now, says Scripture, we may call God our “Daddy.” Second, because of our adoption, we are now inheritors of God's promises. In antiquity, sons were the family inheritors, and this is why Scripture describes all Christians (male and female) as “sons.” We are the ones who receive God's inheritance. Finally, we share that inheritance with another; we are “co-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). So, is Christ really our brother? Because of our adoption by God, we can answer, “Absolutely!”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Today's passage reminds us that along with Jesus, we may draw near to God by calling Him “Abba, Father.” Yet how many of us address God in prayer from an emotional distance? How often is true intimacy with God missing in our conversations with Him? Be emboldened by God's word to us today, and come to God as your “Daddy,” not in a glib or disrespectful way, but in a manner that addresses Him biblically as your dear and affectionate Father.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
This then is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” - Matthew 6:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Two anonymous sayings sum-marize well an all-too-common view of God. The first observes, “Some people treat God like they do a lawyer; they go to Him only when they are in trouble.” The second notes, “Most men forget God all day and ask Him to remember them at night.”

For many people, God is often like a great beneficent figure who only matters when there is a problem in life to be solved. The prayer Jesus taught His disciples, however, gives a different, more intimate picture of our God. The prayer opens by addressing God as “Our Father in heaven” (v. 9), indicating both a profound intimacy with a heavenly Father concerned for His children and an exalted God high and holy in character. If this is the fatherly God to whom we pray, what does Jesus' prayer teach us?

Note first that the initial portion of the prayer is entirely about God, not us. There is a concern for God's name to be “hallowed,” that is, to be treated with respect (v. 9). We are instructed to pray that “your kingdom come” and “your will be done” (v. 10), petitions for God's rule to be established over creation and for His purposes to prevail on earth. The first half of the prayer is entirely about God's glory and honor.

Only then do we turn to our own individual requests. We are encour-aged to pray for “daily bread” because God rec-ognizes and cares for our material needs (v. 11). We then turn to a request for forgiveness of our “debts” (v. 12), the Aramaic term for sin; our relationship with the Father requires such forgiveness. Finally, we beseech our Father for protec-tion from future sin (i.e. “temptation”) and for deliverance from sin when we find ourselves tempted. The emphasis here is on our utter dependence on God for His help in all of life.

This concludes Jesus' prayer model, but don't miss the underlying foundation: we approach God as our Father. Only on the basis of such intimacy can we ever come to Him with our requests.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Although Jesus warns against self-glorifying or rambling prayer (Matt. 6:5-8), there is a place for fixed models of prayer, and it has been the longstanding practice of the church to recite the Lord's Prayer as part of our devotion to the Father. On this last Sunday in Advent, as you prepare for this week's celebration of Christ's birth, make that ancient Christian tradition yours today by praying the Lord's Prayer, remembering that all your requests and petitions are brought before our God who is also our Father.

[Def]

Read: Matthew 6:9-13
This then is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” - Matthew 6:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
Two anonymous sayings sum-marize well an all-too-common view of God. The first observes, “Some people treat God like they do a lawyer; they go to Him only when they are in trouble.” The second notes, “Most men forget God all day and ask Him to remember them at night.”

For many people, God is often like a great beneficent figure who only matters when there is a problem in life to be solved. The prayer Jesus taught His disciples, however, gives a different, more intimate picture of our God. The prayer opens by addressing God as “Our Father in heaven” (v. 9), indicating both a profound intimacy with a heavenly Father concerned for His children and an exalted God high and holy in character. If this is the fatherly God to whom we pray, what does Jesus' prayer teach us?

Note first that the initial portion of the prayer is entirely about God, not us. There is a concern for God's name to be “hallowed,” that is, to be treated with respect (v. 9). We are instructed to pray that “your kingdom come” and “your will be done” (v. 10), petitions for God's rule to be established over creation and for His purposes to prevail on earth. The first half of the prayer is entirely about God's glory and honor.

Only then do we turn to our own individual requests. We are encour-aged to pray for “daily bread” because God rec-ognizes and cares for our material needs (v. 11). We then turn to a request for forgiveness of our “debts” (v. 12), the Aramaic term for sin; our relationship with the Father requires such forgiveness. Finally, we beseech our Father for protec-tion from future sin (i.e. “temptation”) and for deliverance from sin when we find ourselves tempted. The emphasis here is on our utter dependence on God for His help in all of life.

