2026-01-16
Good morning, Dear Ones,
There is a reason that the Lord has me writing about the question: To what can we look forward? on the third week of Advent. Nothing is an accident that He plans. We have celebrated love and hope, and today it is joy. Next week, it is peace. You will receive this devotion sometime in January, so that hanging on to the good feelings of the season can be prolonged as we are beginning a new year of work, family responsibilities, and our routines. All of the four questions discussed matter to all of us. The other three questions already discussed are: How can we cooperate with God’s efforts to civilize mankind? How can we enrich our spiritual lives and those of others? How can we enrich our relationship with God? Today’s question is designed to help us examine our faith in Who the Lord is and what He does.
To begin, our God created the earth and the heavens. IS 45: 12 [God speaking], “It is I Who made the earth and created mankind upon it. My own hands stretch out the heaven; I marshaled their starry hosts.” Our Creator holds total sovereignty over all creation. COL 1: 15-16, “The Son is the visible image of the invisible God, the Firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him.” We can acknowledge His worthiness for our worship. REV 4: 11, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by Your will they were made and have their being.” That is Who our God is.
The next topic is what He does. Our God was an Artist, Who created the beauty and power of nature. No decision that He makes is without righteousness. 2 COR 5: 21, “God made Him [Christ] Who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” PS 145: 17, “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and faithful in all He does.”
RO 1: 17, For in the Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed –it is by faith from first to least, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith” [HB 2: 4]. So, He has given us His only begotten Son to die on the cross, opening the way for those who come to faith in Him to be saved, eternally forgiven for their sins, and justified. He gives us the Scriptures, so that we can mature in our faith by studying them and allowing the Holy Spirit to take leadership of our lives through them. Through Christ’s faithful obedience, the Father shows us what is righteous and what is not; He encourages us to be Christlike in our lifestyle and our relationships. The Lord shows us that despite the pain and suffering in this world, we can have joy in serving others through serving Him. IS 61: 10, “I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness.” PS 11: 7, “For the Lord is righteous; he loves righteous deeds, the upright shall behold His face.”
Anyone who has read the books of Daniel and Revelation knows that God will eventually “separate the sheep (the righteous) from the goats (the unrighteous)” [MT 25: 32] in the ultimate upheaval the universe has ever seen at some time in our future. All the while, we must bear in mind only He has the righteousness and power to do this. IS 9: 6, “For unto us a Son is born; to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Think about this: JER 29: 11-13, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to proper you and not to bring disaster, plans to give you hope and a future.’” This amazing promise is like all the Lord’s others---we can rely on Him to be truthful and that He will keep these oaths.
PRAYER: O Lord, no human is as reliable as You are. When you tell us something in the Scriptures, we can know that it is the truth and that Your promises will all be fulfilled in the future. You are omniscient and aware of everything that goes on with us. You know who is righteous and who is not. You build things in mercy, truth, compassion, love and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit in those who open their hearts to Him [HE 4: 12-13; GA 5: 22-23]. Nothing You do is ever cruel, mean, or unrighteous, because You are our Lord of light [1JN 1: 5]. We are blessed when we are faithfully obedient to You and Your teaching. We acknowledge that no other being in this universe is as loving and righteous as You are. Your wisdom knows no bounds. So, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, we offer You praise and thanksgiving for Who You are and all you do. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: There is supreme joy in knowing that when we trust our God, we can rest assured that He will keep and protect those who love Him no matter what happens to those who serially reject Him. Next week, I have been commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about various issues we need to tackle as we endeavor to get a fresh start, improving our spiritual lives. In the meanwhile, let’s place our trust in God, Who loves us in a way no human can. Praise and thanksgiving be to Him!
Grace Be with You Always,
Lynn JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2025. All Rights Reserved.
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