trust God – Page 5 – Be Still…

1 Chronicles 29:10-20 – Prayer of Praise

Read 1 Chronicles 29:10-20

Everything belongs to God. “Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” I love how David acknowledges God’s majesty in his prayer of praise. The richness of our own prayer life magnifies when we focus on God’s mighty power.

King David sets a great example for the assembly by praying to the LORD like this. David’s praise of God’s goodness flows right into his gratitude for all that God has done and will continue to do. David speaks of our lives as being here for only a moment. In God’s timing, that is most certainly true. Our lives are but a blip on God’s timeline, and yet he loves us so much.

1 Chronicles 11:10-47 – David’s Inner Circle

Read 1 Chronicles 11:10-47

A smart leader surrounds themselves with devoted people who do a good job, making them look even better. David is a fine example of a wise leader. What a group of men to have by your side! It’s even more important to have God backing you, and David was also blessed by that.

This text may try to imply that the people of Israel decided David should be king. In truth, it was only because God ordained it. We often do that today when we try to take credit for one of God’s miracles in our life. James 1:17 says it beautifully, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.” How has God surprised you recently with a gift from above?

Christmas ? Isaiah 7:14 – Immanuel

“All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel
(which means ‘God is with us’). “ (Isaiah 7:14)

I love that the name Immanuel means “God is with us.” What a perfect name for Jesus. He came into the dark world he loved so much to be with us, to be one of us. Knowing Jesus is with us gives us hope for tomorrow and makes the world a little brighter.

It’s interesting to know the back story of this prophecy from Isaiah. Right before this, Isaiah had been speaking with King Ahaz. You may recall Ahaz was one of those wicked kings that did detestable things. (2 Kings 16) It was during his 16-year reign that Ahaz feared a takeover by Israel and it’s ally, Assyria. God’s message through Isaiah had been that no invasion would take place.

Christmas ? Luke 2:25-35 – Faith

Read Luke 2:25-35

Can you imagine having received the message Simeon had, giving him the assurance he would see the Messiah before he died? Many had been waiting for the Messiah to come rescue them. It had been hundreds of years since the prophets had foretold a Messiah would come. In Simeon’s day, the Roman oppression was so great the people were anxiously awaiting the day their Messiah king would powerfully come to save them.

Simeon’s faith is commendable. Amidst the struggles of life under Roman control, and the natural aging process our bodies go through, Simeon never lost hope. He had faith in God’s promise. It seems as if his faith was the fuel that sustained Simeon through each day of waiting.

Christmas ? Luke 2:1-7 – Obedience

Read Luke 2:1-7

The Christmas story never gets old. I know people that play Christmas music year round just because of the hope it brings. There is something indescribably special about the miracle of Christ’s incarnation. Knowing that God loved us that much to send his son into this world can leave you speechless if you let it. All our hopes and dreams can be met by that darling infant King.

But the Christmas story is more than the hope and promise of salvation. We shouldn’t be surprised that there are multiple layers of blessing and wisdom we can glean from this story. The lesson we’ll focus on today is Obedience.