As we close out one year and prepare for the start of a new, we thought it would be good to stop and take stock of what God has done, and what He wants to lead us into for the coming year. God cares about our lives, speaks into our lives, and desires to give us wisdom and guidance so we can become more like Him!

This week at the Daily Devos is about asking God to speak and giving Him room to do so. Each day will provide you with a guided set of questions and prayer prompts to help you speak to God and hear from Him, as well as some encouragement to respond to God in faithful obedience.

Find a quiet place and set aside 5-10 minutes to focus on engaging God through this process. If you find it takes longer, that’s ok. You may want to use a journal so you can write as you pray.

Today’s prayer is all about asking God to prepare your mind for the new year. God’s Spirit wants to speak to you. Often, it is God leading us through our very own thoughts. Taking time to prayerfully reflect and think through things is the way God leads us.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

1. Today, we are praying that over the next few days, weeks, and months that the focus of our minds can be on all that is godly. Take a few minutes to read today’s scripture. Pause and re-read the scripture. Ask God, starting today, to show you clear things from Him that you can focus your mind on.

2. God, my mind usually focuses on…

3. I usually focus on these things because…

4. God, You tell me to think about these godly things because…

5. God, what is something I can focus on today that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise...

6. God, I feel you are leading me to take the following step(s) today…

As we close out one year and prepare for the start of a new, we thought it would be good to stop and take stock of what God has done, and what He wants to lead us into for the coming year. God cares about our lives, speaks into our lives, and desires to give us wisdom and guidance so we can become more like Him!

This week at the Daily Devos is about asking God to speak and giving Him room to do so. Each day will provide you with a guided set of questions and prayer prompts to help you speak to God and hear from Him, as well as some encouragement to respond to God in faithful obedience.

Find a quiet place and set aside 5-10 minutes to focus on engaging God through this process. If you find it takes longer, that’s ok. You may want to use a journal so you can write as you pray.

Today’s prayer is all about asking God to prepare us for obedience. God’s desire for us to obey Him is not because He wants to make us jump through hoops, or have lists and lists of rules. It’s not because He wants to restrict us from experiencing joy. In fact, it’s the opposite. God created each one of us, and knows how we operate best. He wants us to experience the fullest life on earth, but that can only happen when we operate in how He designed us. Experiencing a full life only happens when we walk in obedience to God.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24 (ESV)

1. Thank God out loud for the day, then take 3-5 breaths, allowing the silence to relax you.

2. Express to God your desire to be obedient to Him. Take 30-45 seconds to just be quiet after you finish.

3. Jesus is the speaker in Matthew 7:24. He goes on to talk about the difference between a man who builds his house on sand and the man who builds his house on the rock. Which is a wiser decision? Hopefully, you responded with “the one who built his house on the rock”! It’s pretty obvious that building your house on the rock is wiser than building your house on the sand. That simple illustration is used to represent the wisdom in obeying God versus not obeying God. A wise person recognizes that we don’t know more than God. He created and designed us, so He knows how we operate best…by obeying Him. Say these words with me, “Father, I recognize that being obedient to You is the wisest thing I can do.” Pause for 15-30 seconds, and allow that truth to settle in your mind.

4. Say these words with me, “Father, bring to my mind the areas I need to change in my life so I can walk in obedience to You.” Some examples include: completely submitting your life to God, forgiving someone, changing the way you speak about others, an attitude change, tithing, spending time with God, what you watch and/or listen to, working toward breaking addictions. Pause for 30-45 seconds to allow God to bring to mind the areas where He desires for you to be obedient to Him.

5. Say these words with me, “Father, I can’t do this on my own. Will You please give me the strength to take steps of obedience in the areas you brought to my mind?” Pause for a minute, and think about the first steps that God wants you to take (ex: be purposed TODAY to speak kindly to people, contact a friend TODAY to let them know that you want to take the first step in breaking an addiction, choose in your heart TODAY to forgive someone, be purposed TODAY to monitor what you watch/listen to, take a step TODAY to better handle your finances).

