The God Who Protects What We Cannot See

Scripture:

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” — Psalm 34:7

Puritan Quote:

“God guards His people oftentimes by secret ways unknown to themselves.” — William Gurnall

Personal Reflection

God’s protection is often invisible. Many dangers never reach my door because God arrests them before I ever become aware. Protection is not always rescue—sometimes it is restraint, redirection, or endurance.

Contemplation

How many times might God have protected me without my knowledge?

Prayer

Strong Protector, thank You for the dangers I never saw, the paths You blocked, and the harm You withheld. I trust Your unseen care today. Amen.

Application

Speak Psalm 34:7 aloud as a declaration over your life today.

 

The God Who Provides Before We Ask

Scripture:

“Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” — Matthew 6:8

Puritan Quote:

“God never gives His children a provision too early nor too late—but always at the best time.” — Matthew Henry

Personal Reflection

Chapter 1 reveals God as Jehovah-Jireh, the God who provides before we recognize the need. His provision is not rushed, late, or insufficient. It arrives at the exact moment wisdom determines. His timing teaches dependence, not entitlement.

Contemplation

Do I trust God’s timing—or do I demand my own?

Prayer

Lord, help me trust Your provision even when I do not see immediate answers. Increase my faith to wait without anxiety. Amen.

Application

Refuse to complain about a delay today. Instead, thank God in advance for His provision.

Christmas 2025

 Christmas Day Devotion

Scripture Reading

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” — John 1:14

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” — Luke 2:14

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Morning Meditation

Christmas Day dawns with songs still echoing in the air of Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest.” Heaven has opened its mouth in praise, and earth has received the greatest gift it could never have earned—a Savior.

Yesterday we stood in awe of the humility of Christ. Today we rejoice in the glory of His purpose. The Child in the manger is not merely a sign of God’s nearness—He is God Himself come to redeem. The Word has become flesh. Eternity has entered history. Light has pierced the darkness.

The Puritans often said that Christ did not come to make men comfortable, but to make them new. Christmas is not sentiment alone—it is salvation.

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Personal Reflection

It is easy for my heart to be moved by Christmas warmth and beauty—the lights, the music, the joy of gatherings. But today Christ asks for something deeper than seasonal emotion. He calls for worship rooted in wonder and obedience shaped by gratitude.

John Flavel once wrote that Christ “did not come to be admired only, but to be trusted and obeyed.” The question presses gently but firmly:

Do I only celebrate Christ today—or do I surrender to Him anew?

This Child did not come merely to lie in a manger; He came to reign in hearts. He did not come simply to be born—He came to die and rise again. If Christ truly entered the world for me, then my life can no longer belong to me.

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Contemplation

Pause and consider this holy exchange:

• God took my flesh.

• Christ took my sin.

• I receive His righteousness.

Thomas Watson said, “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” On this Christmas Day, let that truth sit deeply in your soul. Your past does not outsize His grace. Your weakness does not exhaust His strength. Your need does not repel Him—it draws Him.

Look again at the manger and remember:
This birth was not God experimenting with humanity. This was God executing a rescue plan formed before time began.

Ask your heart quietly:

• What has Christ come to rule in me that still resists His reign?

• What burden am I still carrying that the Savior came to lift?

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Prayer

Glorious Father,
Today I rejoice not only that Christ was born—but that He was born for me. I praise You for the eternal wisdom that planned my redemption and for the immeasurable love that carried it out.

Lord Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, I worship You as Savior and King. Take fuller possession of my heart today. Let no rival throne remain. Reign over my thoughts, my desires, my words, and my will.

Holy Spirit, seal the joy of Christ within me—not as passing emotion, but as enduring assurance. Teach me how to live because Christ has come.

In the triumphant name of Jesus,
Amen.

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A Christmas Day Charge

Do not let Christmas end when the decorations come down.

Carry Christ with you into January.

Let the humility of His birth shape your pride.
Let the generosity of His incarnation shape your giving.
Let the obedience of His life shape your daily walk.

The angels returned to heaven.
The shepherds returned to their fields.
But no one returned unchanged.

Neither should you.

Christmas Eve Devotion 2025

 Christmas Eve Devotion

Scripture Reading

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”— Luke 2:11

“Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” — 2 Corinthians 8:9

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Opening Meditation

Christmas Eve draws us to the threshold of the greatest wonder heaven has ever announced and earth has ever received: God has come near. The Eternal Word has stepped into time. The Infinite has clothed Himself with mortality. The Holy One has entered a fallen world—not in thunder, but in silence; not in splendor, but in a stable.

