Being filled with the Spirit isn't just for super-Christians, it's for ordinary believers like you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 53 Q. What do you believe concerning “the Holy Spirit”? A. First, he, as well as the Father and the Son, is eternal God. Second, he has been given to me personally, so that, by true faith, he makes me share in Christ and all his blessings, comforts me, and remains with me forever. Summary The ancient Romans had a far different attitude toward their children than what we do today. Children, like slaves, were considered household property. Even a boy destined to inherit a vast estate grew up in such a way that was no different from anyone else, although he likely was expected to meet higher standards by his tutors than the other children were. But the day would come when everything changed. When he came of age, this boy, outwardly no different than the rest, would suddenly become an important citizen, with all the privileges and responsibilities that came with it. Paul uses this example that would have been so familiar to the Galatians to illustrate the change in status that Christians go through. At the time set by your Father, you were pulled up out of the ranks of those enslaved "under the elemental spiritual forces of the world (v3)" and given "adoption to sonship (v5)." Don't get hung up on gender here, as the term 'sonship' is a legal term implying that everything the father has now belongs to the child. Here's where this is important to our discussion this week about the Holy Spirit. Because God adopted you to sonship, He didn't just give you the 'stuff' He has in His estate (which would be the entire universe); He gave you Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit. Dig Deeper One of the most common misunderstandings many Christians have today is that only super-Christians are endowed with the Holy Spirit; people who have extraordinary gifts and skills enabling them to publicly praise God through talents - especially music - that the rest of us ordinary folks just don't have, as if plain and boring Spiritual gifts like stewardship, hospitality and service are somehow less Spiritual than more public and expressive gifts. The very first person mentioned in the Bible to be 'filled with the Spirit of God' is not who you might expect. It's not Noah, Abraham, Joseph or Moses who get described this way. It's a man you've likely never heard of: Bezalel, the son of Uri. He was chosen by God to lead construction of the Tabernacle. This ordinary tradesman is the first to be described as Spirit-filled (Exodus 31). The point here is that certainly patriarchs like Noah, Abraham, Joseph and Moses were filled with the Spirit, but so was Bezalel. And so are you. As we've reiterated so often this year, make every effort to experience the Spirit that God has put in you by learning, developing and sharing your Spiritual gifts. This is also the best way for you to experience your only comfort in life and in death, that you belong to Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who redeemed us from slavery and made us Sons of God; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for putting His Spirit in you, and pray for the courage and determination to use the Spiritual gifts you've been given. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 1

The Holy Spirit may seem mysterious, but He has lots to say to you if you know where to look. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 53 Q. What do you believe concerning “the Holy Spirit”? A. First, he, as well as the Father and the Son, is eternal God. Second, he has been given to me personally, so that, by true faith, he makes me share in Christ and all his blessings, comforts me, and remains with me forever. Summary John 16 comes in the middle of one of the most intense conversations in history, as Jesus spoke to His frightened disciples hours before He'd be led off to crucifixion. These chapters in John's gospel form the basis for much of our theology and understanding of God's Tri-une (three / one) nature. This isn't just dry, irrelevant theological fluff that was optional for His followers to know. Jesus explained exactly why He spoke of these things as the disciples intently listened to each word He said. They (we) needed to hear and know this theology so that they would not fall away. Though the disciples couldn't understand it at the time, Jesus' departure was for their good, since the Advocate-Comforter-Helper (the Greek word is Paraklētos which literally means to call out from alongside) would come in Jesus' place (v7). Jesus here introduces the disciples to the Holy Spirit. Jesus doesn't speak of the Spirit as simply being another version of Himself. This is an ancient error that many have fallen into, that the God of the Old Testament morphed into Jesus, who later turned into the Holy Spirit. Although it's in this chapter late in Jesus' earthly life that we're formally introduced to the Spirit, He's been present from the very beginning. He hovered over the waters as God spoke the world into existence, He's quite active in the Old Testament, and He had made a physical appearance in the form of a dove descending upon Jesus as He was baptized. But even though the Spirit is clearly a unique individual person, He's also an inseparable part of the three-in-one God. Jesus speaks of that difficult to comprehend relationship, saying that all that belongs to the Father