This concludes Jesus' prayer model, but don't miss the underlying foundation: we approach God as our Father. Only on the basis of such intimacy can we ever come to Him with our requests.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Although Jesus warns against self-glorifying or rambling prayer (Matt. 6:5-8), there is a place for fixed models of prayer, and it has been the longstanding practice of the church to recite the Lord's Prayer as part of our devotion to the Father. On this last Sunday in Advent, as you prepare for this week's celebration of Christ's birth, make that ancient Christian tradition yours today by praying the Lord's Prayer, remembering that all your requests and petitions are brought before our God who is also our Father.

I LOVE GOD.'Period'

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 26:36-46
But we have [a high priest] who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. - Hebrews 4:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
A woman invited several guests to dinner. At the table, she asked her daughter to pray. “I don't know what to say,” the child complained. The mother encouraged her, “Just say what you hear Mommy say.” The girl bowed her head and prayed, “Dear Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner!” Every child looks for models of how to act and speak; unfortunately, not every model is a good one!

Fortunately, Jesus Himself provides the perfect model. Faced both with the excruciating suffering and death on the cross and the weight of providing satisfaction for the world's sin, Jesus declared, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (v. 38; cf. Ps. 42:6). As a man, Jesus knew the fear of death and pain. But look now at His response. On three separate occasions, His words evoked the prayer He taught His disciples. Jesus practiced what He preached.

First, Jesus fell before God and prayed “My Father” (v. 39). He addressed God as Father; in fact, in Mark's version, Jesus uses the intimate word, “Abba” (Mark 14:36). Jesus knew God as Father and approached Him with His request.

Second, look at the request itself. Initially, Jesus asked that He might not have to go to the cross in order for the Father's purposes to be accomplished. But twice, Jesus emphasized obedience: “may your will be done” (vv. 39, 42; cf. Matt. 6:10). Ultimately trusting God as His loving Father, Jesus' human will obediently submitted to the divine will.

Third, upon finding His disciples sleeping rather than praying, He urged them, “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (v. 41; cf. Matt. 6:13). He knew the power of temptation; yet He also knew the source of resistance: prayer to the Father. Only then, after spending time in prayer with His Father did Jesus rise to face His betrayer and His death (vv. 45-46). What a perfect model of human trust in our heavenly Father.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It is one thing to confess trust in our heavenly Father, another to live it day to day. Take this prayer adapted from Ignatius of Loyola and live it out today: “O heavenly Father, when all is darkness and we feel our weakness and helplessness, give us the sense of Your presence, Your love, Your strength. Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power . . . for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things. Amen.”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 21:28-32
The tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. - Matthew 21:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
The poet Muriel Rukeyser writes that “the universe is made of stories, not atoms.” She describes the well-known power of story over the bare report of facts. It is one thing to be told to be kind or loving, another to be inspired toward kindness and love by stories that capture our imaginations and compel us to live a certain way.

Jesus understood the power of a story to drive home a point more forcefully than merely issuing commands or truisms. In today's reading, Jesus tells a parable of two sons, both asked by their father to work in the vineyard. The first son retorts that he will not work, but then later “changed his mind” (literally “repented”) and went (v. 29). The second son initially responds with cheerfulness and respect, but in the end does nothing.

Having told the story, Jesus then asked the pressing question: “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” (v. 31). The crowd of chief priests and scribes responded: the first son. And now the religious leaders were trapped, for the “tax collectors and prostitutes” were more like the obedient son while the scribes were like the second son (vv. 31-32). Although the religious leaders showed outward piety and reverence for God, they ultimately refused to heed Jesus' call to repentance and belief. Yet the so-called sinners, initially rebellious and disobedient to God, were now repenting and believing in Christ.

Jesus' story reminds us of our responsibility of obedience to our heavenly Father. He must be obeyed, not simply with a resounding “Amen!” or “Yes, Sir!” but with humility and action. Ultimately, Jesus' words teach us that promises of obedience can never take the place of performance. Put another way, which is better in our own lives, our profession or our practice? Ideally, our Christian profession should match our Christian practice, but initial disobedience followed by repentance is still far better than initial willingness followed by inaction. Only through true repentance and renewed obedience can we be said to do what our heavenly Father has wanted.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
What better time to reflect on this truth than Christmas day! God the Father has sent Christ His Son into the world to become one of us in order that through repentance and belief in Him we may participate in his death and resurrected life. God's call of repentance remains the same for us today. What will your response be? Will you give initial assent followed by inaction, or will you embrace His grace and forgiveness in humble repentance, thanking Him today for sending His Son?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Malachi 1:6-14
A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? - MalachI 1:6
TODAY IN THE WORD
The prophecy of Malachi is set in the postexilic period of Judah (fifth or sixth century b.c.). Although now returned to their land, it was still a discouraging time for God's people. The temple had been rebuilt (1:10), but the promised glory of the Lord (cf. Hag. 2:6-7) had not yet come. Instead, poverty, famine, and foreign oppression pervaded the land. Out of this context, God spoke through Malachi to assure His people of His love, but He also reprimanded them for their spiritual failures.