6. Being obedient to God can seem overwhelming at times. God doesn’t ask us to be perfect, and gives us grace and forgiveness when we fail. Being obedient isn’t what qualifies us for God’s love, but God’s love should cause us to want to obey Him. Say these words with me, “Father, I know that I will mess up, and I am so thankful for the grace and forgiveness You give me. Help me to remember that as I follow you, there will always be a next step of obedience. Help me to remember that You are always with me, and I’m not alone in my steps of obedience.” Pause for 30 seconds to thank God for His faithfulness to never leave us alone!

As we close out one year and prepare for the start of a new, we thought it would be good to stop and take stock of what God has done, and what He wants to lead us into for the coming year. God cares about our lives, speaks into our lives, and desires to give us wisdom and guidance so we can become more like Him!

This week at the Daily Devos is about asking God to speak and giving Him room to do so. Each day will provide you with a guided set of questions and prayer prompts to help you speak to God and hear from Him, as well as some encouragement to respond to God in faithful obedience.

Find a quiet place and set aside 5-10 minutes to focus on engaging God through this process. If you find it takes longer, that’s ok. You may want to use a journal so you can write as you pray.

Today’s prayer is all about asking God to prepare us for hearing Him speak. God’s Spirit will speak to us during prayer. Often, it is God leading us through our very own thoughts. Taking time to prayerfully reflect and think through things is the way God leads us.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” John 10:27-28 (ESV)

1. Thank God out loud for the day, then take 3-5 breaths, allowing the silence to relax you.

2. Express to God your desire to hear from Him. Take 30-45 seconds to just be quiet after you finish.

3. Father, I am not confident that You want to speak to me. Can You show me Your heart? Take 30-45 seconds to be quiet, and see if God does not bring to your mind a passage of scripture.

4. Father, is there anything I am doing that has quieted Your voice in my life? Take 30-45 seconds to be quiet, and as you think through any possibilities, pray through them.

5. How can I change so I can hear You once again? Take 30-45 seconds to be quiet, then ask God to help you follow through with whatever He prompted you to change.

6. Spirit, is there anything You want to say to me today? Take 30-45 seconds to be quiet.

7. Talk to a friend or a pastor about what you think God is saying to you. Look up the topic in the Bible (Google is a great way to do that), and see if it doesn’t confirm (or deny) what you perceive you are hearing from God.

Luke 15:1-7 (NLT)

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Explanation:

Last week, I was texting back and forth with Titus, my grandson. I work in addiction recovery, and he was asking me some questions about my day. After I shared a little of my heart for the defeated, he responded, “I was listening to this podcast with one of the creators of a ministry that is working to stop human trafficking and slavery. She said that people need to know that there is an answer, that what they are doing isn’t the answer, and that they have a way out. But, they need to know that they are loved first.”

Our approachable God feels the same way! But why? Because love is the only fuel for change. Every decision you make in life will either be based in fear or love. Fear stunts. Love nourishes. Only love can open, soften, and saturate a heart that is encased in thick layers of emotional scar tissue or pride. Only love seeps into the crevices of rejection, disappointment, self-righteousness, or consequences to be absorbed. Everything else just runs off. Only love can soak up pain or fear.

In Jesus’s day, the unethical, immoral tax collectors were the scourge of society. The holier-than-thou had a position in culture, but they were in far more spiritual danger than the tax collectors. The self-righteous didn’t come to Jesus to learn. They came to judge. But the story today describes the tax collectors and sinners as “coming to Jesus often.” They were detested by others, the lowest of the low. Interestingly enough, they were drawn to Jesus! His love must have been palpable. They didn’t hide or avoid. They weren’t tentative or iffy. They came right up to Him. They hungered for Him. They came often. His irresistible approachability drew them.

The love Jesus illustrates in this story of the most helpless of animals (and a wandering one at that), flies in the face of our hyped versions of how failures are to be dealt with. The shepherd had no aggression or disdain for the sheep who lost his way. There was no price to pay first or conditions to meet before being scooped to safety. Only tenderness and care, comfort and protection, security and belonging.

Jesus is our Shepherd. We are ALL the lost sheep at times, and we are never a bother. We won’t be met with a scolding or reprimand, a pout or a sulk, but as the parable so sweetly says…“The lost one was joyfully carried on the shepherd’s shoulders, back to the fold to rejoice!”

