December 15-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:15-16, But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Observe what it is saying.
Our God is holy and our Lord is holy, and we call the Spirit the Holy Spirit. Now think how stained and how spotted and how carnal the average Christian is. We allow stains—months go by without repentance. Years go by without asking for cleansing or taking it. Then we sing, “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord.” Or we pray, “Come, Lord, come to this meeting.” Well, the Lord is there. What we’re praying is, “Oh Lord, show Thyself,” but the Lord cannot; a holy God cannot show Himself in full communion to an unholy Christian. You ask, “Is it possible to be a Christian and be unholy?” It’s possible to be a carnal Christian. You can have the seed of God in you, be regenerated and justified and still be unholy in some of your inner feelings and desires and willingness. (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 21).
Relate it to your life.
If I ever come to behold God in all of His holy glory, I will be overwhelmed with my own sinful inclinations and lack of holiness.
Do something.
Lord, I pray that each member of the church will so earnestly seek holiness that many unsaved people in the world will be pointed to Jesus Christ. Amen.
December 16-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Proverbs 3:19, By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
Observe what it is saying.
The celebrated prayer of the great German astronomer, Kepler, has been a benediction to many: “O God, I thank Thee that Thou has permitted me to think Thy thoughts after Thee!” This prayer is theologically sound because it acknowledges the priority of God in the universe. Whatever new thing anyone discovers is already old, for it is but the present expression of a previous thought of God. The idea of the thing precedes the thing itself; and when things raise thoughts in the thinker’s mind, these are the ancient thoughts of God, however imperfectly understood. Should an atheist, for instance, state that two times two equals four, he would be stating a truth and thinking God’s thoughts after Him, even though he might deny that God exists. In their search for facts, men have confused truths with truth. The words of Christ, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” have been wrenched from their context and used to stir people to the expectation of being made “free” by knowledge. Certainly, this is not what Christ had in mind when He uttered the words. It is the Son who is the Truth that makes men free. Not facts, not scientific knowledge, but eternal Truth delivers men, and that eternal Truth became flesh to dwell among us! (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 22).
Relate it to your life.
I am blessed and free as I trust the Truth that is fully embodied in Jesus, the Son of God.
Do something.
Son of God, I acknowledge that You are the Truth! May I testify faithfully to who You are before others. Amen.
December 17-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
1 John 5:20, We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Observe what it is saying.
Oh, how I wish that I could adequately set forth the glory of the One who is worthy to be the object of our worship! I do believe that if our new converts—the babes in Christ—could be made to see His thousand attributes and even partially comprehend His being, they would become faint with a yearning desire to worship and honor and acknowledge Him, now and forever! I know that many discouraged Christians do not truly believe in God’s sovereignty. In that case, we are not filling our role as the humble and trusting followers of God and His Christ. And yet, that is why Christ came into our world. The old theologians called it “theanthropism”—the union of the divine and human natures in Christ. This is a great mystery, and I stand in awe before it! The theanthropy is the mystery of God and man united in one Person—not two persons but two natures. So, the nature of God and the nature of man are united in this One who is our Lord Jesus Christ! (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 23).
Relate it to your life.
Do I stand in awe of God for what He has done to redeem me?
Do something.
Lord Jesus, You are the only hope for this world. You provided the perfect plan for our redemption. Though Your supernatural being may be beyond our human comprehension, Your grace and mercy and love are worthy of all our praise. Amen.
December 18-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Titus 3:4-6, But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Observe what it is saying.
Another quality of Christ is kindness. Think how utterly kind our Lord Jesus is. The love of God is kinder than the measure of man’s mind. Think of the kindness of Jesus in contrast to the harshness, the severity, the sharpness, the bitterness, the acidity in so many people’s lives. How can a kind Savior feel perfectly at home with a harsh Christian? Then there is forgiveness. He is a forgiving Lord and He forgave them while they beat Him. He forgave them while they put Him on the cross. But how hard and vengeful so many of the Lord’s children are! Can you remember bad things that happened to you twenty years ago? You can’t get over it; you say you’ve forgiven it, but you haven’t. You’re vengeful; He is forgiving. And He proved He was forgiving by dying in blood. You prove that you’re vengeful and hard by many proofs and demonstrations. (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 24).
Relate it to your life.
I demonstrate my authentic redemption through simple kindness and profound forgiveness.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, You are holy and righteous, yet You are also kind. You are gentle and love the lowly. Thank You for showing me Your kindness and may I extend it to others this day. Amen.
