December 24, 2025

Nazareth was Jesus's hometown. Right before Jesus left there, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath to be a part of the reading of scripture. They knew him because he was always there. They handed the scroll to him, and he read from the Book of Isaiah. It wasn't by chance that what he read pointed to his ministry. The following is what he read:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18-19 and Isaiah 61:1-2

Upon finishing, he added, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Luke 4:21

Some of the people there discredited him by pointing out that he was Joseph's son. He was a carpenter; how could he be fulfilling scripture? I'm irritated with those people at this point, with second-hand anger over their audacity. Jesus puts them in their place because they will see what he is going to do in other areas by healing the sick, but they themselves won't have the benefit of his power. 

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. Luke 4:23-24

They ran him out of town and tried to push him off a cliff, but he escaped without harm.

What lesson can we learn from this: Don't be so comfortable with your relationship with Jesus that you forget that he is God. He wants to help set us free from the clutches of the enemy, but we have to acknowledge that he is the only one capable of doing that. If you don't submit to him, you may be saved, but you will live your life encumbered with burdens that you weren't meant to carry. Relinquish all that you are holding onto and let Jesus lift that weight off your back.

December 23, 2025

God introduced Jesus to the world at his baptism when the Holy Spirit came upon him, and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Mark 1:11) Jesus then faced temptation in the wilderness and put Satan in his place for the time being. Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, so he left for Galilee. 

And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: Matthew 4:13

For anyone who has not accepted that Jesus was part of the Old Testament, Isaiah prophesied about him, and these verses directly relate to what Isaiah said. 

Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Isaiah 9:1-2

In that same portion of scripture, we hear the famous verses about Jesus’s birth:

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

We know from scripture that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and the One True King, but the world is not convinced, nor even the Jews of that day, and they had scripture confirmation in their own text. But we are not fooled or confused; we know the truth, and He is our Savior.

Food for thought: Before Jesus called his first disciple, he began declaring to the people, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Now, here we are, supposedly two thousand years later, still waiting. I believe our timeline is off, the years have been tampered with, and history is lying to us to confuse us. Renew your mind, and let’s start thinking clearly to uncover the truth about our history. No matter what, we can never go wrong with our belief in Jesus. 

December 22, 2025

So that you know the direction I’m going with my daily devotional posts, while I was sleeping, in the early morning hours of December 7, 2025, I got the strong impression that I should “Follow the Steps of Jesus.” That was the name I remember being given in my dream. The full name of this devotional series is “Follow the Steps of Jesus, A Devotional Study of the New Testament Gospels.” My goal is to trace Jesus’s ministry in roughly chronological order, which means I will jump around in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John until I reach his days on earth after his resurrection. I started that day. For me, I will be revisiting the beginning of this journey of writing, when I had a strong impression, many years ago, to read all the red-letter text in my Bible, in context, of course. The entire Bible is about Jesus, but to experience a more personal, up-close look at his ministry, we will spend some time learning his ways and mannerisms so we might mimic his life as we live for him. On Sunday, during my pastor’s sermon, he brought up scripture that has helped me traverse a life of devotion to Jesus, and it is this:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke iseasy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Following Jesus is not hard, but you have to let him fight your battles. He will train you in his ways like an old bull yoked with a young bull, teaching and leading you, so that one day you will pull your own plow with the idea that you will feed others. And, much like the birds and squirrels that I toss seeds to, if you feed them, they will come. Feed the people the life-giving bread of Jesus; it’s part of your commission from him. One way for you to do that is to repost my devotionals or share scripture memes. People need to know about Jesus. Time is passing much faster than ever before, leading me to believe his return is close. Don’t let the people you love be left behind because you didn’t have the guts to tell them about our Savior, Jesus. 

December 21, 2025

Did you pass the test? Jesus was tested in the wilderness and overcame the devil's temptation. Imagine how delirious he felt after not eating for forty days and forty nights, and yet he passed the test. When I fast for three days, I'm easily tempted to eat. The first thing the devil tempted him with was food, by saying if you are who you say you are, turn these stones into bread but Jesus answered him with this:

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Luke 4:4

The devil didn't give up and tempted him two more times. Finally, Jesus had had enough; he resisted his temptations, and the devil left him. 