is His, and all that the Spirit makes known has been received from Him Dig Deeper Some have been critical of the Heidelberg Catechism in that it only has one relatively short Q/A regarding the Holy Spirit. On one hand that's true, but on the other, it will take us this entire week to chew on this answer, and even that won't be enough time to fully digest all that it communicates. The Holy Spirit has often been referred to as the 'shy' member of the Trinity, because His entire purpose is magnifying the glory of the Father and the Son and not in focusing attention on Himself. That may seem to be the case, but this isn't necessarily an accurate description. Certainly the Bible doesn't tell us as much about the Spirit as what it does about the Father and the Son, but remember that every word you read in the Bible was breathed out by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16), which guides you into the truth. As we look at the sheer volume of information that the Spirit has spoken, we see that the Spirit isn't shy at all! This is tricky stuff that transcends logic: that God is both three and one. But the best way to experience the peace of God that is your only comfort in life and in death is to listen to the very expressive member of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for speaking to you through the words breathed out by the Holy Spirit and pray for a growing desire to listen to Him more and more. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 28

There are only two types of people. You can recognize them by how they relate to God's Word. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 52 Q. How does Christ’s return “to judge the living and the dead” comfort you? A. In all my distress and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await as judge the very One who has already stood trial in my place before God and so has removed the whole curse from me. All his enemies and mine he will condemn to everlasting punishment: but me and all his chosen ones he will take along with him into the joy and the glory of heaven. Summary Psalm 119 is of course the longest chapter in the Bible. It's an acrostic, and in the passage we're reading today each line begins with the Hebrew letter resh (ר). Even though the psalm has approx. 8 verses for each letter of the Hebrew Alefbet, each of the 22 passages has the same theme: extolling the Word of God. In total there are over 170 references to God's Word using all sorts of different words to describe it, such as "law," "precepts," "commands," "statutes," "testimonies," "ways," "word," and "decrees," among others. In the passage we're looking at, the relationship between God's Word and salvation is made clear v153: Deliverance comes to those who've not forgotten God's law. v156: The Lord's compassion preserves life according to God's law. Those who ignore God's Word will miss out on His salvation: v155: Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees. v158: The faithless do not obey your word. Even though this psalm makes clear over and over the responsibility you have to stay close to the Bible to maintain your salvation, it still makes it clear that you're saved by God's sovereignty and not your efforts. Salvation is the result of God's promise (v154) and your preservation comes in accordance with God's love (v159). Dig Deeper We live in a culture that loves nuance and diversity. Binary designations such as black or white, right or wrong and even male or female are frowned upon and discarded. While there's certainly room for a variety of expressions and opinions in many contexts, Psalm 119 helps illustrate that when it comes to salvation, there are just two kinds of people: God's enemies: the wicked who do not seek out God's Word. They will be condemned to everlasting punishment when Christ returns. Those whom God has chosen for salvation. They will be taken along with Christ after He judges the living and the dead into the joy and glory of heaven. These people should be easy to spot in life, because they are people who love the Lord's precepts. Which kind of person are you? Are you getting a full diet of God's Word each Lord's Day and throughout the week as well? Is your love for God's Word and your obedience to it evident to others? The more you can answer those questions affirmatively, the more you will experience the only comfort in life and in death that we're studying this year. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father in heaven, who defends our cause and preserves our lives according to His promise; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your love for God's Word will grow each day and that you will not forget His law. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 27

Lift your eyes to the one who stood trial so you could have freedom. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 52 Q. How does Christ’s return “to judge the living and the dead” comfort you? A. In all my distress and persecution I turn my eyes to the heavens and confidently await as judge the very One who has already stood trial in my place before God and so has removed the whole curse from me. All his enemies and mine he will condemn to everlasting punishment: but me and all his chosen ones he will take along with him into the joy and the glory of heaven. Summary Psalm 121 is a Song of Ascent - one of the psalms that Jewish people traveling to Jerusalem would sing as they walked uphill towards the city with God's temple. As they lifted their eyes toward their destination up in the hills while singing this song, it turned their thoughts away from the fatigue of their journey and toward the one who would not let their foot slip and was keeping them from all harm: the maker of heaven and earth. They sang of the God who stayed awake, watching over His children throughout the long nights as they slept. That same God shaded them during the heat of the day. This same God who watched over His faithful covenant people thousands of years ago as they ascended His holy mountain to worship continues to watch over your life, both now and forever more. Dig Deeper This Psalm is a beautiful reminder of God's care and providence in any context, but especially so as we come to it as we're being reminded that Christ will return to judge the living and the dead. It might often seem that even though God has promised to watch over you and guard you, that the mountain that stands between you and Him is too steep to climb. Notice in our catechism passage today that the coming judgment of Christ is not presented in a way that magnifies His mighty vengeance on all of His enemies, but rather the focus is on the fact that Christ descended the mountain so that in Him you could ascend the unclimbable mountain into God's presence. The curse of the coming judgment has been removed you and you have no reason to fear its coming. Yet you will continue to endure "distress and persecution" until Christ returns or calls you home. The path will seem slippery and the sun will bear down during the day and the nights will be long. In all this, add Psalm 121 to the soundtrack of your life. Like the Israelites of long ago, keep your eyes looking up to the heavens, knowing your help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth who sent His Son down to earth that you might be lifted up to Him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: I lift my eyes unto the mountains- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God you have been delivered from judgment and pray that He will continue to watch over your life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 26

Which would you rather have: the anxiety of this world or the peace of God? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 51 Q. How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us? A. First, through his Holy Spirit he pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members. Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies. Summary This is a wonderful and familiar passage, and one that we're likely to come back to before the year is out. But for today, let's concentrate on v7: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The first thing that jumps out is that peace is not just a fringe benefit of Christianity, rather it's the active agent by which Jesus preserves you in your faith. What a comforting thought, knowing that our risen Savior has control over all things, and that He's continually "defending us and keeping us safe from all enemies," as our catechism stated. This guarding that Christ does on your behalf has two aspects. First, it's defensive; just as the guards at Buckingham palace keep the riffraff out, so to Jesus keeps the wolves in this world from harming you. As you increase your knowledge, understanding and trust in Jesus, he tunes your mind to recognize truth and reject falsehood. Secondly, Christ guards you in such a way that keeps you from escaping. This sounds dark and ominous, but it's really quite the opposite. Our old sinful nature wants nothing more than to get as far away from God as possible (an impossible quest, since God is everywhere as we were recently reminded), but Christ helps you overcome that nagging temptation by "guarding your heart." He does this in conjunction with the Holy Spirit by causing your regenerated heart to long to be closer to Him. As Jesus said in John 10:28, no one - not even Sarx, your nagging sinful nature, can snatch you out of His hand! Dig Deeper This means, as we see so often in God's Word, that you must make every effort to follow the instructions that come in v6 - instead of stewing in anxiety, in every situation you face present your needs to God in prayer with thanksgiving. What a thought that even though the glorified Christ guards you omnipotently from heaven He does so in such a way that utilizes your action. Certainly Christ will guard you despite your own passivity, but if you truly want to trade your anxiety for the peace of God, the only way to do it is to continually live in God's presence, bringing your needs to Him while you simultaneously thank God for all that He's given you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the great and holy God, is near. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Do not be anxious about anything; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 25

Don't wonder if you have Spiritual gifts, know what they are and how to use them. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 51 Q. How does this glory of Christ our head benefit us? A. First, through his Holy Spirit he pours out his gifts from heaven upon us his members. Second, by his power he defends us and keeps us safe from all enemies. Summary These last few weeks we've been dwelling on some of the core doctrines the Bible teaches about Jesus: that He died, was buried, and rose again. After a short while, to the surprise of His disciples, He ascended to heaven where He now sits at God's right hand as head of His Church, while God rules all things through Him. Like the disciples, we often stare longingly into the sky wondering why Jesus left us, but once again today we're reminded that this is all for our benefit. For Immanuel - that is, God With Us - is still very much right here with you, albeit not physically, but now in the person of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out on you when you believed. In our circles we're often left thinking that there are two different types of Christians: the super Spirit filled type, and then just regular, ordinary church folks like us. This is not at all the case. If you are able to meaningfully confess that "Jesus is Lord," that is evidence enough that the Holy Spirit is in you, since such a confession is completely contrary to a sinful nature. It is true, however, that the outward appearances of the Spirit differs from person to person. Some people have been gifted in ways that are easily seen and garner more attention, while others have gifts that may seem dull and boring in comparison. But the final paragraph of today's passage illustrates that there are no unnecessary Spiritual gifts, because the flashier, more outwardly visible gifts are very much dependent on the solid, well grounded but slightly less noticeable gifts. As Paul concludes in v11, "All these [gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines." Dig Deeper You've likely participated in some sort of gift exchange with friends or coworkers at Christmas time. Often some people will go home with a really awesome, useful gift, while others will end up with a meaningless lump that was traded off three times before it ended up in their lap. Or maybe you showed up at the office Christmas party but didn't realize you were supposed to bring a gift for the exchange, so you have to watch others give and receive while you sit empty handed. This is often the way Christians feel about Spiritual gifts, and given the statistics, it's probably the way you feel. If that does describe you, cling to the truth in 1 Corinthians 12. If you're a Christian - and you are if you can truly confess Jesus is Lord - then you have Spiritual gifts. Find out what they are (you'll be surprised how many there are). As much as you can, figure out why the Spirit "determined" to give you that gift, remembering that "the same God is at work" in every gift, regardless of how flashy or plain it may seem. Then find out how to use the gift you have to build up Christ's Church. Make every effort (a phrase used throughout the New Testament) to train yourself, develop your gifts and utilize them often. And remember, as the Catechism reminds you today, that while God certainly intends for you to use your gift to benefit the Church, He gave it (them?) to you for your benefit. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is at work in this world through the Spiritual gifts He's given to His children; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to help you know what your gift(s) are and that He'll give you the strength and desire to use them to build the Church. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 24

God rules all things through His Church, so be sure to be a strong part of it. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 50 Q. Why the next words: “and is seated at the right hand of God”? A. Christ ascended to heaven, there to show that he is head of his church, and that the Father rules all things through him. Summary We left off on Friday with a description of Jesus' triumphal homecoming into heaven written 1,000 before it happened in Psalm 24. What a tremendous celebration it was - not just that Jesus had returned, but the invitation that He received from God the Father we read about today to sit at His right hand and "rule in the midst of your enemies," "crush kings," and "judge the nations." David here also reminds us of the guarantee God makes that we read about on Friday in 2 Corinthians. "The Lord has sworn," David writes, "and will not change His mind: you [Jesus Christ] are a priest forever!" One of God's most comforting attributes is that He is immutable - He does not - can not - ever change. He will not change His mind and He by His very nature must keep His promises. If Psalm 24 were the only passage from scripture we had, it would be sufficient for us to live confidently. The LORD is in charge, He is and will crush all who stand against Him, and nothing can change His mind or prevent His victory. Dig Deeper Think Jesus is just a nice guy, welcoming children to sit on his lap, all while turning His cheek to all who wish to strike Him? Yes, He very much is all of those things, but this gentle nature is but a fraction of who Jesus is. Passages like Psalm 110 are necessary to round out our understanding of Him, and to remind us to worship Him in reverence and fear! Yet it sure doesn't seem that Psalm 110 is accurate in our day and age. The kings and rulers of society seem to be thriving in careless indifference to God's unchanging will, and nothing seems to happen. This is why it's good to follow the catechism. In summarizing all of scripture, it helps interpret every part of scripture. Today it reminds us that God is realizing these victories with Jesus at His right hand, and that they are being won not in the political or social spheres, but in the Church, of which Jesus is the head. But even still, the Church seems to be weaker than ever. Our churches are emptier than they were decades ago, and many people we know and love have abandoned it. But just like the angels reminded the disciples not to come to conclusions based solely on what they saw as they watched Jesus disappear behind a cloud, don't base your understanding of the Church only on what you see in the pews around you. Know that at this very minute, that God rules all things through Jesus, the head of the Church, who sits at His right hand. Therefore, remain confident that it's through the Church that God will make His enemies a footstool despite the fact that the gates of Hell will rise up against it. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who will never change His mind and will achieve victory through the Church; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for your local church, and pray that God will strengthen you in it so that you can heed God's call to serve Him arrayed in holy splendor (v3) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 23

God has said yes to you in Christ, He means yes, and He will not change His mind! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 49 Q. How does Christ’s ascension to heaven benefit us? A. First, he pleads our cause in heaven in the presence of his Father. Second, we have our own flesh in heaven— a guarantee that Christ our head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven. Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee. By the Spirit’s power we make the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Summary While it's difficult to determine precisely, it's estimated that God makes well over 5,000 promises in the Bible. What an astounding number, showing the love, care, compassion and mercy of our Father! All of those promises were stamped FULFILLED when Christ ascended into heaven. It's no wonder that the angels that suddenly appeared to the stunned disciples were surprised that the disciples were longingly looking up rather than celebrating victory! Yet we often wonder right along with the disciples where Jesus went and when will He return. As human beings, our reality is best defined by what we see, touch, taste, smell and feel, and as it is, we don't experience God in those ways. That often leaves us, just like the disciples, feeling deserted and alone. But this week's passages have reminded us that we are very much not alone. Psalm 139 reminded us of God's omnipresence, and that even though Jesus' body is in heaven, in His divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit He is not absent from us for a moment. Now today we read that not only is God always with us, He - though the power of the Holy Spirit which he put in our hearts as a deposit - makes us stand firm in Christ. In other words, although you will be rocked over and over by challenges, disasters, trials, and losses in this sad world, nothing will ever completely knock you down and out of Christ's hands. So, yes, all 5,000 promises of God are all fulfilled in Christ, but there are many that we're still waiting to see exactly how they've been fulfilled. But as you wait, be comforted that God has guaranteed those promises by sending you His Holy Spirit, so make every effort to come to know and recognize Him more and more. Dig Deeper Psalm 24 is a Psalm David wrote about 1,000 years before Jesus ascended into heaven that describes what Jesus' ascension was like from the perspective of the other side of the cloud which hid Jesus from the disciples' sight. Jesus is the one with clean hands and a pure heart who may ascend the holy mountain of the Lord. Jesus is the King of glory, the Lord, strong and mighty! What a celebration unfolded in heaven as the angels welcomed Him home! David writes, "He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God His Savior." Blessing and vindication. In other words, as Paul puts it, God looked at Christ and said "Amen" to the promises He made. Remember, the New Testament's favorite expression for your relationship to God is that you are in Christ, so since Jesus received these blessings and vindication from His Father, so have you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has fulfilled every one of the thousands of promises He's made; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you set your mind and heart on things above that you will recognize more and more how God has fulfilled His promises in Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 22

Right now, at this very moment, Jesus is in heaven pleading your cause before God! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 49 Q. How does Christ’s ascension to heaven benefit us? A. First, he pleads our cause in heaven in the presence of his Father. Second, we have our own flesh in heaven— a guarantee that Christ our head will take us, his members, to himself in heaven. Third, he sends his Spirit to us on earth as a further guarantee. By the Spirit’s power we make the goal of our lives, not earthly things, but the things above where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Summary We've looked at this important concept of covenant often this year. A covenant is a solemn agreement between two parties based on a contingency; in other words, a covenant is a promise from one person to do this if the other person will do that. This covenantal obligation formed the basis for God's relationship with Adam, as well as His relationship with the Israelites in which He promised to be their God if they obeyed Him and lived as His people. But neither Adam nor the Israelites held up their end of the deal. That's why the gospel of Jesus Christ is such good news. Through Christ, we are put back into a covenantal relationship with God, but this time it's no longer contingent. In v22 we read that "Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant." Those whose faith is rooted in Christ have fully met the righteous contingency required to live in peace with our God and Father! Because of Christ's finished work, He is able to save completely those who come to God. The key to not only gaining this salvation, but keeping this salvation is to come to God through Jesus by completely trusting not just in His righteousness on your behalf, but also trusting in Him as He "lives to intercede for" you. Dig Deeper Imagine if passages like this one were not in the Bible; if all you had was the initial gift of righteousness from Jesus, but then He said something to the effect of, "Ok, I've paid the debt of your sins and made you right with God. If you just keep this righteousness I've given to you, my Father will be obligated to accept you on my behalf." That wouldn't be good news at all, since we've all demonstrated over and over our inability to keep God's righteous requirements on our own! So what a tremendous promise it is that Jesus "lives to intercede" for you. This means that every moment of every day, your risen Savior is at the right hand of God asking Him to give you what you need. But it's more than just 'stuff' that Jesus is asking God to provide for you. Yes, you need stuff, and yes, both Jesus and the Holy Spirit are advocating that the Father gives you the stuff you need. But the catechism puts it well in describing Jesus as pleading your cause in heaven in the presence of His Father. Jesus continually asks God to always look at you through the lens of the covenant that Jesus guaranteed! Since you through faith are included in Christ, Jesus continually reminds God the Father of His obligation to extend His covenant blessings to you! And that's an obligation our Father is more than happy to meet! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God Almighty, who always remains faithful to those He's covenanted with; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank Jesus for always interceding for you, and ask for the peace and contentment that comes from Jesus guaranteeing covenant blessings on your behalf. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 21

Be reminded by some of the most beautiful words in the Bible that God will always be with you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 48 Q. If his humanity is not present wherever his divinity is, then aren’t the two natures of Christ separated from each other? A. Certainly not. Since divinity is not limited and is present everywhere, it is evident that Christ’s divinity is surely beyond the bounds of the humanity he has taken on, but at the same time his divinity is in and remains personally united to his humanity. Summary The 139th Psalm is one of the most beautiful of them all. What a thought that the almighty creator of the universe knows each of us so well - even better than what we know ourselves! This Psalm reminds us of the value each individual has. Far from being a random collection of molecules or a clump of tissue, every person has been "fearfully and wonderfully made," knit together in their mother's womb by the very God who spoke galaxys into being! But clearly something is wrong. Even the very creatures so carefully assembled by the Creator have become wicked, bloodthirsty rebels. What a prayer David lifts up in v19 - that God would "slay the wicked!" Certainly we don't act upon that ourselves, but don't miss the tension introduced here. On one hand, Jesus tells us to love our enemies, but yet the Holy Spirit, speaking through David in Psalm 139, encourages us to "hate those who hate you, Lord, and abhor those who are in rebellion against you (v21)." Spend time today meditating on how those commands are actually not contradictory, but the primary reason we've come to Psalm 139 today is to be reminded of God's omnipresence- that is, that God is in all places at all times. God is up in the heavens, in the depths, and on the far side of the sea, all at once. Dig Deeper Does David's poetry here comfort you or frighten you? David seemed to feel both extremes as he wrote, knowing that God was always with him certainly brought him peace, but the fact that God knows what people will say before they say it caused David to want to flee from God's presence (v7)! Jesus' ascension brings into focus His dual nature: that He's both fully Man and fully God. Yet each of these aspects - divinity and humanity - exist in such a way as to not contaminate the other. Even though you can't see or touch Him until He returns, since His body is in heaven right now ruling all things at the Father's right hand, you can take comfort knowing that His divinity is omnipresent, so Jesus is with you every moment of every day with his hand guiding you, his right hand holding you fast (v10). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God Almighty, who fills all of creation with His presence; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Search me o God, and know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 20