One of Judah's primary failures was that they were not giving God the honor and respect He was due. God drew upon the fatherhood imagery again in today's key verse. This is a telling reminder that God, as our Father, is not to be taken for granted or treated with contempt. We His children must pay Him proper honor and reverence, just as human children should honor their earthly fathers.

More specifically, God accused them of showing “contempt for my name” because of their failures in the realm of worship (v. 6). Contrary to God's ritual demands for unblemished sacrifices (cf. Lev. 1:3), the priests were offering maimed and diseased animals. God reminded them that they would never dishonor earthly governors with such imperfect offerings. In fact, the problem is so dishonoring that it would be better to close the temple doors altogether than continue such worship.

Finally, God declared that despite Judah's defiling of the Lord's table, His name would indeed be “great among the nations” where “incense and pure offerings” would be offered to Him (v. 11). Ancient Christians typically understood this promise to be fulfilled in the calling of Gentiles to faith and the Christian celebration of the Lord's Supper.

Ultimately, today's reading asks: what does our worship say about our God? Do we privately and corporately honor Him as our Father and “great king” (v. 14)? Or do we need today's rebuke?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Our heavenly Father deserves honor and respect; that is the message of today's passage. Although this applies to the whole of God's people, note that in Malachi's words, the priests, the spiritual leaders of God's people, are addressed in particular (v. 6). Scripture reminds us that leading God's people in worship is a high calling with great responsibility. Pray today for the leaders in your church that they may lead God's people and instruct them faithfully to honor our Father as He deserves.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
Let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. - 2 CorInthIans 7:1
TODAY IN THE WORD
Reflecting on the strict family rules such as limitations on television viewing, early bedtimes, and no dessert without finishing dinner, a daughter complained to her father, “But the Johnson girls don't have to follow these kinds of rules!” The father paused for a moment and then responded: “True, but the Johnson girls aren't part of our family, and following the household rules is part of what it means to be my daughter.”

As Scripture has shown this month, God repeatedly expresses Himself in terms of parental imagery and boldly calls us His children. Many benefits come from this relationship with God, but sometimes we also need to be reminded that there are family responsibilities as well. Today's reading reminds us precisely of this truth by urging us to be separate from sin and from that which may cause us to sin. A string of reasons are given, each a balance of contrasts: there is no agreement between righteousness and wickedness, between light and dark, or between Christ and Belial.

Then, Scripture draws upon two further images as an underlying explanation for the believer's need for separation from sin. First, the church is reminded that “we are the temple of the living God” (6:16). Because God has promised to live among us and be our God (cf. Lev. 26:12), we are made holy and must reflect that holiness in our lives.

Second, we are reminded of our familial relationship: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters” (6:18; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14). “Since,” as Scriptures declares, “we have these promises” (7:1), we have an obligation to live a certain way. It means something to be a child of God, not just in terms of the benefits we receive, but also in terms of the way we live in the world. We are part of a new family, and with that reality comes responsibility to pursue holiness and avoid sin.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Every Christian generation is faced with temptation to idolatry and disobedience. While we should make use of the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, Scripture, and participation in the services and ordinances of the church, today's passage also offers an easily overlooked weapon against sin: separa-tion from the opportunity for sin (6:17). Do not intentionally put yourself in a position to be tempted. Ask God today for the strength to separate yourself from opportunities for temptation, that you might live “in reverence for” Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Ephesians 5:1–20
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love. - EphesIans 5:1-2
TODAY IN THE WORD
As is well-known, today's culture is increasingly driven by sexual immorality. Sex outside of marriage is por-trayed as the norm; sitcoms and movies are replete with obscene jokes and sexual innuendoes; and magazines and Web sites glorify lust. Today's reading is as relevant to contemporary Christians as it was to the sex-saturated environment of ancient Ephesus. Surrounded by commonplace temple cults focused on sexual satisfaction, the Christians of Ephesus were given a frank exhortation about the incompatibility between the Christian life and sexual immorality.