Application:

1. Do you have a situation where you are solving a problem with a problem? How would knowing there is a solution feel?

2. How would putting your defenses down, and letting Jesus love you, change your response? The lost sheep could not climb, jump, or rappel out of his predicament. Only the shepherd could locate and rescue him. The lost sheep had to accept the love and care.

3. Feeling the pain of situations is real, but so is the care of Jesus. He wants to be invited into your pain, and He wants to carry you. He’s that dialed into your life and needs. He will carry you. He will show up for you or that loved one you are praying for.

Devo Plus:

Hebrews 4:15-16

We don't have a priest (Jesus) who is out of touch with our reality.

He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all - all but the sin.

So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give.

Take the mercy, accept the help.

Prayer:

Jesus, these last months have left many feeling drained, scared, and alone. We need Your help. Help us feel Your attentive gaze and tender concern. Whether today holds the mundane or the frenetic, may we be keenly aware that You are listening and longing to reveal Yourself to us today. May the knowledge of Your approachability transform our minds, thoughts, and hearts. Amen.

Romans 3:10-12, 21-24 (ESV)

As it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

Explanation:

It’s Christmas day. You wake up, brew your coffee, grab your phone, and sit down to read your devotion. The passage you read is the most Christmassy passage of all time, “Everyone’s a sinner, Merry Christmas!” I am making a joke, but let’s be honest, we don’t want to think about Sin on Christmas morning. Christmas morning is for presents, good food, family, and peace and quiet. At least that’s what I like on my Christmas morning. This version of Christmas peace is nice, but the problem is that it lasts but for a moment, if it occurs at all.

But when the Bible speaks of peace, there is only one component necessary for a true and lasting peace, and that is peace with God. If we want peace with God, we must start with our Sin. Our rejection of His loving kindness and His gracious rule on our lives walked us out of the relationship and right out of peace. We were left to find our own version of it amidst a world that is constantly trying to steal it, never wanting to go back to the One who could truly give it, or fearful of what He would say if we asked.

Then, on the first Christmas morning, God’s answer to our Sin and our hope for peace entered our world…Jesus. Jesus doesn’t just whisk away the brokenness with some magical Christmas spirit. He enters it. He walks in it. He experienced all the devastating consequences of Sin, while never giving into its power. Then, in perfect trust and obedience on the cross, He defeats it!

So what place is there for talking about Sin on Christmas morning? Every place. Christmas day is the celebration of the God who saw our Sin and rebellion, came down, and instead of enslaving us, served us. The God who, instead of punishing us, took the punishment for us. The God who, instead of condemning us, gave us a new lease on life and a real shot at true and everlasting peace. We remember our Sin to celebrate our Savior, and what could be more Christmassy than that!

For the Devo Plus and Application this morning, read the Christmas Story found in Luke 1-2:40 and John 1:1-18.

From the Tree Church and the Daily Devo Team, we wish you a Merry Christmas! May Christ’s Spirit fill your day with the joy of knowing you have peace with God!

Romans 5:6-8 (ESV)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Explanation:

This passage explains perfectly why God’s love has no beginning and no end. The Apostle Paul gives us a relatable picture of what most people are capable of when it comes to love—we all have a few people in mind for whom we would die, if necessary. If I’m honest, my list is heavily vetted to ensure those on it are worthy of my last breath.

This is not the case with our Creator. God was under no obligation to provide humanity an escape from death; His penalty for sin could not be labeled as unjust. But His love for us knows no bounds, so He offered up the only perfect sacrifice that could redeem our sin—the blood of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. And because of this sacrifice, mankind can now enter a meaningful and eternal relationship with God through Christ Jesus.

This is a most humbling truth. If God cares enough about the lowest of sinners (me) to die in my place, what am I doing to reassess the value of those who are not on my list? At times, I find myself unwilling to adjust my schedule for the simplest request, let alone go the extra mile to show the love of Jesus to those who need Him most. My relationship with Christ should motivate me not only to lead others to Him, but to lay down my life if it gives them one more chance to accept His gift of salvation.

Application:

1. “…at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” What does this statement tell us about God’s love and sovereignty?

