As I begin today looking to finish the work week strong, I am excited to get to hear what Jerrad will teach us through God’s Word today. Only on day 4 but the realization that God shows up continues to be amplified and so when He doesn’t we should be surprised. Where are you today? Are you willing to invite God into your situation? Are you ready to submit and invite Him into your situation? He’s already there but has given each of us free will and so we need to decide that we want Him to be involved and we want His help. So now that you know that God is with you, are you ready to invite Him in knowing that He is the God that shows up?
Today’s devotional comes with the following description:
This 7-day reading plan from Dad Tired podcast host and author Jerrad Lopes will prepare your heart and mind for the advent season as you explore God’s presence throughout the Bible and in your everyday life. From the garden to the manger to your own home, Jerrad helps you gain a deeper appreciation and understanding of the God who always shows up…and will do the same for you.Finding God in Advent | Devotional Reading Plan | YouVersion Bible
Scripture from Today’s Devotional:
What better way is there than to start in God’s Word and hear straight from Him? I can’t think of anything or anyway to start than in God’s Word. Be it after I wake up, pray for my family and get up than to turn to get today’s verse of the day and then after getting ready going to the loft and jumping into God’s Word and starting to write in the blogs God has called me to write about what I read and hear and learn from Him. So let’s be the dads who start in God’s Word because we know His Word never returns void! Let’s be the dads who start in God’s Word because we know it is able to cut through the noise and hardness to get to the core of the situation! Let’s be the dads who turn to God’s Word to help us because we know that it is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives! It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right! Let’s not try to go in our own strength and our own understanding but instead put our trust in God and acknowledge Him so that He is able to show us the path to take!
Let’s be the dads who are righteous men! Let’s be the dads who choose not to disgrace our wives or kids publically! Let’s be the dads who don’t allow fear to rule or control our lives but instead choose faith and trust in God because faith is the antidote to fear! Let’s be the dads who know we aren’t alone thanks to Jesus who is Immanuel, God with us! Let’s be the dads who do the work God created, purposes, and called us to do with thanksgiving and praise because we know that God is the one who has given us strength to do His work! Let’s be the dads who are trustworthy and appointed me to serve Him! Let’s be the dads who are so grateful that God had mercy on us because we did things in ignorance and unbelief! Let’s be the dads who know how generous and gracious God was, is, and will be! Let’s be the dads who are filled with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus! Let’s be the dads who accept that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”! Let’s be the dads who know that God has great patience with even the worst sinners! Let’s be the dads who receive and share the truth of Jesus so that others will realize that they, too, can believe in Him and receive eternal life! Let’s be the dads who choose to live today in a way that will give God all the praise, honor, and glory in Jesus’ name!
Today’s devotional has been provided to us by Harvest House Publishers.
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
For more information, please visit http://harvesthousepublishers.com.
Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“God Shows Up in Flesh and Blood“
- Do you have a chores list?
- Do you have a regularly scheduled task you need to do?
- Are there days when you just don’t feel like it?
- Are there days when due to weather or some other reason you think it won’t be worth it?
- Are there days when for some reason you think it will be a waste of time to do it?
- Do you suck it up and do it anyways because it is your turn, your task?
- Do you realize God is interested in the state of your heart?
- Let’s be the dads who choose to do it as unto the Lord!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to do it because we love those we are serving!
- Let’s be the dads who choose to do it for God rather than allowing the devil’s lies to keep us from getting it done!
- Let’s be the dads who know that Christmas is all about Jesus!
- Let’s be the dads who look to Christmas as a time to celebrate Jesus and pour His love into the lives of our wives and kids!
- Let’s be the dads who look to God to help us not get all stressed out by obligations that the holidays typically bring!
- Let’s be the dads who look to Christ as the reason for the season!
- Let’s be the dads who realize how life-changing Christmas is for all of us!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that Christmas is about God showing up on the earth, in the flesh!
- Let’s be the dads who celebrate the reality that “Christmas is proof that God hasn’t given up on humanity“!
- Let’s be the dads who celebrate the reality that Christmas is proof that “God hasn’t given up on us“!
- Let’s be the dads who realize how great God’s love is for us that instead of running “away from sinful and messy people” “He showed up in flesh and blood“!
- Let’s be the dads who grab hold of the reality that “The God of the entire universe moved into our neighborhood“!
- Let’s be the dads who are in the midst of having “a lot going on right now” and a “to-do list that is growing” and grab a hold of the reality and the “good news: God showed up. He always shows up.“!
- Today’s devotional closes with the following:
- “You are not too messy for God. You’re not too sinful. He’s not trying to avoid you.“
- “God has always drawn closer to his people rather than running away from them.“
- “As you celebrate Christmas this year, look past the baby in a manger. See the God of the Bible who shows up for all of humanity and for you.“
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