And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. Luke 4:12-13

That was the final word, because he was the Lord thy God! He put him in his place, and he left him alone. The devil knows we are not God; however, he does know we are protected by the Holy Spirit who lives within us. When you are hard pressed on every side, use that knowledge to your advantage. There will always be a way out, but it might not be the opening you want to take because it could cause you embarrassment. Be embarrassed; it's the better option than failing a test allowed by God. I would rather embarrass myself than embarrass the Father who expects my obedience. 

December 20, 2025

John the Baptist comes on the scene, preaching repentance and baptism for the remission of sin. The people were in high hopes that he was the Messiah, but he assured them that one was coming who he was unworthy of even buckling his shoes. The next day, Jesus came to where John was baptizing, and he introduced him to the people.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29

John baptized him, and God confirmed what John had said.

And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. Luke 3:22

The people were there, didn’t they hear God speak and see the Holy Spirit descend upon him? How much more confirmation did they need to prove that he was the Messiah they were waiting for? But, then again, we have had all our sins forgiven, are bound for glory, and yet we sometimes forget our privilege and revert to our old ways. When you venture off and mingle with society, remember whose you are, repent, and come back. Jesus will welcome you back like a lost child who was found. Jesus, always loving and quick to forgive. 

December 19, 2025

A cardinal flew into my window this morning, and it lay crumpled on the ground. I picked him up, fixed his feathers, and held him in my hands for a few minutes. He is sitting on my chair outside, recovering; I think he’s going to make it. It’s been a while since I taught in a parable, but since it was presented to me on a platter, or splatter, this morning, I will make a comparison. After munching on the snack that I had fed the birds, and just as that cardinal was minding his own business, he saw a pathway opened and decided to go for it, and ran smack dab into that fake opening. Unfortunately, the enemy is the purveyor of shiny objects that draw us in, seem light, but only lead to darkness. In our minds, it looks like a clear pathway; however, when we get excited about something that is a little off, we end up making mistakes by taking the easy way. Good things are not always easy. The wide path leads to destruction, which, unfortunately, the cardinal took. But the narrow path, with its many twists and turns, bridges, rocks, and downed trees, where you have to traverse the hard things, is the only pathway worth taking. We sometimes take a wrong turn, but because we trust in Jesus, he will be there to pick us up and soothe our weary heads once we turn back to him. We might be stunned for a while, but when we repent and turn back towards him, he will give us strength to move forward and forgive our indiscretions. Choose the narrow path!

Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:13-14

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 16:25

December 18, 2025

I may have mentioned this before, but I asked God to fill in the gaps of my understanding at the beginning of this year. Being someone who has diligently feasted on the Word for many, many years, I’ve been overwhelmed by how much I lacked in knowledge, but also encouraged that He continues to answer that prayer. If you want to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God, ask Him to fill in the gaps in your knowledge, and He will answer your prayer in digestible pieces to help you form a more reliable picture. It’s not all going to come straight from the Bible, but the Bible will confirm the truth you receive from other sources. Don’t take any information as gospel without establishing it as the truth from the Bible.

Did you know that Mary’s lineage is written in Luke 3? Heli was her father, but because she was married to Joseph, they used his name as the son of Heli because the woman wasn’t supposed to be mentioned in the genealogy! I had always wondered why they were different from Matthew’s account, but I had never ventured any further to find out why. For those who know the truth about Mary’s immaculate conception, following Mary’s lineage back to King David is essential.

Submit to God’s authority, allow Him to be your source for confirmation, and He will open your eyes to all truth. 

And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, Luke 3:23

December 17, 2025

The earliest words of Jesus were recorded by Luke after he was found in the temple when his parents headed home to Nazareth without him.

And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? Luke 2:49

As a parent, I have so many questions about this. How could they not know where he was? We had four children and never left one on vacation. To us, his response seems harsh and slightly disrespectful. However, we are not talking about a regular child; he was, and is the Messiah, and Mary and Joseph both knew this, but also, we are not privy to the nuances of the language of that day, and what we think sounds disrespectful may have been a normal tone. We should never blame the child when it was clearly his parents' responsibility to ensure his safety and keep track of him. 