2. What are some ways we can “die” for the ungodly to show them God’s love?

3. How can this passage help us explain the connection between God’s love and His judgment of sin?

Devo Plus:

Isaiah 53 is a prophetic word regarding today’s passage.

Prayer:

Lord, please lead me to some people who need a simple act of kindness or an encouraging word to reveal how much You love them. I want to be Your hands and feet to this lost and hurting world. In Jesus’s name. Amen.

Luke 18:9-14 (ESV)

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Explanation:

“I sure am glad I’m not like this tax collector.” In this parable, Jesus tells us that was the Pharisee’s attitude. This guy was sure he and the other Pharisees were in right standing with God; in fact, they looked down on all those around them. Pharisees were rule followers. Much like rule followers of today, they get so caught up in the “rules” that they lose perspective of what’s important. The Pharisee in this story got so consumed with rules it caused him to be self-righteous and haughty. Let’s provide context though; he was a Pharisee, and Pharisees thought the only way to get into heaven was to know all the rules and follow them to the letter. They thought the rest of the people were all sinners, and God would never accept them.

This rule follower left out a key element…mercy. He didn’t recognize his own need for the mercy that would get him into heaven. He was consumed with thinking that by following the long list of rules and doing good things, he could deal with his sin on his own and get into heaven. He was missing the need to have love and respect for others. The tax collector, however, was straight-up honest. He was sad that he was a sinner, and begged for God’s mercy! He was hungry for forgiveness. Unlike the Pharisee, he believed that he needed God’s mercy to overcome sin.

The Pharisee was like a balloon. He blew himself up a little bit with each self-righteous statement, filling it with pride. Jesus said this type of person would be brought down, or deflated, and humbled because of pride. The tax collector was also like a balloon, but one filled with helium. He was broken by his sin, but God’s mercy filled his balloon and allowed it to remain full and afloat. When we see how broken we are by our sin, coming before God humbly and saying “I’m a sinner” provides us with a fullness that can only be known in Him.

Application:

1. Are there times (minutes, days, weeks) that you are like the Pharisee?

2. How are these two people in the parable like modern-day people? Could the tax collector be compared to an addict, someone homeless, or a convict? What about the Pharisee? Could he be like that person who never sees his own faults, but can’t understand why he’s unhappy?

Devo Plus:

Read about Paul, a Pharisee who was saved and became an apostle, in 1 Timothy 1.

Prayer:

Ask God today to search your heart and reveal where you’ve been a Pharisee. Ask Him to help you be more like the tax collector. Thank Him for His love and mercy extended to us.

Luke 19:1-10 (ESV)

He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully. And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Explanation:

I would venture to say it’s a safe bet that no one enjoys paying taxes. The one responsible for collecting taxes is not the most loved person. But today’s story doesn’t just deal with an unliked person because he collected money. Tax collectors like Zacchaeus made their living by extorting the people they collected taxes from. They would charge more than what the state required to line their own pockets. This was bad enough, but the real treachery was that tax collectors sold their birthright in the promised land to gain the money to buy their position. They traded the gift God gave them for the chance to thieve their neighbors. They were not just crooks; they were traitors to God and His people.

Have you ever wondered what it would take for someone to betray their very own people? I wonder if the gospel gives us more than a simple description of Zacchaeus when it says that he was small. I wonder if that was a clue as to why he would do such a thing. I have always been shorter. I watched my friends tower around me my whole life. When I was younger, it created a great deal of insecurity in me. Insecurity that would need filled with something. I wonder if our “wee little man” in this story was trying to compensate for the insecurity he felt. I do it, we all do it. Insecurity leaves us feeling lacking, and so we go to other things to fill that void.

Zacchaeus went to money and status, the two big things in his time that would have defined someone’s worth. His insecurity led him to lose his way. That is, until Jesus came and gave him the way back. When Jesus chose Zacchaeus, something filled in his heart that no amount of money or status could ever fill. It changed him. He had been lost, but now he was found…and the things he ran to in the past to find his sense of security were the first things to go.

