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2019 Daily Devo 12.17.19

By December 17, 2019Daily Devotional

Week 50 Day 2

I. Prayer to enter the Lord’s presence:

Be still for a moment. “Lord, I give the day that is now past to you.  It is yours.  I give the day that is to come to you; help me to see where you are working and to join you there.  Speak to me during these moments.  I commit them and myself to you.”

 II. Prayer of Confession:

“Lord, you are faithful to forgive me and cleanse me of my sin when I confess it to you.  I confess my sin(s) of ______________.  Thank you for forgiveness.” (1 John 1:9)

III. Prayer of Thanksgiving:

Choose to be thankful, speak out loud of what God has done.
“Thank you, Father, for _________________.  Fill my heart and my mouth with gratitude throughout this day.”

IV. Scripture Reflection

Read:
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)

Reflect:
At the core of Christmas is the reality that, in Christ, God’s rule and reign have come to earth; His Kingdom
has been established. His Kingdom can be experienced. His will and His rule can be honored. But the mystery of the Kingdom is that God’s power is present here among us in fullness, but not in completeness.
The Kingdom of God grows up in the midst of the present, evil age, which is under the rule of Satan.

Living in the “already, not yet” Kingdom of God is a paradox. Yesterday, we focused on the reality that the
Kingdom of God has already come in Christ. This morning, focus on the reality that the Kingdom of God has
not yet been established in completeness. Remember that, you can “already” experience the Kingdom of
God, but you will “not yet” experience it in completeness. The present, evil age has not yet come to an end.
We still live in an age that is marred by sin and death.

Today, you may find yourself caught up between these two realities: “already, but not yet.” To live
between the two Advents is to struggle. You may find yourself struggling with sin, sickness, disease,
relational brokenness, loss, and dismay at the suffocating headlines announcing worldwide disorder. If you
are struggling, know that God sees you. He hears your cry. He is still good. He is still powerful. He is still on
the throne. And it’s okay to struggle. But as you struggle, ask yourself this: “What am I going to put in the
gap?” There is a gap between my expectations for life and reality. What am I going to choose to put in the
gap? Anger? Frustration? Doubt? Despair? Or hope?

Respond:
What unmet expectations do you have for you life? What have you been putting in the gap between your
unmet expectations and reality? How has it affected you?

Now, ask God to help you replace any unhealthy things you’ve put in the gap with hope: a settled
expectation that God will come through on His promises in His way and in His timing.

V. Prayer for others:

Pray specifically for the concerns of your life and the lives of others. 

VI. Prayer of commitment:

Lord God, I commit to love you with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength and with all my mind and to love my neighbor as myself.  Empower me today to love you and others with everything that I am.”  (Luke 10:27)

This Month’s Scripture Memory:

Isaiah 53:4-6
Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid him the iniquity of us all.

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