Luke 2: 8-12  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and laying in a manger.  (NIV)

Promise:  God’s promised Messiah, Christ the Lord, is the Savior of all mankind.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  His Faithfulness, Sovereignty, Eternality, Savior, Redeemer, Lover of all mankind, Promise Keeper and Joy.

Promise provides me with:  assurance that salvation is for all who believe, knowledge that God has a plan of redemption to bring me into a right relationship with Him,  joy in Christ’s coming as Savior and good news for all people everywhere.

The Bible shows how God planned the coming of Jesus from the beginning. His plan is detailed to the exact place of Jesus’s birth, his parents and his purpose in coming.  It is indeed good news that Jesus came to save us from our sins as only He could.  Acts 4:12 says “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  This promise is for anyone who will believe- any gender, race or creed- all mankind.  The Apostle Peter wrote in 2Peter 3:9 ” The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise , as some understand slowness, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  The early Christian were anxious for Christ to return, but as Peter explained God has his own timing and wishes all to come to repentance.  This Christmas don’t keep Jesus in the manger.  Know that he came to save us and did so through his death and resurrection.  We serve a risen Christ!  Rejoice and tell others of our risen Savior. When we consider all the work Christ has done for us we too can proclaim with the angels , “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth ‘peace’ good will toward men.”  Luke 2:14 (KJV)

Have a blessed day,

Linda

The Judean hills outside Bethlehem.

Micah 7:18-19   Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?  You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.  You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.  (NIV)

Promise:  God promises to pardon my sin, forgive me and throw my sins into the deepest sea.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  His Mercy, Forgiveness, Holiness, Compassion, Omnipotence, Grace and Sovereignty.

Promise provides me with:  assurance that God can and does forgive my sins, that God loves to show mercy and compassion, God has the power to put my sins far away and totally out of my reach or sight- never to be seen or heard from again, knowledge that God is holy and cannot tolerate my sin yet He will forgive me if I seek him with a repentant heart.

These verses never cease to amaze me.  The grace of God is overwhelming when you consider our sin and the punishment we were due, yet God forgives and casts our sins into the deepest sea.  Jeremiah 31:34b also adds “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”  How is this possible for our Holy God to forgive and forget our sins?  Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”   Only through the death and resurrection of Jesus are we forgiven and presented without sin before God.  Praise God for Jesus’ work on the cross!  Thank you Jesus for restoring my relationship with God the Father.  As a believer we can claim 1John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  When we confess our sins, God buries them in the depths of the sea to be remembered no more.  Why then do we torment ourselves over past sins?  Why do we punish ourselves and dwell on past failures?  That is not God but the work of Satan.  God has forgiven you, so accept His forgiveness and look to the work He has for you to do.  God loves us and we need to live each day claiming and proclaiming His grace and mercy.

Walk today in His forgiveness,

Linda

Matthew 6:3-4,6,17-18   But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you……..But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you……….But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret.   And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  (ESV)

Promise:  God promises to reward right motives and actions regarding giving, praying and fasting.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  Holy, Righteous, Judge, Just, Father, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Guide and Sovereign.

Promise provides me with:  guide lines for right living, knowledge that God knows my motives and desires me to be righteous, knowledge that God desires my actions towards others to be genuine and not full of pretense and self promotion, knowledge that God rewards (blesses) those who walk in His ways.

These verses are from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.  He was instructing the people on how to live righteously without pretense.  Even though others cannot or may not see why you do something, God knows your heart motive.  He know if we are looking to better ourselves or if we are acting out of love for Him.  This time of year many people give to be recognized as the ‘good’ person, generous, humble, righteous or gracious.  God can see into our hearts and knows what is motivating our actions.    Take a look at your attitude and actions and make sure you are giving, helping or thanking others for the right reasons and not just to further yourself.  God rewards the truly humble and selfless giver with blessings beyond what we could ever imagine.

Blessings as you do, give and help others this season!

Linda

Mount of Beatitudes as seen from the Lake of Galilee.  It is a beautiful pastoral setting that must have calmed and rested the crowds as they listened to Jesus teach them how to live rightly.

