The shepherds were the first to hear of Jesus’ birth and they believes God’s message through the angels. They went to see for themselves and their simple faith was rewarded as they became the first to see the Saviour. May God help us to go and see for ourselves what God has done in giving us his Son. May we respond like the angels and shepherds, with wonder and praise, giving glory to God.
Author: John Johnstone
The true King and what he brings…
Without Jesus, there is no true peace with God. There is no security or hope beyond the grave. But if we trust he died for us and give him his rightful place as the King over our lives, if we bow before him, he promises us peace and security forever. This is our Christmas hope. This is the true significance of the one born in insignificant Bethlehem.
The problem with lust…
Part of being a disciple of Jesus is like a tug-of-war experience. We need to pray for help to resist wrong desires. We need to understand that lust never delivers what it promises. And we need to believe that true and lasting joy and satisfaction only come through living within our Maker’s boundaries.
Don’t murder…
Let us take a moment to pause and think: is there someone we need to put things right with? Do we have to stay stuck in our anger? We need to repent of whatever is feeding your anger and pray to God for a godly attitude towards the person who has wronged you.
‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ ( (Ephesians 4:32)
The law of God
Before salvation, God’s law is something external and burdensome. After salvation, we understand more of its depth and we have a God-given desire to keep it, fuelled by our love for Jesus and motivated to please him.
The light of the world…
Will you go into the coming days determined to love those around you and to help them? Even if you are in a time of stress and trouble. You are still watched at such times as to how you will react. If you can maintain a love for others at such times, your light will be powerful and impactful. May the Lord help us all to shine for him as we do good to others.
The salt of the earth
As Christians, we are called to season the world we live in by our passion to live out Jesus’ teachings in all we do.
Merciful and pure in heart…
Where would we be today were it not for the mercy of God? We would be lost and without hope. Surely, then, we ought to be the first to show mercy to others.
We cannot change ourselves and so we need to pray for a pure heart. God will give this to us if we ask! And the other thing we need to do is soak ourselves in scripture.
Meekness and hunger…
Meekness is evidenced as humility towards God and gentleness towards other people. We were made for a relationship with God and so it stands to reason that only he can satisfy our souls. May we hunger and thirst after his righteousness.
Transforming our attitudes
When we turn our lives over to Christ, we are transformed and we will become more like him. Are you ready to pursue the kind of life Jesus wants you to? If you are, the Sermon on the Mount is a great place to start. It begins with the beatitudes.