December 19-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Psalm 34:8, Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Observe what it is saying.
I insist that the effective preaching of Jesus Christ, rightly understood, will produce Christian experience in Christian believers. Moreover, if preaching does not produce spiritual experience and maturing in the believer, that preaching is not being faithful to the Christ revealed in the Scriptures. Let me say it again another way: The Christ of the Bible is not rightly known until there is an experience of Him within the believer, for our Savior and Lord offers Himself to human experience. When Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden” (Matt. 11:28) it is an invitation to a spiritual experience. He is saying, “Will you consent to come? Have you added determination to your consent? Then come; come now!” Yes, our Lord gives Himself to us in experience. David says in Psalm 34: “O taste and see that the LORD is good.” I think David said exactly what he meant. Surely the Holy Spirit was saying through David: “You have taste buds in your soul for tasting, for experiencing spiritual things. Taste and experience that God is good!” (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 25).
Relate it to your life.
As I think about all my favorite foods to eat, I imagine how much greater is the taste of the Lord!
Do something.
Lord, the great need of people within and outside our churches today is to experience the “real thing”—God in all His power and majesty and personal involvement in our lives. Help me to inspire others to “taste” You, Lord. Amen.
December 20-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Luke 2:11-12, Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Observe what it is saying.
Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us” (Ps. 90:17). Was there ever anything more beautiful than the story of Jesus’ birth? Was there ever anything more beautiful than the picture of Jesus walking up and down among men in tenderness of humility, healing the sick and raising the dead, forgiving sinners and restoring poor fallen people back to society again? Is there anything more wonderful than His going out to the cross to die for those who were crucifying Him? Was there anything lovelier than to be the Creator of His own mother, to have made the very body that gave Him protection and bore Him at last into the world? Was anything more awful and awesome and mysterious than that God-Man walking about among men, saying, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18) and “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58)? He was “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18). (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 26).
Relate it to your life.
I cannot let the familiarity of this story rob me from enjoying the beauty of God’s plan of salvation.
Do something.
Lord God, thank You for willingly coming to earth and becoming so vulnerable. You are a selfless, loving God. I stand in awe of You, O Lord. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
1 Peter 1:15-16, But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
Observe what it is saying.
Our God is holy and our Lord is holy, and we call the Spirit the Holy Spirit. Now think how stained and how spotted and how carnal the average Christian is. We allow stains—months go by without repentance. Years go by without asking for cleansing or taking it. Then we sing, “Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord.” Or we pray, “Come, Lord, come to this meeting.” Well, the Lord is there. What we’re praying is, “Oh Lord, show Thyself,” but the Lord cannot; a holy God cannot show Himself in full communion to an unholy Christian. You ask, “Is it possible to be a Christian and be unholy?” It’s possible to be a carnal Christian. You can have the seed of God in you, be regenerated and justified and still be unholy in some of your inner feelings and desires and willingness. (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 21).
Relate it to your life.
If I ever come to behold God in all of His holy glory, I will be overwhelmed with my own sinful inclinations and lack of holiness.
Do something.
Lord, I pray that each member of the church will so earnestly seek holiness that many unsaved people in the world will be pointed to Jesus Christ. Amen.
December 16-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Proverbs 3:19, By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
Observe what it is saying.
The celebrated prayer of the great German astronomer, Kepler, has been a benediction to many: “O God, I thank Thee that Thou has permitted me to think Thy thoughts after Thee!” This prayer is theologically sound because it acknowledges the priority of God in the universe. Whatever new thing anyone discovers is already old, for it is but the present expression of a previous thought of God. The idea of the thing precedes the thing itself; and when things raise thoughts in the thinker’s mind, these are the ancient thoughts of God, however imperfectly understood. Should an atheist, for instance, state that two times two equals four, he would be stating a truth and thinking God’s thoughts after Him, even though he might deny that God exists. In their search for facts, men have confused truths with truth. The words of Christ, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” have been wrenched from their context and used to stir people to the expectation of being made “free” by knowledge. Certainly, this is not what Christ had in mind when He uttered the words. It is the Son who is the Truth that makes men free. Not facts, not scientific knowledge, but eternal Truth delivers men, and that eternal Truth became flesh to dwell among us! (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 22).
Relate it to your life.
I am blessed and free as I trust the Truth that is fully embodied in Jesus, the Son of God.
Do something.
Son of God, I acknowledge that You are the Truth! May I testify faithfully to who You are before others. Amen.
