Daily Devotionals for December 20, 2026

If you want fellowship with the church, if you have not formally joined, there are two ways to do so. One is to pray in public, give money, show enthusiasm and fill out a card. The other is to do first things first—join the universal church—and then also fill out a card. An important part of joining the church is public confession. Why does the Lord want us to make a public confession" The Bible says, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith...

We ought not to court publicity for our virtue, or notoriety for our zeal; but, at the same time, it is a sin to be always seeking to hide that which God has bestowed upon us for the good of others. A Christian is not to be a village in a valley, but "a city set upon a hill;" he is not to be a candle under a bushel, but a candle in a candlestick, giving light to all. Retirement may be lovely in its season, and to hide one's self is doubtless modest, but the hiding of Christ in us can never...

Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy" (Lk. 15:21a).

From prodigals, our Father has made us possessors. "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (

Matthew 12:22-32 Matthew 12:38-42

The heart of Christ was a great magnet that ever drew to it all human suffering and human need. The description given of Him in a quotation from Isaiah (42:3), in the verses immediately preceding this incident, are wonderfully suggestive. His compassion and His gentleness are depicted in the words, "A bruised reed he will not...

That we should be holy and without blame before Him in love.God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you … for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. § Whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He...

We are often told that it isn't the circumstances of life that are important; it's how we react to those circumstances that really matters. This is true. Rather than always trying to change our circumstances, we should think more about changing ourselves.

There are several ways in which people respond to adverse happenings. The first is stoically. This means that they are completely impassive, gritting their teeth, and showing no emotion. Their policy is to "cooperate with the...

The habit of mind that is here indicated is very important, very rare, and very hard to be attained. Every Christian no doubt perceives, though more distinctly at certain times than at others, how exceedingly desirable it is that he should have a continual consciousness of the presence of the Lord, and what a grievous loss he is sustaining all the time that his Spirit forgets to realize that presence. And if he could attain unto this sublime habit of the soul by any single impulse and...

For Reading and Meditation:     Deuteronomy 32:28-38

We have been seeing that in the sanctuary the psalmist was reminded of the things he had forgotten, and thus his thinking was straightened out. There can be no real change in our personalities until there is a change in our thinking. Counselling that focuses only on changing behaviour and fails to emphasise the...

Have faith in God. § Without faith it is impossible to please Him. § With God all things are possible.Is My hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver?“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” § “Try Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of...

"I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?" Isaiah...

"Ye are Christ's." You are his by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son; his by his bloody purchase, for he counted down the price for your redemption; his by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to him; his by relation, for you are named by his name, and made one of his brethren and joint-heirs. Labour practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, "I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ's."...

What a mercy to have a God to go to, a throne of grace set before us, and the precious name of Jesus to plea. How encouraging the examples set before us in God's holy word. Let us imitate them who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

We are going into the world; the business of the day is before us; our hearts are false and fickle; let our prayer be, "OH, KEEP MY SOUL". Keep me from sin, let me not indulge it in my heart, or commit it in my life - keep me from Satan, suffer him...

Any act gains in power as it moves inward toward the heart. For this reason, the sins of the spirit are more iniquitous than those of the body. This was illustrated boldly by the attitude of our Lord toward these two kinds of sins and the corresponding two classes of sinners. He was the friend of publicans and harlots and the enemy of the Pharisees.

All sin is sinful and will be fatal to the soul if it is not forgiven and cleansed away. But for intensity of iniquity, the sins of the...