The Home in Nazareth
We wind down December with the return of Christ to Nazareth. We pray that your hearts were encouraged by our writer's inspirations in our December Devotionals!
SCRIPTURE: "Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, 'Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.' 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee. 23 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 2:19-23
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:39-40
39 So when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. 40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Luke 2:39-40
Beloved, have you ever been the recipient of inaccurate navigation from a GPS (a global positioning system)? I can testify that it can be frustrating, depending upon your eagerness to reach a certain destination in a timely manner. Occasionally, you may recall having sought directions from another person—one who was just as misdirected as you were but gave faulty directions to you for want of desiring to appear more knowledgeable than they were. We call such folks in spiritual matters “false teachers (1 John 4:1-3)! If we would reach our heavenly home, we must trust the divinely given record revealed in God’s Holy Word—the Bible [1 Thess. 2:13; 1 John 5:10]
The omniscient God, we see in Matthew chapter 2, did not leave His own out on a limb; He was
specific in directing Joseph about the “lay of the land” in Judea, his temporal home at that time. (He desires to direct us to our ETERNAL home as well in the 21 st century (Hebrews 13: 14)!
“If God be FOR you, who can be AGAINST you [Romans 8:31]?” The Lord God is never caught off-
guard, or thwarted in the least by evil. Moreover, at every divine detour Joseph was immediately
obedient! He did not, as we sometimes do, foolishly presume to know better than our omniscient Savior what is best for our life pathway. The Christ grew in wisdom and in strength—a declaration reminiscent of 3 John 4—“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Shouldn’t that be our own testimony? Isn’t that our heart’s greatest desire for our own children and grandchildren? God the Son demonstrated these blessed traits of wisdom, strength of character and spirit, and obedience to the glory of His Father; and if we love Him, we too must daily aspire to do the same! Blessings of great joy, peace, and rewards here and hereafter are at stake!
Prayer: Dear Abba, we praise You because Your only begotten Son condescended to our lowly estate some 2,000 years ago. After living a sinless earthly life, as THE GOD-MAN, He gave Himself for my sins’ remission!! Bless Your holy and awesome Name!! HALLELUIAH! AMEN!
By Sis. Denise Diggs
The omniscient God, we see in Matthew chapter 2, did not leave His own out on a limb; He was
specific in directing Joseph about the “lay of the land” in Judea, his temporal home at that time. (He desires to direct us to our ETERNAL home as well in the 21 st century (Hebrews 13: 14)!
“If God be FOR you, who can be AGAINST you [Romans 8:31]?” The Lord God is never caught off-
guard, or thwarted in the least by evil. Moreover, at every divine detour Joseph was immediately
obedient! He did not, as we sometimes do, foolishly presume to know better than our omniscient Savior what is best for our life pathway. The Christ grew in wisdom and in strength—a declaration reminiscent of 3 John 4—“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” Shouldn’t that be our own testimony? Isn’t that our heart’s greatest desire for our own children and grandchildren? God the Son demonstrated these blessed traits of wisdom, strength of character and spirit, and obedience to the glory of His Father; and if we love Him, we too must daily aspire to do the same! Blessings of great joy, peace, and rewards here and hereafter are at stake!
Prayer: Dear Abba, we praise You because Your only begotten Son condescended to our lowly estate some 2,000 years ago. After living a sinless earthly life, as THE GOD-MAN, He gave Himself for my sins’ remission!! Bless Your holy and awesome Name!! HALLELUIAH! AMEN!
By Sis. Denise Diggs
Archive
2024
January
Gratitude Mixed with Faith Should Equal ObedienceGrace Comes In God’s TimingGOD USES WHOM HE CHOOSESSeeing What God Sees to Get What God HasA Life Verse That Is Good for Every YearSeeing Things as God Sees ThemThree QuestionsDon’t Worry About the FutureForgiveness Is Our Daily CelebrationPeace When We Do RightGod’s True Children Certainly Should KnowRegret In Missed OpportunitiesThe Attitude of Delight Is RightMeditation Deprivation Is EvidentARE YOU A DISCIPLE OR JUST A CONVERT?An Anchored Soul Won’t QuitGod Wants to Be BelievedFinding God in Our PainI Must Be About God’s WordWhat the Wondrous Word of God Can Do in a Willing ServantSeeing Things God’s WayGetting Along for Jesus SakeMeditating Brings Us Success In The Christian LifeThe State of Mind That Pleases GodPraised By the RaisedHaving the Right Knowledge for Real FaithWhose Mind Do You Think With?All My Heart & All My WaysWise with the Lord’s TimeNo Shame About What God Has SaidPrayer Is A Conversation
February
DEEP ARMOR FOR THE STEEP CLIMBDressed in the Whole Armor of God for Spiritual WarfareGRAB THAT ARMORSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER WITH PASTOR WAYNE COCKRELLIn My Dressing Room (Putting on the Armor of God)Armored for Any WeatherTruth is Foundation for Our FaithA Work in Progress and A Mouth in TrainingREJECTION OF GOSSIP, SLANDER, LIES, AND DISCORD: THE PERFECTING OF 'FEBRUARY'THE DETESTABLESSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER WITH PASTOR WAYNE COCKRELLIf the Lord Hates It, We Should TooThe Offense Ward of the Sin HospitalSpilling the TeaWe are in ChristLet us Do BetterSpread Love, Not GossipSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER WITH PASTOR WAYNE COCKRELLThe GREATEST THRILL: Being SPIRIT - FilledTHE HOLY SPIRIT'S CONTROLA Drunken SpiritLookin’ Like Our DaddyFermented or Fresh; How is Your Fruit?We Have it AllSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER WITH PASTOR WAYNE COCKRELLJESUS’ LOVE MANDATEHIS Walk, Our Hopethe greatest gift of allTo Love Like Christ
March
LOVE x LOVELove is CommitmentSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER with Pastor CockrellTHE HIGHEST DEBT OF LOVEPREVAILING IN LOVE, AND IN THE LIGHT OF THE PROMISEReturn Your Love to METhe Loveless ChurchWhat Do You Want First: the Good News or the Bad News?POSITIVE FRICTION THAT MAKES US BETTERSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER with Pastor Wayne CockrellHis Love Versus My FearsJESUS LOVES YOUBe Surrendered to 'Love'Victory Over Fear: Life’s Small LessonsJesus, Our VictoryTRUST CHRIST, BANISH FEARSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER with Pastor Wayne CockrellHarmony and Discord Aren’t FriendsHOLY PARAMETERSBlinded by HateACT or REACTRESISTING ANGER AND HATE IN CONFLICTPeculiar PeopleSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER with Pastor Wayne CockrellONWARD & UPWARDHow To Fall ForwardThe Front Windshield is Much Bigger than the Rearview MirrorONE THING TO DOLooking Back Will Have You SaltyGreat Cloud of WitnessesSUNDAY MORNING PRAYER with Pastor Wayne Cockrell
4 Comments
Hallelujah!! Amen!!!ðŸ™
Hallelujah it was written and it is done - JESUS SAVES!!
Amen! Amen! Yes, we have heard from several devotional writers, and the narratives have all come full circle. Hallelujah! Missiah spoken of by prophets, before time; has come in time, and will reign forever.
Amen , the Lord God took Jesus down to Egypt and brought Him back to Nazareth. My goodness, where has he sent us then brought us back? Awesome!