The Sacrifice Of Praise

Focus verses: Hebrews 13:15-16

Whatever our circumstances, the praise of the Lord should be in our hearts and on our lips at all times. When life is good, we thank and praise Him. When life is not so good, we praise Him that He is our all-in-all, that we need nothing but Him.

The reasons to praise Him are many, but today, we celebrate the most important reason. The faithful world waited for His coming with great expectancy.

Then it happened! The Christ-child came in lowly form, but carrying all the power of the infinite God.

Jesus came because God loved us while we were yet sinners worthy of destruction.

Father, God,

Help us always to have Your praises on our lips. Remind us of Your love for us and our debt to You. Carry us close to Your heart, and put a new song of praise to You in ours.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.

Learning Holiness

Focus verses: Hebrews 10:11-18

Today the world focuses on the coming of the Christ-child as an infant in a manger. But our reading from Hebrews shows Him in all His power and majesty as our high priest forever.

He is the propitiation for our sins. He is our ransom from the world, the flesh and the devil. He is powerful beyond all imagining. He sits at the right hand of God waiting for all His enemies to be made His footstool.

His work is done. When from the cross he said "It is finished" that was exactly what He meant. It is finished, completed, done, all over.

...because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy (v. 14).

There seems to be a contradiction in this subordinate clause. How can we be already completed as perfect and still undergoing the process of being made holy?

We are perfect in the eyes of God the Father because He sees us through the lens of Christ's sacrifice on our behalf. We are "complete" in Him. But we are continually being set apart from the world for the kingdom of God. We are growing in His grace and under His guidance through the Holy Spirit.

My grandmother used to say "It's a wasted day if you haven't learned anything new." Each day, we learn more and more about Him and His ways. We walk closer and closer in His footsteps.

Father, God,

Although You see us as perfect through Jesus, our earthly lives are filled with stumbles and shortcomings. Grant that we may walk closer and closer in the footsteps of Christ with the guidance of Your Holy Spirit.

In Jesus' most precious name.
Amen.