Read: Colossians 3:1-5 & Psalm 115:1-8

We live in a selfish, greedy world. We want more, we want bigger, we want newer, we want faster. In Colossians 3:5, Paul puts greed in a list of earthly desires that he describes as “idolatry.” We must face the ugly truth that our greed and selfish desires can easily turn into idols.

In Psalm 115, idols are described as having eyes but not being able to see and having hands but not being able to feel. The psalmist says, “Those who make them will be like them” (Psalm 115:8). If we let greed become an idol, we will close our eyes to the needs around us. We will ignore the hunger, poverty and helplessness of the people we encounter. We will not reach out to meet the needs of those people. Instead, we will horde what we have and cling tightly to it.

As a follower of Christ, we should seek to be more like Him. Jesus used His eyes to see hurting people, and He used His hands to heal and help.

Read: Joshua 2 & Joshua 6:15-25 & Matthew 1:1-5

The story of Christ’s birth is indeed a miracle. That God would use a virgin to give birth to our Savior will never cease to amaze me. However, in Matthew 1 we witness another miracle of Christ’s birth – the inclusion of Rahab in the family tree.

In Joshua, we learn that Rahab was a prostitute who kept two Israelite spies safe as they snuck into Jericho to spy out the land. Because of her faith and assistance to the spies, her entire family was spared from death when the Israelites arrived to take the land. We don’t hear about her again until Matthew 1:5 when we learn she was one of Jesus’s ancestors.

We aren’t surprised to see great men like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and Solomon in Jesus’s genealogy, but a prostitute from Jericho? What was God thinking? Why would He include such an unlikely person? The answer is her faith. Rahab was familiar with the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of the Amorite kings. She believed the Lord of the Isrealites was “God in heaven above and on the earth below” (Joshua 2:11b).  Not only did she have faith, but she put that faith into action by assisting the spies. Thousands of years later, her name is made known not only as a great woman of faith but as one of Jesus Christ’s ancestors – how awesome is that?

Rahab’s story proves God can use us regardless of our past. He wants to use us to accomplish great things. We just need to trust in Him and take our next step of faith.

Read: 1 Kings 18:16-21 & Joshua 24:15 & Mark 8:27-29

All of us know what it’s like to be confused. At times in life, we find ourselves facing a decision with no idea which way to go. We pray and ask for direction, but we still feel paralyzed. I was at that place and when a devotion took me to I Kings 18:21. In this verse, the prophet Elijah asks, “How long will you waver between two opinions?” My situation was serious, but I had to laugh.  God knows our hearts and our circumstances so well. It was as if He was saying, “Make a decision one way or the other, but don’t waver any more. It’s time to move.”

Elijah went on to tell the people, “If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal is God, follow Him.” Jesus issued the same challenge when He came to Earth hundreds of years later. He called His disciples by saying, “Come follow me.” As Jesus’s reputation grew, people started theorizing about Him. In Mark 8, Jesus asked his disciples, “But who do you say I am?” In other words, “Stop wavering between theories and make a decision.”

The Christmas season is filled with activities and celebrations, but this time of year, like no other, forces people to answer the question: Who do you think Jesus is? Because everything in the Bible really comes down to that one decision. Will we follow Christ? Will we seek Him?  If you are standing at the crossroads and have not accepted His gift of salvation, don’t waver. Accept Him as He came, a humble Savior, and joyfully adore Him.

Read: Acts 11:1-18

When I was in grade school there was a boy named Derrick who had the best birthday parties. His dad would clean out the basement and hire a DJ, and his mom would cook tons of food. I remember when Derrick brought the invitations to school in sixth grade. We chatted about the outfits we’d wear and rehearsed our dance moves. In the midst of our excitement, I looked over at Janet who was crying. She was the only girl in our class who had not been invited. Janet had always been a little different. She was rarely included in fun events because no one could relate to her. I was sad for Janet because I knew the fun we were going to have, and I knew what she was going to miss.

As Christians, we often treat those around us just like Derrick treated Janet. We leave out those who are different because we feel like we can’t relate. It’s easier to socialize with people who share the same background, interests and values. It would be uncomfortable to reach out to those who are different, so we don’t. But the Bible tells us in Romans 10:12-13 that “there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  God desires salvation for everyone and we should, too (1Timothy 2:4).

The more we get to know God the more we learn about the abundant life He wants for us on Earth and the party we’re invited to in heaven. God has invited all men, women and children to join Him, so let’s take seriously our responsibility to deliver the invitations.

Read: Matthew 7:7-11

Recently, one of my students was playing with a yo-yo at recess. As I watched the spool go up and down, up and down, I thought about how that toy is a good representation of life. My life is constantly changing from highs to lows. One day I receive a surprise gift or have a great experience, the next day I get an unexpected bill or wake up sick.