Scripture declares that for “God's holy people,” sexual immorality, obscenity, and coarse joking are all “out of place” in God's kingdom (vv. 3-5). Later on, God's Word challenges the “fruitless deeds of darkness” and the shameful deeds done “in secret” (vv. 11-12). Finally, Scripture warns against getting drunk on wine, “which leads to debauchery” (v. 18). We are presented with a running comparison between two lifestyles—one darkness, the other light—and neither belongs with the other. Christians are called to reject the world's life of darkness and sexual immorality and embrace the life of light.

Observe how these commands about lifestyle are introduced and concluded. We are not urged to dig deep and find it in ourselves to live holy lives. Rather, we are reminded of something far more powerful: our identity as children of God. “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children” (v. 1), says Scripture, and “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything” (vv. 19-20). Between the repeated commands against sexual immorality lie the two bookends about ourselves and our God. We are God's children; He is our Father. Imitate Him.

Only in understanding our identity as “dearly loved children” can we then reject the life of darkness and “live a life of love” (v. 1). The instructions about a Christian lifestyle are instructions about what it means to love God our Father, rather than live for ourselves.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Along with the clear negative warnings against sexual immorality, today's reading also provides positive exhortations toward thanksgiving (vv. 4, 20). Thanksgiving for what? In light of the passage bookends, thanksgiving primarily for God's grace in being our Father and making us His children. In your own struggles with sin and disobedience, take time now to pause in giving thanks, and let Scripture remind you of the high but blessed calling of being a child of God. Then use that knowledge today to fight against temptation to sin.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Philippians 2:12-18; Matthew 5:14-16
Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
Anyone who has ventured into an underground cave knows what the phrase “pitch black” means. Without any source of light, one cannot see even a hand in front of the face. Yet, the moment a match is struck or a flashlight turned on, that underground world is instantly illuminated and darkness is dispelled. Light always overpowers the darkness and brings with it the ability to see clearly again.

Light's power to dispel darkness and bring clarity is reflected in both of today's readings. First, in Philippians, we are again exhorted to Christian obedience and purity, remembering that it is “God who works in you” (v. 13). And again, this call to holiness is grounded in our identity as “children of God” (v. 15). But notice the subtle shift in emphasis. The call to obedience is not merely for our own benefit, but also for the benefit of others. We are to “shine like stars in the universe” (v. 15). Not only have we, through Christ, been brought “out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9), but we must also reflect that lifegiving light to the world. This, says Scripture, is our “holding out the word of life” (v. 16). As children of God and children of light, we are called to bring that light to others.

Likewise, in the reading from Matthew 5, Jesus declared: “You are the light of the world” (v. 14). And what is the purpose of light? Certainly not, as Jesus says, to hide it under a bowl. Rather, we “put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (v. 15). The proper use of light is to make it available for the benefit of all.

Our good deeds, to which we are called as children of God, are not for hiding away, but neither are they for a self-glorifying show. Lest we think that being a child of God benefits only ourselves, God's Word reminds us that our lives, like shining lights, must be directed toward the benefit of others and the glory of our Father in heaven.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
How often do you feel ashamed of your Christian lifestyle? For those who struggle with a Christian witness, today's passages call us to reflect on the responsibilities we have to the world as God's children. Not everyone is called to publicly preach the gospel to everyone we meet. But we are all called to let our lives speak the “word of life” to a darkened world. Consider ways your life can shine forth as light, and ask God for the boldness to live so today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 5:43-48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. - Matthew 5:48
TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent study at Dartmouth College confirmed children's tendency to imitate their parents. Presented with a pretend store full of miniature groceries, children were allowed to buy whatever they wanted and use it in their playtime. Not surprisingly, the study demonstrated that children were three to four times more likely to “buy” and “use” cigarettes and alcohol if their parents were regular smokers and drinkers. The conclusion was obvious: children watch and imitate their parents closely.

