Category: Advent 2018 – I will

Thanks for coming back to join me for the fourth of our Advent devotionals on the theme of God’s ‘I WILL’ promises.

Last year at the beginning of December, I was awaiting major spinal surgery. The pain was intense, keeping me awake long into the night. I used a walker. My back was bent at 45 degrees. Then, over a period of almost seven hours, my surgeon operated. With skill, he fused five of my vertebrae and slowly constructed a cage of titanium rods and nuts and bolts. He carved out space to ease pressure on the nerves passing through the compressed spinal column. After the operation, I was at last free to stand up straight without pain. It felt like a Christmas miracle!

But God does even more amazing surgery! In Ezekiel 36:26, he promises to do open heart surgery:

I will give you a new heart with new and right desires,
and I will put a new spirit in you.
I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new obedient heart.

When doctors in the operating room perform heart surgery, they work hard to avoid infections, match blood types, and avoid rejection. But none of those problems arise in God’s surgical procedure. His Son is the true universal donor.

Before a patient receives a new heart, we all know that someone else had to die to make the surgery possible. God’s own Son came to earth at Christmas. Jesus grew up, taught his disciples, and performed a multitude of miracles. Finally, at the cross, he gave up his own heart that we might live. He will put a new heart in all those who believe!

Have you experienced God’s open heart surgery? Have you thanked the Lord for his gift?

Welcome back for the third in our series of Advent devotionals on the theme of God’s ‘I WILL’ promises.

The other evening a young woman visited our apartment, and as she and I talked, we each shared how we had just completed our Christmas shopping. It wasn’t even December, but our gifts were bought, wrapped and even shipped! We patted ourselves on the back for being so on top of things! And yes, there was a measure of pride that we had completed this daunting task well ahead of most of our friends.

I don’t think the Lord worries too much about when we complete our holiday shopping, but God has no pleasure in human pride. In 2 Chronicles 7:14,15, we find another of his I WILL promises:

If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves
and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.
I will listen to every prayer made in this place.

The antidote to pride is humility. And the reward of humility is the promise that God will hear our cry and the assurance that he will forgive us.

What better gift at Christmas can we receive than to know that the Lord of all the Universe is waiting to listen to our humble prayers and is ready to lift any burden of guilt from our shoulders! Have you sent him a thank-you note?

Today is the second in our series of Advent devotionals on the theme, God’s ‘I WILL’ promises. I am glad you returned!

Have you ever given your word that you would do something? Last year I said that I would help with an ESL class, but when the Fall arrived, I was experiencing intense back pain and unable to stand erect in a classroom. Sadly, I had to renege on my promise to teach and thus I had to disappoint the person in charge.

God also has given his word and, as we saw yesterday, he never backs out of his commitments. But he also has determined that come what may, he will accomplish his purposes. In Isaiah 46:10, he says:
Only I can tell you what is going to happen even before it happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass, for I do whatever I wish.

Later, in Isaiah 55:11 he adds, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

And what is his purpose? In Isaiah 45:23, he explains, “I have sworn by my own name, and I will never go back on my word: Every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will confess allegiance to my name.”

Is God accomplishing his purpose in your life? Have you bowed before him today and given him your word of loyalty to Jesus?