The Puritans loved to linger over this holy mystery. John Flavel wrote that the incarnation is “the highest and deepest point of divine wisdom.” Tonight, we do not rush past the manger. We kneel before it.

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Personal Reflection

What kind of King chooses a feeding trough for His throne? What kind of God enters the world as a dependent child?

If I am honest, I often look for God in what is impressive—success, strength, recognition. Yet Christmas confronts my pride. Christ did not arrive crowned with gold but wrapped in common cloth. He did not summon the powerful but called shepherds.

Tonight, the Spirit gently asks my heart:
Do I cherish the Christ of humility, or only the Christ of victory?
Do I love the Savior who suffered before He reigned?

Thomas Watson wrote, “Christ was wrapped in swaddling clothes that we might be wrapped in robes of righteousness.” I marvel that my salvation began not at the cross, but in a cradle. Every step He took into poverty was a step toward my redemption.

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Contemplation

Sit quietly with this truth:

God became what He was not, without ceasing to be what He was.

The infinite Son became an infant. The Creator drank from the breast of a creature. The Lawgiver placed Himself under the law. The Judge came to be judged.

Consider the silence of the night in Bethlehem. The animals stir. The stars look down. And there—unnoticed by the world—lies the Hope of the nations.

Ask your soul:

• Do I truly wonder at Christ?

• Has the miracle of the incarnation grown cold to me?

• Do I still tremble that God would draw this near?

John Owen reminds us that Christ came not merely to walk among us, but to die for us. The cradle already casts the shadow of the cross. The wood of the manger points forward to the wood of Calvary.

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Prayer

Holy and gracious Father,
On this sacred night, I stand in awe before the mystery of Your love. That You would send Your only Son into this broken world for sinners like me overwhelms my soul. I confess that I often grow familiar with holy things and casual with eternal wonders. Forgive my dull heart.

Lord Jesus, humble King, born in poverty that I might become rich in grace—teach me Your meekness. Strip me of my pride. Teach me to love Your lowliness as much as I long for Your glory. I worship You not only as risen Lord, but as newborn Savior.

Holy Spirit, warm my cold affections. Make the story of Bethlehem alive again in my soul. Let Christ be freshly formed in my heart tonight.

In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen.

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A Quiet Christmas Eve Resolve

As you prepare to rest tonight, make one simple holy resolution:

I will not rush past the wonder. I will linger with Christ.

Let the last thought before your sleep be this:
God has come to save me.

The world may sleep as it did in Bethlehem—but tonight, let your heart stay awake.

 

Providence Means Nothing Is Wasted

Scripture:

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good.” — Romans 8:28

Puritan Quote:

“God doth not waste the sufferings of His people. Their tears are put into His bottle.” — Thomas Watson

Personal Reflection

Providence teaches me that nothing in my story is random—no delay, no heartbreak, no closed door. God does not merely react to life; He arranges it with eternal purpose. What I call disruption, He calls direction.

Contemplation

What past disappointment might God be redeeming for a greater purpose?

Prayer

Father, forgive me for viewing my trials as wasted struggles instead of purposeful lessons. Teach me to see Your redemptive hand in all things. Amen.

Application

Write down one painful experience from your past and ask God to show you how He may be using it for good.

The God Who Is Never Absent

 Starting today, devotions are from my book “Steadfast in the Storm.”

The God Who Is Never Absent

Scripture:

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.” — Psalm 103:19

Puritan Quote:

“There is no such thing as chance in the world; everything is managed by the providence of God.” — John Flavel

Personal Reflection

In uncertain times, it can feel as though the world is unraveling without direction. Yet Chapter 1 reminds us that God is not distant or disengaged. He governs every detail with perfect wisdom. There is never a moment where God steps off His throne. The same God who governs nations also governs the hidden details of my life.

Contemplation

What circumstances right now tempt me to believe God is absent instead of active?

Prayer

Lord, remind my heart today that You are not passive or distant. Help me rest in the truth that You reign over every detail of my life, even the ones I do not understand. Amen.

Application

Consciously surrender one specific worry to God today and say aloud,
“God rules over this.”

A Christmas Message

 https://pathwaytopurityandpower.podbean.com/e/the-word-made-flesh-a-puritan-christmas-sermon/