Here's an interesting fact: he was missing for three days. They looked for him, and they were sorrowful when they couldn't find him. Could this have been a living prophecy of what was to happen in the years to come and the sorrow Mary would feel once again when he went to the cross? 

Next time you feel like something is missing, maybe it's because you've left Jesus behind. Go back, find him, and recover your peace. 

December 16, 2025

If you've been following along with me as I walk through the steps of the holy family and the birth of Jesus, you'll see that the stories Matthew and Luke tell have some slight differences. Nothing major, just viewed through different lenses. If we were to make a timeline, Luke would have them going home to Nazareth right after Jesus was dedicated in the temple, but Matthew has them fleeing to Egypt before returning to Nazareth. Did Luke know about their trip to Egypt? Maybe, but he chose to shorten his account. If Luke's and Matthew's timelines are both right, and we have no reason to think they aren't because the Bible is God-breathed, then we must also believe that the Magi/Wisemen met Jesus while he was still an infant. Luke's account says they left to go home to Galilee after Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day in the temple in Jerusalem, which is about 6 miles from Bethlehem. Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem to find Jesus, but because they were following the star, could they have gone to Nazareth? Nazareth is a 90-mile walk from Bethlehem; it's not impossible, but I highly doubt it. It also says they left a different way so they wouldn't have to see Herod, which was only about 6 miles from Bethlehem. It pays to read with understanding, because for all these years I thought Jesus was a little older when the wise men came to see him, but it's more likely that it was before they fled to Egypt, shortly after his being presented at the temple in Jerusalem. However, Herod was in Jerusalem, so the Magi must have come after his visit to the temple. Right after the Magi left, Joseph had a dream telling him to flee to Egypt. I hope I didn't confuse you with my rambling. 

For years, I believed Jesus was probably a toddler when the Magi came, but likely he was still an infant. Because I believed everything I was told, I felt it was wrong to include the Magi in the Nativity, so I left them in the box. Now, I proudly display them with the shepherds and the holy family. Read your Bible to help you unlearn the fables you've been told, even if they aren't completely wrong; that way, you can then sort them out for yourself. 

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way. Matthew 2:12 

December 15, 2025

When the wise men departed from visiting Jesus, they didn’t report back to Herod as he had asked, but went home another way; God had warned them in a dream not to go back. Then an angel of the LORD appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him to leave for Egypt because Herod planned to destroy Jesus. Herod’s actions were purely from selfish ambition. Back in the Old Testament days, children were crowned king, and he was probably worried about Jesus taking over his throne. I wonder how he feels about that now that he is living with the consequences of his sins? When the wise men didn’t follow Herod’s instructions, he sent his men to Bethlehem to do away with all the babies aged two and under. After Herod’s death an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to return to Israel. However, when he heard that Herod’s son now reigned, he took his family to Galilee to the city of Nazareth. 

And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene. Matthew 2:23

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: Isaiah 11:1

Nêtser is a Hebrew word meaning branch. It is thought that Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would come from Nazareth. It is pronounced nay'-tser, which is similar to Nazareth. 

December 14, 2025

I've always been taught that Jesus was about one year old when the wise men came. Did you know that the Bible never says how old Jesus was when they visited him to bring gifts? They use different words from Luke-"babe"-to Matthew-"young child"-to distinguish age, even though they have nearly the same meaning. They stayed in Bethlehem until after the wise men came. Now, why wouldn't they have gone home after his birth and paid their taxes? So maybe it was only a day or so after his birth that they came to visit while they were still there and waiting on Mary's recovery. It would be nice if, when we were told a Bible story, the teacher would make the distinction between what is biblical and what is speculation. Now you know that there is no biblical evidence of his age. 

Here's some food for speculative thought: What if these Magi were the ancestors of the magicians from Babylon, and they learned of the prophecies about the Messiah's birth through Daniel? I bet he taught them about the One True God; they believed and passed that information on to their children. As we begin to connect the dots, the picture becomes clearer. God is very orderly, and everything included in the scriptures has a purpose, so this idea is not too far-fetched. Another note to clarify the story: The Bible doesn't say how many Magi came to visit, only that there were three kinds of gifts. So, the three wise men idea is made up; we don't know how many came. Since we are still in speculative thought, being poor, I'll bet God had them bring all those gifts to give them the ability to move to Egypt to escape Herod's order to kill all the babies under the age of two. 

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11

December 12, 2025

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that the shepherds were the first evangelists to spread the news of Jesus’ birth, but I never thought about the scriptures on the subject; it must have been on my mind, though. If you don’t know this, when you begin to focus on Jesus, your life changes completely. I’m not saying that your life will be hunky dory all the time; that’s impossible because we live in evil times, but your armor is stronger, and the darts are less likely to pierce through to your heart. That great light that shone all around the shepherds, with angels rejoicing, on the night of Jesus’ birth changed them, and they couldn’t hold that glorious news inside. What could be stopping you from sharing your own experience of what the Lord has done for you? The Holy Spirit will lead you to those who are open to hearing the truth, but you have to open yourself up to his promptings. Become like the shepherds and angels bringing good tidings of great joy to those who don’t know Jesus. Then there will be more than enough blessings to go around.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:17-18

December 12, 2025

Another Old Testament prophecy came to life when Jesus, our Savior, was born.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:6-7

Our Prince of Peace came in a way that didn’t harm our senses; he was born of a woman and lived in the flesh like us. However, the condition of his conception and the lowliness of his birth were extraordinary and led us to the truth of who he really is, our King and Savior. His immaculate conception by the Holy Spirit and his willingness to humble himself to be born in a stable clarify his ability to live in our shoes (even though he was sinless) and show his compassion for us. However, we must note that when Jesus was humbled, the angelic host made his deity evident by appearing in a great light to the shepherds who were tending their flock in the fields around Bethlehem. Another thing to note is that they didn’t doubt what the angels told them; they just wanted to see him for themselves. The shepherds were likely the first evangelists appointed by God for that time period, and we now know the story because they told everyone they knew about our Savior’s birth. 

December 11, 2025

Imagine being nine months pregnant and riding on a donkey! Surely the jostling of that ride brought on labor, leading to the birth of our Savior. Now imagine you didn't have prenatal care or a doctor to call when labor began, and you're on vacation! The circumstances were necessary to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy of Micah. 

But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Micah 5:2

As far as prenatal care, she was watched over by the Holy Spirit, who carefully planned the steps of Mary and Joseph, so that, even though they were poor, Jesus' birth would have significant meaning and prove that even the unfortunate could call Jesus their Savior. Just as God planned every step of Jesus' humble beginnings, He also plans your steps. If you go back over your life and watch what led to your salvation and the things you do today, are they not a perfect plan of what God intended for you? Especially the trials and tribulations you've faced; they strengthened your character and made you grateful to Jesus for bringing you salvation. 

Food for thought:

We must begin putting the pieces of this story together and ask ourselves whether it makes sense that he was born in the winter. That's a flat-out no! What would make sense is for him to be born in the spring, like lambs. However, if celebrating Christmas means we bring to light the birth of our Savior, it doesn't matter when we celebrate it. Honor Jesus in everything you do, but start using your brain and begin putting the pieces of this enormous puzzle together without forcing them just to fit the narrative. 

December 10, 2025

When John the Baptist was born, Zechariah’s mouth was opened so he could speak again. When he was serving in the temple, the angel Gabriel visited him to tell him that God was answering his prayer for a son, and because of his disbelief, he made him mute until John was born. When he was able to speak again, he foretold our future in Jesus in a beautiful prayer. The portion of that prayer that stood out for me was this:

That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. Luke 1:74-75

The enemy has a chokehold on the people of the world, and sin abounds throughout every nation and every person in existence. To escape our destruction because of the sins that infiltrated our being, God had mercy on us and sent us Jesus for the propitiation of that sin. You either live a sinless life, which is impossible, or you accept that Jesus came to cleanse you of your sins and believe in him. It is only then that God will no longer count your sins against you. There is no other way. If anyone tells you anything different in this new age of belief, they are a liar and come straight from the devil himself. Believe in the Lord Jesus and serve him without fear, and your past sins will not condemn you. 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

December 9, 2025

Because I love Christmas and the Christmas story, I decided to dig into Luke today. It seems the perfect time to get into the holiday spirit and reminisce over the beautiful story of Jesus’ birth. How many times have you read the same portion of scripture and learned something completely new? That’s what happened to me this morning. Here is the scripture:

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. Luke 1:5

Elisabeth is Mary’s cousin, and scripture says that Elisabeth was a descendant of Aaron, from the priestly line of Levi. When we read of Jesus’ genealogy, the Bible traces his lineage back to King David, which was tradition, but now we see that, through Mary being Elisabeth’s cousin, he could also be from the priestly line. I knew Jesus was a priest of the order of Melchizedek, but I never realized he may also have been a Levite and in the lineage of King David through his mother. Maybe they converged through Mary’s mother. Were Elisabeth and Mary’s mothers cousins? If that’s the case, they wouldn’t keep track of their lineages because they traced their ancestry through the father. It’s all speculation and food for thought today. God knows and has perfected everything concerning our Savior, Jesus!

December 8, 2025

Jesus didn’t come into a comfortable world; born in a stable for animals, then rushed off to Egypt to get away from Herod’s massacre of children under the age of two. What a sad verse in such a beautiful story of the coming of our Savior. Jeremiah even predicted it. However, there is no other account for that happening in the other gospels; they focused on other things. Look at all he had to encounter and fight against when he came to earth as a man. The enemy did whatever he could to take him out, knowing he came as a man and fully God at the same time. He capitalized on his innocence as a child, but didn’t count on God the Father sending visions and dreams to Joseph to protect Jesus. Imagine the families of those babies slaughtered because Herod thought they might be the King. His coming stirred up the enemy, and he is still on a tirade today as he tries to convince people that Jesus isn’t the One True God. When eyes are open to the truth of who Jesus really is, it gives a perspective on what really matters in the world. We must open our hearts passionately for him, because he first loved us. 

Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Jeremiah 31:15

In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping forher children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. Matthew 2:18

December 7, 2025

I spent yesterday finishing the final chapters of 2 Chronicles, which completes all of my devotionals covering every chapter of the entire Bible. Now I will spend the next few months changing all the scripture to the King James Version, editing, and correcting grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. Even though the Old Testament is also about Jesus, I'm anxious to dig into the New Testament again. 

The story of Jesus' conception and birth piqued my curiosity, especially at this time of year when we gather to celebrate. Matthew is the perfect place to start since I just finished the Chronicles, and Matthew continues the royal genealogy of our Savior. Did you know that Joseph and Mary share the same lineage? Whether you trace Jesus' lineage through Joseph or Mary, it leads you back to King David. This information covers those of us who say, "Well, Joseph wasn't the dad; the Holy Spirit was!" God thinks of everything, crossing every T and dotting every I.

One lesson we find in Matthew 1 is that God preserved Mary's good name. Her marriage to Joseph was promised, yet they hadn't consummated it, and she was pregnant. He did the right thing and kept her pure until after the birth of our Savior. You can believe that if you are doing the will of God, like Mary, He will preserve your good name. If you've ever been hurt by someone saying to you or behind your back, "I thought they were a Christian," God will protect you from a damaged reputation and from the fiery darts that the enemy throws at you if you are doing His will. If you haven't had that said about you, are you even proclaiming him?

But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 1:20

FYI - the nativity is not biblically accurate. Angels were not women, and the wisemen were not there at Jesus' birth. 

December 6, 2025

Hezekiah was a good king. He began his reign at 25 and followed in the footsteps of David, doing what was right in the eyes of God. He didn't procrastinate; he immediately got to work to bring Judah and Jerusalem back into compliance with the Law of Moses and reopen the temple for service. He called in all the priests and Levites and began having the temple cleaned, putting the tools back in place. After sixteen days of cleaning and preparation, they started making offerings and sacrifices for the people's sins. As they began burning the offerings, the singers began singing, and the musicians started playing. It must have been glorious, because they had wasted years worshipping dead gods, and now they were back in obedience to God's commands, worshipping the One True God who could help them overcome all the evil being done against them. 