December 17-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
1 John 5:20, We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Observe what it is saying.
Oh, how I wish that I could adequately set forth the glory of the One who is worthy to be the object of our worship! I do believe that if our new converts—the babes in Christ—could be made to see His thousand attributes and even partially comprehend His being, they would become faint with a yearning desire to worship and honor and acknowledge Him, now and forever! I know that many discouraged Christians do not truly believe in God’s sovereignty. In that case, we are not filling our role as the humble and trusting followers of God and His Christ. And yet, that is why Christ came into our world. The old theologians called it “theanthropism”—the union of the divine and human natures in Christ. This is a great mystery, and I stand in awe before it! The theanthropy is the mystery of God and man united in one Person—not two persons but two natures. So, the nature of God and the nature of man are united in this One who is our Lord Jesus Christ! (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 23).
Relate it to your life.
Do I stand in awe of God for what He has done to redeem me?
Do something.
Lord Jesus, You are the only hope for this world. You provided the perfect plan for our redemption. Though Your supernatural being may be beyond our human comprehension, Your grace and mercy and love are worthy of all our praise. Amen.
December 18-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Titus 3:4-6, But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,
Observe what it is saying.
Another quality of Christ is kindness. Think how utterly kind our Lord Jesus is. The love of God is kinder than the measure of man’s mind. Think of the kindness of Jesus in contrast to the harshness, the severity, the sharpness, the bitterness, the acidity in so many people’s lives. How can a kind Savior feel perfectly at home with a harsh Christian? Then there is forgiveness. He is a forgiving Lord and He forgave them while they beat Him. He forgave them while they put Him on the cross. But how hard and vengeful so many of the Lord’s children are! Can you remember bad things that happened to you twenty years ago? You can’t get over it; you say you’ve forgiven it, but you haven’t. You’re vengeful; He is forgiving. And He proved He was forgiving by dying in blood. You prove that you’re vengeful and hard by many proofs and demonstrations. (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 24).
Relate it to your life.
I demonstrate my authentic redemption through simple kindness and profound forgiveness.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, You are holy and righteous, yet You are also kind. You are gentle and love the lowly. Thank You for showing me Your kindness and may I extend it to others this day. Amen.
December 19-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Psalm 34:8, Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Observe what it is saying.
I insist that the effective preaching of Jesus Christ, rightly understood, will produce Christian experience in Christian believers. Moreover, if preaching does not produce spiritual experience and maturing in the believer, that preaching is not being faithful to the Christ revealed in the Scriptures. Let me say it again another way: The Christ of the Bible is not rightly known until there is an experience of Him within the believer, for our Savior and Lord offers Himself to human experience. When Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden” (Matt. 11:28) it is an invitation to a spiritual experience. He is saying, “Will you consent to come? Have you added determination to your consent? Then come; come now!” Yes, our Lord gives Himself to us in experience. David says in Psalm 34: “O taste and see that the LORD is good.” I think David said exactly what he meant. Surely the Holy Spirit was saying through David: “You have taste buds in your soul for tasting, for experiencing spiritual things. Taste and experience that God is good!” (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 25).
Relate it to your life.
As I think about all my favorite foods to eat, I imagine how much greater is the taste of the Lord!
Do something.
Lord, the great need of people within and outside our churches today is to experience the “real thing”—God in all His power and majesty and personal involvement in our lives. Help me to inspire others to “taste” You, Lord. Amen.
December 20-The Son of God
Write out the Scripture.
Luke 2:11-12, Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Observe what it is saying.
Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us” (Ps. 90:17). Was there ever anything more beautiful than the story of Jesus’ birth? Was there ever anything more beautiful than the picture of Jesus walking up and down among men in tenderness of humility, healing the sick and raising the dead, forgiving sinners and restoring poor fallen people back to society again? Is there anything more wonderful than His going out to the cross to die for those who were crucifying Him? Was there anything lovelier than to be the Creator of His own mother, to have made the very body that gave Him protection and bore Him at last into the world? Was anything more awful and awesome and mysterious than that God-Man walking about among men, saying, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18) and “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58)? He was “the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18). (A. W. Tozer on the Son of God: A 365-Day Devotional, p. 26).
Relate it to your life.
I cannot let the familiarity of this story rob me from enjoying the beauty of God’s plan of salvation.
Do something.
Lord God, thank You for willingly coming to earth and becoming so vulnerable. You are a selfless, loving God. I stand in awe of You, O Lord. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals