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MATTHEW 2:10-11 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they say the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

The gifts we give Jesus are our worship, praise and honor. Spend some time blessing Him with your worship.

MATTHEW 2:9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.

Jesus will guide you where you are meant to go. Express your concerns to Him. Then, rejoice in His perfect guidance.

GOD'S PROTECTION Jesus, because of Your life and death-I have nothing to fear. Thank You for being my Savior and protector. I know I can find joy each day because You are guarding and guiding me with each step I take. In Jesus' name, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING: AMOS 7-9 REVELATION 8 WARNING VISIONS AMOS ACCUSED “I was no prophet, nor a prophet’s son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs. 15But the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ THE COMING DAY OF BITTER MOURNING THE DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL THE SEVENTH SEAL AND THE GOLDEN CENSER the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. THE SEVEN TRUMPETS

ISAIAH 43:1-7 ISRAEL'S ONLY SAVIOR “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. to give drink to my chosen people, 21the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. 25“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. INSIGHT God disciplined His covenant people because of their unrepentant unfaithfulness and exiled them to Babylon for seventy years (Isaiah 39:6-7). But He wouldn’t forget His covenant or abandon His chosen people. In Isaiah 40-66, the prophet speaks of the return from exile and Judah’s future restoration. In chapter 43, God promised He’d bring them back to the promised land. They were disciplined, not abandoned, for He said, “I am with you” (v. 5). He reminded them that He’s still their God—their creator, redeemer, protector, and savior (vv. 7-15). As God’s people, we need not be afraid of the trials we face or the uncertainties of our future. Because we belong to Him, we can be assured of His unfailing love (vv. 1-3). He tells us, “You are precious and honored in my sight” (v. 4). He loves us and won’t forget us.

By: K.T. Sim

PRECIOUS TO GOD The painting hung on the wall of a home for years, unnoticed and forgotten, until one day it fell. When it was taken to an art restorer for repairs, he discovered it was a long-lost Rembrandt masterpiece titled The Adoration of the Magi. It had been thought that only copies of the work remained, but here was the original. Suddenly the painting’s value skyrocketed to hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Bible paints another picture of underestimated value and forgotten worth. Isaiah the prophet, inspired by the Holy Spirit, told God’s people that even though they would be taken away to a foreign land where they would suffer and be devalued, He would still be with them: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine,” He assured them (Isaiah 43:1). Though they would “pass through the waters” and “walk through the fire” (v. 2), His faithfulness to them would not change. With words that point to His coming kingdom in Christ, God promised that He would one day restore “everyone who is called by my name” (v. 7) and bring them home to Him.

God will one day gather all who are His because they “are precious and honored in [His] sight” (v. 4), each one an original! Our Creator values us because of His infinite kindness and mercy. The world may overlook us, but He never will.

By: James Banks

REFLECT AND PRAY How does God’s kindness in Christ show that you are precious to Him? How much is He worth to you?

Saving God, how amazing is Your perfect love, that You would give Yourself for me!

THE GIFT OF PRESENCE THE PRACTICE OF PRESENCE Written by: Nicole Howe Take a moment to recall a favorite Christmas memory. Maybe it’s a Christmas from your childhood when the season still felt alive and enchanted with hope and wonder. Maybe it’s a time you surprised someone with a gift they had long wished for. Maybe it’s the joy of your favorite Christmas song, the taste of your grandmother’s cookie recipe, or a warm house full of twinkling lights and piles of snow-drenched shoes by the front door. Or maybe it’s the twinkling eyes of all the people you love.

Christmas can be a special time. But, it can also be complicated. While the season holds so much possibility for wonder, joy, and hope, we often walk into it carrying some degree of weariness, grief, distraction, or even shame. We may try hard to re-create the magic of those treasured Christmas memories, yet for all our efforts it can feel like the joy of the season still somehow passes us by.

If you’re ever seen the movie, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” you know it’s a classic tale about how we can lose our way in the bustle of the holiday season. We might relate to Cindy Lou Who, looking out into the cold winter world and asking, “Where are you, Christmas?”

But what if Christmas is less about finding than it is about being found? Maybe while we are searching for the perfect Christmas, Jesus is searching for us - in all our imperfection.

After all, the true Christmas story is the culmination of a God who’s been looking for us from the very beginning, a God who runs after us when shame, weariness, or grief make us want to hide. Just like He went searching for the very first humans.

In Genesis 3:8-9 (ESV), we read:

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

“Where are you, Adam?”

God asks His own question. He goes looking for us, even when we hide ourselves from His presence. He finds us, even when we do not feel worthy of being found. He pursues us because He longs to be with us.

He’s been searching for us from the very beginning.

Take a few moments now to watch this short film by Wonderhunt, All This Way, on the lengths a father will go to be with a child he loves.

Notice how the father would stop at nothing to be with his child. He knew what she needed long before she knew herself. Immanuel, God with us. This is what the good news of the Christmas season is all about.

Come back tomorrow as we explore what keeps us from experiencing God’s presence and why it’s sometimes hard to trust that God will find us.

Reflection: Is there a child-like part of you longing to be found? Perhaps you might invite God into that space and ask Him to meet you there, trusting His desire to be with you. If this is hard to do, consider God’s compassion for you even as you struggle to open yourself up to His love. Rest knowing He’s ready to meet you right where you are, wherever it is.

Prayer: God, thank you that You run after us, even when we feel like we don’t deserve it. It can be difficult to trust that You really do love us that much. Would you help me to experience You in this way? In my darkest moments, would You lift my eyes to sense Your loving presence? This Christmas, help me to rest knowing I don’t have to strive to make everything perfect, but that You love me even in my imperfection. Thank you, God, for loving us enough to go all the way to the ends of the earth to be with us. May we know that you are ever present, ever near, ever searching. Amen.