December 24

Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.

You must understand that God has not sent his Son into the world to pass sentence upon it. But to save it—through him. See John 3:17 *Phillips

Lord, through Your Holy Spirit, help me to understand so much of the victory and joy of Your coming to earth that I enjoy Christmas more than ever before.

*J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHP)—Copyright © 1962 edition by HarperCollins The New Testament in Modern English by J. B. Phillips

November 29

The testing of your faith today is training for the great end battle. Are you victorious today? Then you are stronger than you were yesterday. An athlete does not complain when the training is hard; he thinks ahead to the coming competition. We follow a scarred captain. Should not we have scars?

Under His mighty banner

We are going to the wars.

Lest we forget, Lord, when we meet

Show us Your hands and feet.

—Amy Carmichael

“For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:3)

Lord, You are the source of our strength. We will not complain that our training is hard. for so is the battle to come.

November 12

When I was a tramp for the Lord, I was once worried about my work. Where must I go? Will there be a room? Where can I live? Will there be people to take care of meetings? Must I go to that difficult country, Russia? It can be very rough there. I opened the Bible and read Psalm 23. Great joy came into my heart. As a sheep of the Good Shepherd I had nothing to fear.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. (Psalms 23:1,2)

Lord, fill our hearts, our consciousness, and our subconsciousness with Your peace and love. Then we will not fear, even though the earth should be removed and the mountains thrown into the heart of the sea (see Psalms 46:2). Hallelujah!

November 11

Once I asked a parachutist, “How did you feel when you jumped from an airplane with a parachute on your back for the first time?”

He answered, “There was only one thought: ‘It works, it works!’”

What does it mean to you to go through life with Jesus? I can answer from experience, “It works, it works!”

. . . .in all these things we win an overwhelming victory through Him who has proved His love for us. (Romans 8:37 Phillips)

Lord, what joy that we may tell other people that it works. Hallelujah!

**J.B. Phillips New Testament —Copyright © 1962 edition by J. B. Phillips. HarperCollins The New Testament in Modern English