Application:

1. What is an insecurity you have found in your life that makes you uncomfortable?

2. What do you run to when you feel that insecurity?

3. What do you think it would mean for Jesus to fill that space in your life?

4. What one thing would change today if Jesus filled your insecurity instead of (you fill in the blank)?

Devo Plus:

Take the time today to read and memorize John 10:10. It’s short and memorable. I believe in you…you can do it!

Prayer:

Father, insecurity often leads us down a path away from You. It takes us away from the only One who can truly heal us and fill our lives. Help us to trust that You know exactly what we need, that you meet us right where we are, and when we are lost, You go looking for us. We need You, Jesus. Amen.

Luke 5:27-32 (ESV)

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything, he rose and followed him.

And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

Explanation:

What a bold statement Jesus made when He called Matthew. What an even bolder statement He made when He chose to eat dinner with Matthew and all his friends. In doing so, Jesus demonstrated that He saw the heart of man in a much more profound way than anyone, outside of the Father, ever had. To Jesus, all men’s hearts were sick. It didn’t matter if you were a so-called righteous Pharisee who perfectly modeled for the world the godly way to live, or the dishonest and disloyal tax collector who selfishly pursued his own gain. Jesus knew there was a power in Him that could take any wrong in man’s heart and turn it for good.

Others looking on would have definitely questioned Jesus’s methods. It wouldn’t have made sense to choose to associate with the lowliest if one were claiming to be a man of God. That kind of righteousness could never come in contact with such sinfulness. Yet again, Jesus broke all of man’s standards concerning who can relate to God. Jesus revealed in an extremely bold way that no one is too “sinful” to be loved by God.

Application:

1. What did Jesus eating with the tax collectors show you about God’s way?

2. How is Jesus’s way different than the standards that man establishes?

3. What do you think it was like for Matthew, who was hated by most, to be called by Jesus?

4. How do you think Jesus approaches you, even when you are at your worst?

Devo Plus:

Take some extra time today and research who and what a tax collector was. How does this deeper understanding show you even further the love of God?

Prayer:

Jesus, I am a sinner. You know that better than anyone. Today, Your Word tells me that You love me and still want to call me to be close to You. I want to be close to You. I need Your forgiveness and presence in my life. Guide me to repentance. Show me the way to live that is godly and can be used for Your kingdom.

Matthew 1:21-23 (ESV)

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Explanation:

In this passage, an angel of the Lord appears to Mary’s fiancé, Joseph, to tell him the Good News that was about to take place. The prophecies of old were about to be fulfilled through the child Mary was carrying. That child was Jesus. Just imagine the excitement and mixture of emotions they must have felt. The promises of God, promises He had made hundreds of years prior, were finally coming to be. God was going to take the form of His creation, become man, become one of us, and walk with His people.

This whole story is absolutely amazing to me. Not only was God faithful to His promises, but He was coming to earth to be with us, His people. I think my favorite part of these verses is the very last part. The Savior would be Immanuel, which means God with us. Not a distant God, but a God who is with us. Isn’t that amazing? God longs to be in relationship with us. God loves us. God wants to redeem us. Really let that sink in. God could have left us in our messy, sinful state, but He didn’t. He sent His Son, who left His throne in Heaven to become one of us and walk among us, all for the purpose of redeeming us and giving us the opportunity to walk with Him through all eternity.

My friends, this good and amazing news is for all of us. God is with us today, God is with us tomorrow, and if we choose to follow Him, we get to walk with Him forever. May the Good News of Christmas bring you hope. Immanuel has come and He is with us.

Application:

1. What stood out to you in today's passage?

2. What does it mean for you personally to know that God is not distant, but He is, in fact, a God who is with us?

3. How has the Christmas story changed your life?

Devo Plus:

To go deeper, I encourage you to read the whole account of the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-25. Take time to imagine how the story played out, and then spend some time thanking God for walking among us to redeem us.

Prayer:

God, what an amazing thought it is to know that You love us so much You came down to earth to walk among us. We are so thankful that You are indeed an approachable God. You are not a distant God, but One who longs to be close and in a relationship with us. We thank You so much for the story of Christmas, and how You planned it perfectly. Thank You for Jesus, and the way He saved us and redeemed us. As we continue in this Christmas season, may we share this amazing story with others so they can know You. Amen.