In the times when life seems lowest, it’s easy to feel forgotten and unloved by God. Too often, when we are frustrated and desperate, doubt fills our minds and emotion overcomes our devotion. When we aren’t blaming our bad circumstances on past decisions, we often want to blame God instead. But, as Jesus points out in Matthew, God doesn’t give bad gifts to His children. God is love (1 John 4:8). Giving bad gifts is not in His nature. So what if instead of seeing bad circumstances as punishment we began to see them as preparation for the future? Suddenly, every experience is a learning experience. We begin to see God not as a punisher, but as a merciful teacher.

Whether your life is in an up or a down, take time today to praise God for His goodness. Jesus tells us we can ask God for anything. Maybe you need to ask for the strength to let go of any uncertainty, doubt and resentment you have toward God for circumstances in the past. Maybe you need to ask for understanding about what He’s trying to teach you now.

Either way, remember: God hasn’t abandoned us and He won’t abandon us. I love how God reminds Israel of this in Isaiah, “Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:15-16, NLT).

Read: Matthew 2:2 & Psalm 95:6-7 & 1 Chronicles 16:23-29

I was raised in the Lutheran church and dated a Catholic boy through high school. I married a man in the ministry of the Fundamental Charismatic Movement, but after a church division, we chose to be part of a Presbyterian church body. We later made a decision to raise our children in the Baptist faith, yet when my children went off to college, I found myself in a Church of God for fellowship. While all of this may seem somewhat haphazard, even in the uncertainty of the situations, God was leading me and teaching me.

Through this journey, I learned to worship God in all things and realized that worship takes many forms. I was raised to revere God and appreciate His sovereignty in the teachings of Martin Luther. I learned to celebrate God and His magnificence in the Charismatic church. In Baptist Sunday Schools, I learned fundamentals and foundations for living in the faith that I had not known. I gained a church family. My experiences in the Presbyterian church helped me grow to appreciate the fellowship of others and showed me the Holy Spirit’s role in my Christian walk.

God desires and deserves our worship. Our worship of Him grows with our relationship to Him. As we walk with Him and submit to His ways, He will lead and guide and teach us step by step.  We are invited to come we you are and worship Him.

Read: Exodus 20:3-6

Worship. What do you think of when you hear that word? Who do you think of?

For a long time when I was asked those same questions, my initial reaction was always the response that I thought people wanted to hear. It was a “churched up” answer that included a showy and impersonal public production. I thought that showing up each Sunday morning with my hands raised and my eyes closed singing words to a song I wasn’t even paying attention to was worship. I didn’t put stock into the lyrics or thought behind the prayers I was crying out, and I certainly didn’t allow myself to acknowledge the real things I was worshipping outside of Sunday mornings. Then the Lord took me to Kenya and changed my entire perspective.

It took sitting on a roughly made wooden bench in a church constructed of sticks and patches of tarp, watching 20 or so Kenyan children dance and sing in a language I didn’t understand for the Lord to open my eyes to the meaning of true worship.Worship is from the soul; it is a cry from the depths of our hearts to a God who has an unconditional and never ending love for us. Worship isn’t about our preferences or being comfortable, and it certainly isn’t about putting on a show for the people around us. It’s about our personal relationship with our Father and what is pleasing to Him.

Worship isn’t just for Sunday mornings, either. We have to make every breath of every day be in conscious worship to our Lord. It is incredibly easy for us to allow other things to sneak in and become our objects of worship. Jesus will not share His glory. It’s never “Jesus and…” It’s always “Jesus or…” You can only have one God, and we have remember that idols are battling for our hearts every day.

Make worship personal. In the quiet of your room, in the bustle of 5 o’clock traffic, in the middle of your day wherever you are, remember that He is the only worthy object of our affection.

Read: Luke 18:18-23

Throughout the Bible, we see examples of God’s people worshipping someone or something other than God. From the Israelites who worshipped Baal (1 Kings 18:19-39) to the Pharisees who worshipped the law and their own righteousness (Luke 18:10-14), people missed the mark when it comes to making God the object of their worship. It’s easy to read these stories and think, “I would never worship another god” or “I would never worship my own good deeds,” but Jesus proves how easy it is for us to get it wrong as well.

In Luke 18, Jesus is speaking to a crowd when a wealthy man asks how to inherit eternal life. Jesus answers by listing off a few of the commandments, and the man claims, “All these I have kept since I was a boy.” Instead of commending the man’s righteousness and celebrating his perfection, Jesus says, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The man became sad at this statement because he was very wealthy.

The ruler’s problem wasn’t his money; it was his heart. He worshipped his possessions and his own good deeds. He was proud of himself for keeping the commandments, he was possessive over his money, and he expected Jesus to grant him access to eternal life based on his own achievements.

Jesus wasn’t saying we have to be broke to inherit eternal life. He is asking us to give up anything that competes for our worship. Are you worshipping God or your career? Are you worshipping God or your car? Are you worshipping God or yourself? Are you worshipping God or your abilities? Are you worshipping God or does something else get in the way of that?

The beautiful truth is that when we put God first He provides in every area of our lives. Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When God asks us to make changes in our lives—or to give up something completely—He promises to provide for us if we are obedient to Him. Take some time today to seek God and ask Him, “Am I worshipping you, or is something getting in the way?”