Daily Bible Readings for Home Devotions – December 5-10, 2022

 

Daily Devotion – by P. Schaller
for Monday – December 5 – Luke 17:20-21
Jesus’ first coming to this earth was in “quietness” in Bethlehem’s stable. Also during His earthly ministry, the Pharisees were asking about when “God’s kingdom” would come while the King Himself was right there among them. May we ever be ruled by Him!
Bible reading – Luke 17:20-21
20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

 

Daily Devotion – by P. Schaller
for Tuesday – December 6 – Luke 17:22-30
To His disciples, who did listen to His Word, Jesus says that He must first suffer before they see His glory. They should not be misled by claims here and there, for when He returns all will see Him wherever they are, as with lightning in the sky. Nor should they get so wrapped up in daily living that they forget His promised coming, as with many in the days of Noah and Lot.
Bible reading – Luke 17:22-30
22 Then He said to the disciples, “The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look here!’ or ‘Look there!’ Do not go after them or follow them. 24 For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day. 25 But first He must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. 26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

 

Daily Devotion – by P. Schaller
for Wednesday – December 7 – 2 Peter 1:3-11
Our Savior God gives us everything we need for body and soul, for this life and the next. Therefore, as we await the promised coming of the eternal kingdom, let us seek those gifts which come through our faith in the forgiveness of our sins (cp.v9). By the gifts listed (vv5-7), our calling and election as members of His kingdom becomes evident.
Bible reading – 2 Peter 1:3-11
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

Daily Devotion – by P. Schaller
for Thursday – December 8 – Malachi 4:1-3
The prophet looks forward to the day when the faith of God’s followers is vindicated, and God’s enemies are cast down. That age will begin and end with Christ’s coming. When He came to Bethlehem, it was the Sun of Righteousness rising with the morning rays shooting forth like healing wings.
Bible reading – Malachi 4:1-3
1 “For behold, the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

 

Daily Devotion – by P. Schaller
for Friday – December 9 – Malachi 4:4-6
Malachi ends his book of prophecy reminding his people to live as God’s people under the Law of Moses, and to look for Elijah the prophet as the New Covenant Era begins. Jesus pointed to John the Baptist as the Elijah who was to come (Mt11:14). Under the New Covenant, fathers and sons would no longer be ashamed of each other, reconciliation would extend to generations.
Bible reading – Malachi 4:4-6
4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”

 

Daily Devotion – by P. Schaller
for Saturday – December 10 – 1 Timothy 6:11-16
Pursuing money has led some to stray from their trust in God (v10), but Paul urges Timothy (and us) to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness (v11), looking forward to the second coming of Jesus at the end of this age. Whether we are looking to celebrate Christ’s first or second coming, the preparation that matters most is inward, accomplished by His Spirit.
Bible reading – 1 Timothy 6:11-16
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.