Hezekiah's obedience is a lesson for us as we get carried away in sin; we must return to Jesus, ask for forgiveness, praise God, rejoice, and sing to him with a full heart of delight. Jesus was the only worthy sacrifice, and thankfully, he covered all of our impurities and welcomes us back when we stray. 

And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was donesuddenly. 2 Chronicles 29:35-36

December 5, 2025

Jotham ruled the kingdom of Judah with respect and was one of the few kings who did right in the eyes of the LORD throughout his reign. He overcame the shortcomings of his father, Uzziah. Not much is said about him other than that he was respected by the people and the Ammonites who had taken over Judah during the time of Jehoshaphat; he made them pay taxes to him. He was also known for building and repairing the temple gate. He began his reign at the age of 25, reigned for 16 years, and died. His son Ahaz took over the kingdom. 

If you find yourself feeling like you’re insignificant, take this to heart: it’s better not to be famous than to be infamous for your sins. Live your life in a few good verses rather than chapters that describe your moral decay, as with many of the kings and characters in the Bible.

So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God. 2 Chronicles 27:6

December 4, 2025

After Uzziah, also known as Azariah, took over the reins of leadership from his father at the age of 16, he increased the wealth of Judah and was very successful in war. During his time in office, cunning men invented engines that could shoot arrows and rocks. He also took back Eloth, a port on the Red Sea, and built towers in the desert to protect the country people. He was a good king until he became arrogant and thought he could burn incense in the temple. He resisted the priest who tried to stop him from going in, but they probably didn't want to lay hands on him because he was the king. For his pride, God gave him leprosy on his forehead, and he had to spend the rest of his life sequestered away from people. His son, Jotham, handled the business of the king's house until Uzziah died; then he was made king. 

Uzziah prospered, which can only be done if God wants you to. Your commitment to God is a stepping stone to prosperity; He can either make you or break you; prosperity is a gift. When we take God seriously and make Him the center of our lives, we can expect rewards.

I know many of you already seek God daily. However, for those who are sporadic with their time, you should begin thinking about committing to daily prayer and Bible study. I'm not a prosperity gospel kind of person, but I do know from experience that God blesses those who commit to Him. If you're struggling, it might behoove you to consider spending more time with the LORD. 

And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper. 2 Chronicles 26:5

December 3, 2025

Amaziah, the son of Joash, who was born when Joash was only 15, began to reign over Judah when he was 25 years old. He started well, but turned away from God. As soon as he came to rule, he killed the servants who had killed his father. He began by gathering an army of men, but found that he didn’t have enough; remember, we always have enough when we trust in God. As a result of feeling he didn’t have an adequate army, he paid 100,000 talents to men from Israel to help. A prophet warned him that it wasn’t a good idea to hire men from Israel because of their idolatry, but he was worried about losing the talents. The prophet assured him that God could repay what he had lost, which happened with interest when his son came into power. Amaziah killed a bunch of Edomites and then began worshipping their gods. A prophet came to him, reminding him that those gods didn’t help the Edomites, so why should he think they would help him. Why don’t we recognize the obvious? Then Amaziah decided to challenge Joash, the king of Israel (remember there were two Joash: one was his father, the other the king of Israel; they reigned at about the same time, to add to the confusion). Joash, king of Israel, made fun of his challenge, basically calling him weak. Joash captured Amaziah and took him to see him conquer and take all the fine things from the house of God and the king’s house. He fled to Lachish, but the people of Jerusalem conspired against him and killed him there. They brought his body back to be buried with the past kings. 

We must learn to trust God and not turn away from Him. Amaziah’s heart wasn’t into God, and it showed in his actions. Keep God first and foremost in everything you do. If you keep Him first, He will help you pursue the desires of your heart, which in turn will help Him unfold His plan for your life.

Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there. 2 Chronicles 25:27