As children of God, Scripture calls us also to watch and to imitate our heavenly Father. Jesus' words call us to the unnatural action of loving our personal enemies. But Jesus does not simply issue a command; He also explains why: “that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (v. 45). How does loving our enemies identify us as children of God? Such action imitates the Father's own demonstrations of love and goodness to the world. Just as He provides sun and rain to both “the evil and the good . . . the righteous and the unrighteous” (v. 45), so His children are called to demonstrate such love and beneficence to all, even those we may call “enemies.” Our very identity as children of God entails this higher call: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (v. 48). Although this verse is often taken out of context to imply that Christians will be in a perpetual state of sinless perfection, the Greek word for “perfect” (teleios) means more than an abstract state of perfection. Rather, something is teleios (perfect) when it fulfills the purpose for which it has been made. And what is the purpose of humankind? Genesis 1:26 tells us that we are made to be like God, in His image. In context then, Jesus suggests that the loving character of God is to be ful-filled (“perfected”) in each and every one of His children. We are “perfect” like our Father when we love those around us with our conduct, demonstrating our Father's own love in action. May it be said of us: "Like Parent, like child."
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Scripture boldly calls us to love our enemies. But there is more here than just conjuring up fuzzy sentiments and warm feelings. Jesus calls us specifically to pray for our enemies (v. 44). That's the first step in actively loving someone, to come before the Father and pray for their good. Choose someone today (such as a belligerent neighbor, a persecuting co-worker, or a scoffing relative) whom you have trouble loving. Then ask for your Father's strength to imitate Him by loving that person in prayer and in tangible action.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: 1 John 3:1-3
We are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. - 1 John 3:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the day when the Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy during World War II. Their success in securing the beachhead that day marked the effective victory of the Allies over the Nazis. However, the war did not officially end until V-E Day nearly a year later on May 8, 1945. Between D-Day and V-E Day, fighting con-tinued and many soldiers were wounded or killed. Battles carried on even while the war's outcome had been decided.

As Oscar Cullmann, a twentieth-century theologian, put it: Christians live between God's D-Day and God's V-E Day. Death and Satan have been defeated through the cross and resurrection of Christ, but we still await the final consummation of that spiritual victory. Today's reading, likewise, presents us with a similar theology.

From one perspective, Christians already participate in Christ's supreme victory over sin and death. Scripture tells us that as a result of God's great love being “lavished” on us, we are called “children of God” (v. 1). And make no mistake; although we may continue to see struggle and suffering in our lives and the lives of others, Scripture declares our identity before God as an unquestionable fact: “And that is what we are!”—children of God (v. 1). We continue to experience the battle against sin, but we are not to doubt our membership in God's family or His ultimate victory.

While there is true joy in this reality, Scripture also points to the future promise that comes with being a child of God: “What we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him” (v. 2). In other words, we live between two worlds. On the one hand, we are already God's children, and may enjoy the many blessings and benefits of that reality. Yet, on the other hand, a day is yet to come when we, as God's children, will be conformed perfectly into the character and image of our Father, and “we shall be like him” (v. 2). Rest in that promise.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
This completes our month-long study on images of God as parent. Take time today to reflect on what God's Word teaches us about this topic—about God's character and disposition toward us, about the benefits of being a child of God, about the responsibilities we have as God's children, and finally about the promise of being perfected in the image of our Father. Then pray that you would both demonstrate those truths in your life and share them with someone who needs to hear them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Matthew 5:1-12
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. - Matthew 5:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
According to tradition, apostles and brothers Peter and Andrew died similar martyrs' deaths. In both cases, their enemies intended to crucify them on a Roman cross, but both asked their captors to change its shape out of deference to the Cross of their Lord. They felt unworthy to die in the same way that He had. So they turned Peter's cross upside down, while Andrew's they altered to be X-shaped. Today, both the upside-down cross and the X-shaped “St. Andrew's Cross” (called a “saltire” and sometimes referred to as the “Burgundy Cross”) are historical symbols of Christian humility.

“If anyone would come after me,” Jesus said, “he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Our devotional topic for this first month of 2008 is humility and simplicity, two intertwined virtues that are essential for everyday discipleship. They are also prominent among the Beatitudes in our passage today. These “Blessed are” statements could easily be translated as “Happy are”—but not happiness in a merely emotional sense. Instead, spiritual happiness is the joy and contentment of redeemed people.

Humility and simplicity appear at least four times in today's reading. First, “poor in spirit” (v. 3) is a metaphor for humility or lack of pride. People who are poor in spirit know their need for God and plead for His grace in their lives. In response, He gives them the kingdom of heaven as a gift.