Psalm 46:1-3  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with surging.   Selah   (NIV)

Promise:  God promises to be my refuge and strength and to be available 24/7 to help me.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  His Accessibility, Omnipresence, Power, Might, Protector, Comforter, Sovereign, Love, Almighty and Hope.

Promise provides me with:  assurance of His presence, access to Him day or night, knowledge that the creator of the universe desires to comfort and protect me, assurance that I can turn to Him and He will give me strength and courage, knowledge that God desires that I live a life without fear, knowledge and assurance that nothing I face is bigger than Almighty God!

I love these verses, in fact I chose them to be on the book marks I had made for Fearless Living.    Reading them always bolsters my courage and makes me feel loved by God.  Christmas is known to be a time of great stress, turmoil and heartache for those that remember former times in their lives, grieve for loved ones or feel a general hopelessness with their current lives.  Jesus wants us to cling to Him and be surrounded by his strength and comfort.  He is our refuge and will never leave us or forsake us.  These verses tell us that NO MATTER WHAT God is bigger than anything we can ever face.  Even if it looks like all is lost and falling apart, He stands eternal and will see us though.  All we need to do is turn to Him and trust Him with our worries and problems.   Be comforted and encouraged by these verses today and know He is the Source of all things and He stands ready to help you and answer your cries.  Seek Him today and feel His love.

Blessings as you hide yourself in Him,

Linda

  John 11:25-26  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Promise:  God promises that belief in Jesus gives eternal life and that physical death is not the end of our life.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  His Sovereignty, Creator, Hope, and Eternality.

Promise provides me with: assurance that there is life after death, knowledge that Jesus conquered death and that though Him we can too, that Jesus in the source of eternal life and that faith in him will give me eternal life.

I love this promise with it’s bold question about my faith.  Jesus wants us to know that He is the source of eternal life and that it is available to us through faith in Him.  He also states with certainty that He is greater than death and will provide life for me now and into eternity.  In a day and age when doubt is king and absolutes are fuzzy, I take great comfort in knowing without a shadow of a doubt that God is in control and though his son Jesus I can spend eternity with Him.  Do you have that saving faith?  Know him today and seal your future for eternity.  Check on your status with John 3:16, 1 John 1:9, and know 2Corinthians 1:21-22.     Let’s move forward and face this day with saving faith in the assurance that God is with us and will be with us for eternity.

Blessings,

Linda

Luke 1:28-33   And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.   And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.   He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”   (ESV)

Promise:  God promised  that the Messiah, Jesus, who was to reign forever was coming to earth through his servant Mary.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  His Omnipotence, Sovereignty, Compassion, Care, Knowledge of all things- Omniscience and His Eternal existence.

Promise provides me with:  hope, salvation, assurance of God’s plan for the redemption of mankind, knowledge that God uses his people for his work and his glory, knowledge that God cares about me and wants me to be unafraid and  knowledge that God keeps his promises as he sent Jesus just as He said He would.

I had the privilege last March to visit the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth where the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary.  It was a sobering experience to visit this site and imagine the young girl, Mary, and how she must have felt when confronted by an angel.  The angel showed real compassion on her and told her not to be afraid.  God does not want us to be afraid and assures us that He has a plan and purpose for our future just as he did Mary.  God showed her favor and blessings as she obediently submitted to God’s will.  Do you submit willingly or do you fight and struggle with a rebellious heart?  Be like Mary, submit and open yourself to untold blessings this season as you get ready to receive the Christ child.

Blessings,

Linda

The home of Mary is now under the Church of the Annunication and below current ground level.  Over the centuries the level of the city has risen as homes were built upon homes.

1Peter 5:6-7  ” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”  (NIV)

Promise:  God promises to lift me up, care for me and take my problems as his own.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  His Might, Sovereignty, Omniscience, Omnipresence, Accessibility, Care and Comfort.

Promise provides me with: assurance that He is in control of all circumstances that come into my life, God does not want me to be anxious or worried, God desires that I approach him with humility, ask him for help and then trust Him to take care of the situation.

