See, the virgin will become pregnantand give birth to a son,and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23 (CSB) Today, when a parent names their child, it's perhaps because they like the name or because someone they admire or who has done them good bears that name. It's therefore a name chosen somewhat randomly. In the time of the New Testament, naming a child was not a matter of chance. The name had to correspond to a family reality or

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV) God never fails to keep His promises. Even when we fail to obey Him and live according to His precepts, He remains faithful and does not go back on His word. The people of Israel, whom He had chosen to be His people, were unable to live according to God's precepts. They were the only people to benefit from God's favor and enjo

Thank you, Lord. As the year draws to a close, we have so many reasons to praise Your name and thank You with words that our minds cannot fully express. You have watched over us, protecting us from many dangers of which we were not even aware. How many times have You spared us from unforeseen events? Father, although we may fear the circumstances, we know that our days are in Your hands. You alone determine our destiny, for You are the God who acts according to Your will, and

Only You, Lord, could accomplish this and save us from our sins. Only You could deliver us from the darkness in which we walked. While we were lost in sin, far from Your presence, You chose to reveal Yourself to us and draw us closer to You. For this, You gave Your Son, who came and bore the burden of our sins. In this holiday season, we do not rejoice in the pleasures the world offers, but we celebrate the birth of our Savior. It is because of Him that we can shout for joy,

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:7 (LSB) We often tend to view our misfortunes as abandonment by God. We want to believe that He doesn't hear us or that He neglects us. But, in reality, this is false. It's a survival instinct that drives us to seek a reason to justify our suffering before God, hoping that He will have pity on us. The mistake we make is believing that our emotional attitude can influence God's mood. Thus, if

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Colossians 2:13 (NKJV) Imagine you've rear-ended someone's car, someone whose social status you don't know. You're at fault, the person calls the police to file a report, and the police officer declares you guilty. Imagine this isn't the first time this has happened to you, and you have several unpaid traffic tickets. Not only d

Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. Luke 1:71 (NLT) We live in a time when hatred is becoming commonplace. Your neighbor might hate you simply because they don't like the way you dress or because you work for a company where they would like to get a job. Hatred creates enemies, even without a valid reason. Given the state of the world, some may decide to destroy the lives of others to take their place. Fortunately, those who have placed their trust

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13 (NASB) After carrying her child for nine months, the bond between a mother and her child is so profound that she cannot neglect its needs. Even in an emergency, she would attend to her baby's care before addressing the emergency itself. It is a deep and unconditional love that no mother can fully explain. Even when her child hurts her, she may get angry, but she will never stop meeting its ne

Lord, we thank You for Your infinite grace and goodness toward us. You allow us to live in peace and enjoy Your blessings each day. That is why we desire to please You and continue to follow Your ways. Take Your place in our lives and open our spiritual eyes so that we may see Your works within us. Grant us the discernment to understand the revelations You give us and to identify the sins to which we are prone. Lord, without You, we are lost, for each day we face life's trial

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. Psalm 37:8 (RSV) In this passage, David teaches us the wisdom we should show in the face of others' success, especially when it is achieved through dishonest means. Often, we find ourselves in difficult situations where we feel completely abandoned by God. When everything seems to be going from bad to worse, we see others progressing and succeeding in their endeavors. Those who reject divine grac

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35 (NIV) The best attitude that pleases God is to humble yourself to serve others. Hearing it said and saying it yourself seems easy, but when it comes to putting it into practice, we refuse because we sometimes believe ourselves to be too important or more important than those before whom we humble ourselves. Yet, Jesus, although he was the lea

The one who loves his brother resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10 (LEB) When the Jewish religious leaders tried to trap Jesus with their question about the greatest commandment, He gave them two: the first is to love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Desperate to bring Jesus down and publicly humiliate Him, they did not understand the truth of thes

So that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and endurance inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:12 (NASB) The Bible tells us nothing about Joshua's attitude when he saw Moses return from his flight to become the leader of Israel after killing the Egyptian soldier. Perhaps he was pleased to have someone who knew Egyptian customs and traditions so well and who dared to confront them, and perhaps he rejected him for fear that Moses would use the situatio

This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live." Amos 5:4 (NIV) Most people perceive their lives as they live them. They don't consider that beyond their limitations, God watches over them and protects them from harm. They don't question the reasons for the events that happen to them, but when they witness them, they blame those around them or, if they acknowledge God's place in their lives, they place the responsibility on Him. Although they know God exists, they wi

Lord, words fail us to sing Your praises. Before Your holiness, our thoughts are limited in expressing our adoration. Though we are insignificant, You have chosen to give meaning and purpose to our lives. Who are we, Lord, that You turn to us and love us so much? Yet, because You created us for Your glory, You choose, out of love for Your holy name, to love and care for us despite our sins. The wicked reject You for prosperity and glory, and yet You grant them Your grace and

To You be the glory, Lord. To You be the praise of our hearts. We sing Your Name, Lord, for You have worked wonders for us. You have allowed us to enter this new month, the last of the year; it is a grace. You have done far more than we hoped for. In the midst of our sorrows, You give us peace and comfort. In the midst of our tears, You dry them and cause songs of praise and adoration to spring from our lips. We depend entirely on You; our joy comes from You, our hope comes f

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. Lamentations 3:25 (HCSB) What do you think happens when we act without God or refuse to wait for His intervention? Often, when we are impatient, we do things that displease Him or lead nowhere. In these cases, we feel like we're going in circles because our efforts are futile, and we always end up back where we started. This is a difficult reality to accept, especially when we want an immediate answer. Y

How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? John 5:44 (NIV) After 50 years of ministry, an 86-year-old pastor decided to retire. He convened the church committee to choose his successor from among the five most active and involved young theology students—those they considered truly called. During the interviews, four were rejected, all but one. Their failure stemmed from a single question they answered po

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Titus 2:11-12 (NKJV) Many Christians believe in God's grace and use it to continue sinning, because they think that, having been saved by grace, nothing can hinder their salvation. This is the reality Paul faced in the early days of the Church, which led him to ask the following question

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not get upset because of one who is successful in his way, Because of the person who carries out wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7 (NASB) Faced with life's difficulties and God's apparent silence, our first instinct is often to believe that others are in the same situation. We don't want to see them progress. Their joy, happiness, and success make us jealous, even envious. This is a reality that David discovered deep within his heart.