Second, “meek” (v. 5), also translated “gentle” (NASB), indicates humility before God as well as the resulting humility in relations with others. God blesses them with a rich inheritance. Third, “pure in heart” (v. 8 ), which literally means “clean” or “uncorrupted,” includes simplicity, wholeheartedness, and a pure dedication to the Lord. Such people will be overjoyed to receive their reward, which is to see Him! Finally, enduring persecution (vv. 10-12) also requires humility. Standing firm under insults, slander, and suffering cannot be done in pride.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
A good way to begin 2008 would be with an earnest prayer to develop more fully the virtues of humility and simplicity in your life. You might already have made such a resolution, but New Year's resolutions tend to be try-your-best and grit-your-teeth affairs, whereas spiritual qualities cannot be achieved through merely human effort. Taking the need for grace as your starting point, pray for the Lord to do whatever it takes in your life this year to give you a spirit of humility and simplicity.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Isaiah 6:1-7
Woe to me! . . . My eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty. - IsaIah 6:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
At the conclusion of the book of Job, after all the arguments between Job and his friends, God Himself appeared and asked: “Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!” Stunned by God's awesome presence, Job humbly responded: “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know . . . My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (see Job 38-42).

Like Job, Isaiah in today's reading was overwhelmed. We often think of humility as a “horizontal” virtue, that is, one practiced person to person, but it properly begins as a “vertical” virtue; that is, it depends on an accurate sense of who one is before God. There's no quicker cure for pride than to compare the mortal to the immortal, the finite to the infinite, the selfish to the loving, and the sinful to the holy! That's what Isaiah experienced in his call and commissioning to become God's prophet.

The vision of God was majestic (vv. 1-4). He sat high up on a throne, showing His sovereign authority over all the earth, certainly including one individual like Isaiah. His robe further symbolized His royal grandeur. He was attended by angels called “seraphs,” whose body language proclaimed His holiness and glory. To put an exclamation point on everything, awe-inspiring thunder rocked the temple where Isaiah was.

Isaiah's response to this vision was complete humility (v. 5). He was engulfed in a sense of his own sin and unworthiness, both as an individual and as part of the community of Israel. He could not answer a call to ministry, or even receive one, until God took the initiative to purify and cleanse him from sin (vv. 6-7). The dramatic picture of a live coal touching Isaiah's lips reminds us that God's forgiveness is both painful and powerful.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we know, confession of sin is a needed spiritual habit in our lives (1 John 1:9). Too often, though, we approach confession the same way we approach petitions, reading a “laundry list” and checking off each item. Today, we suggest having a different kind of time of confession, one done with the attitude of Isaiah. Pray in the “woe is me” spirit that recognizes the chasm between a perfectly holy God and ourselves, and thus cries out for the forgiveness and cleansing only He can give.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Revelation 1:9-18
His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. - RevelatIon 1:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
An anonymous medieval monk wrote about the glory of Christ the King: “He is most beautiful in countenance, very desirable to see, He upon whom the angels desire to gaze, He is the King of peace, He whose countenance is desired by all the world. He is the propitiator of sinners, the friend of the poor, the consoler of the af- flicted, the guardian of the little ones, the teacher of the childlike, the guide of pilgrims, redeemer of those who have died, the courageous helper of warriors, the generous rewarder of victors. He is the golden altar of the Holy of Holies, the place of rest of [His children] . . . He is the crown of the saints, the light of all.”

Describing the glory of Christ, even poetic words fall short. No doubt John felt the same way in today's reading. He was in prison—Patmos was a Roman penal colony southwest of Ephesus, off the coast of what is now Turkey. He wasn't moping around, because he understood that this kind of suffering is “ours in Jesus” (v. 9), exactly as Christ had told His disciples would be the case (Matt. 10:16-32).

The Holy Spirit gave John a vision of one “like a son of man,” the glorified Messiah, Jesus Christ (vv. 12-16; cf. Dan. 7:13-14). There are many symbols here: The seven lampstands represent seven churches (the ones receiving the letters in chapters 2-3). The robe and sash are priestly and kingly. The white hair might stand for wisdom or purity. The blazing eyes indicate power and passion. The feet of bronze seem to stand for strength, and the voice like rushing waters evokes His ruling power. The seven stars are probably the seven churches again, while the double-edged sword is the Word of God (Heb. 4:12).

John's response was a model of humility. Stunned and awed by the glory of his risen Lord, he fell on his face in reverence and worship.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Though we tend to think of humility as a virtue practiced from person to person, Scripture much more often presents it as the proper response of people encountering the Almighty God. Why not make this a topic for further Bible study this month? Isaiah and John are just two of many examples. Other narratives of personal encounters with God feature Adam and Eve, Moses, Job, Daniel, Peter, and Paul. Search out and study these narratives, and compare them with the passages from yesterday and today.