I don’t know about you but my first reaction to a problem is often fret or worry. I have to say that I am getting better at this since writing and working though Fearless Living, but it is still a struggle.  Why is that?  My guess is that our independent spirit says ‘I can do this myself’ or “I want to be in control”. The first response God wants is for us to turn to him with an open and humble heart seeking his will and direction instead of worrying about things or people.  We can’t change the outcome by worry but God can!  Let your first response be prayer this holiday season as you run short of time, have way too many trips in traffic, puzzle over what to give or what to make, wait in long lines and perhaps need just that extra time to bake or wrap.  God is concerned about our lives and wants us to live stress free.  Seek him first with a humble heart and lay your concerns, even your schedule, before Him.  Spending those few minute in prayer will open up your day and lead you to glorify him with all you say and do!   Don’t be anxious, Be prayerful!

Blessings,

Linda

Zephaniah 3:17  “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”   (NIV)

Promise:  God promises to be with me, provide salvation, take delight, quiet, love and rejoice over me.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  He is Omnipresent, Savior, Creator, Love and Joyful.

Promise provides me with: assurance that God is always with me and that I can never be truly alone, knowledge that God has a plan to save me, hope as he takes delight in me, loves me and will quiet me when I am distressed or in need of peace, and I smile because God delights in me.

Can you even comprehend that the great God and Creator of the universe would take delight in you?  That is what scripture teaches, that God takes delight in us.  Wow! I feel so unworthy of his delight.  I am also awed by his great care which He extends to us through His love, peace, comfort, joy, salvation and constant presence with us.  James 4:8a says “Come near to God and he will come near to you”.   Come near to God today.  Look for his comfort, peace, presence, love and joy as you go through this day.  Think about how you can appropriate his joy and peace today.  You’ve got it so now give it out to others and let them see Jesus at work in your life.

Have a blessed day,

Linda

 Habakkuk 3:17-19   “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  The Sovereign LORD is my strength, he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.”     (NIV)

Promise:  God promises to be my strength, joy and enable me to endure life’s trials no matter what it looks like around me.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  He is pure Joy, Hope, Savior, Sovereign, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Protector, Provider, Pure energy and strength.

Promise provides me with:  assurance that God is in control no matter what the circumstances may look like to me, joy, strength, hope, protection, salvation and will enable me to overcome with joy though dependence upon Him.

Habakkuk the prophet was trying to give a very bleak picture here of things that could go wrong and would go wrong in the Israelites agrarian society.  We can easily translate those concerns into worries of our own- should the stock market crash, the floods, drought and storms increase, should I lose my job, not have enough money to buy food, suffer poor health…. our list can go on and on.  Then Habakkuk gives us words of hope when he focuses on the strength to be found in the Lord.  Depending upon the Lord is a surety and will produce joy, strength, hope and a way to rise above the trials that come into our lives.  As we remember those that died in WWII and especially at Pearl Harbor today, we can depend upon the Lord to see us though difficult times and help us to rise above devastation.  Look up today and see the possible heights God wants to guide you toward.  God is sovereign and knowing that will give you peace,confidence and joy as you trust Him.  Praise God!

Blessings,

Linda

Hebrews 11:6   “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”   (NIV)

Promise:  God promises to reward my faith and diligence in seeking Him.

Why is it important to know this promise?

God’s character is revealed:  Faithful, Rewarder, Self-Existent, Eternal and Sovereign.

Promise provides me with:  the knowledge that my faith pleases God, that my faith is essential to a relationship with God, that I will be rewarded for my faith and that I must seek God with diligence.

Have you felt God’s reward in your life for your diligence in seeking him?  I know I have as I read and study His word, go to Him in prayer, praise Him in worship and fellowship with other believers.  God provides me with a fullness of life, a hunger for his word, peace in prayer and support from other believers.  It is a rich relationship based on faith as I know He exists and cares for me personally.  How about you?  If your faith is shaky or you are doubting, why not seek Him diligently and ask Him to increase your faith, show you in His word His great promises and truths and be open to His rewarding.  I am confident you will be rewarded for your seeking with greater knowledge and faith of our Almighty God.  Seek him this season!

Blessings,

Linda