Today’s Walk in the Word

Do not dwell on the past.          —Isaiah 43:18 Despite Israel’s repeated rebellion, God, in loving mercy, said: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. . . . I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions . . . and remembers your sins no more” (Is 43:18, […]

Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.        —Matthew 10:30 God is interested in the smallest details of your life. You don’t have a clue how many hairs are pushing through your scalp, do you? (The average is about 140,000.) Your Father knows your exact number. Not only does he […]

We are God’s fellow workers.           —1 Corinthians 3:9 With all the planet’s problems displayed on a computer in your pocket, it seems unlikely that you—one individual—can do much that makes a difference. But the world is comprised of continents, which are comprised of countries, which are comprised of states, which […]

Give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.                 —Matthew 1:21 An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, telling him that when Mary gave birth to the baby, he should name him Jesus [the Lord saves, or Savior] “because he will […]

On earth peace, goodwill toward men.                           —Luke 2:14 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s wife had recently died, his soldier son had been severely wounded, and he was grieving over Civil War deaths. On December 25, 1863, seeking to distance himself from depression, he wrote […]

When the right time came, God sent his Son.  —Galatians 4:4 When the Old Testament ended, God turned off the lights, closed and locked the door, and walked away. Or so it seemed. For the next 400 years, God was silent while the Jewish world waited and wondered about the coming of Messiah. Then something […]

You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.                        —Luke 2:12 In our class-conscious day, the birth story of Jesus would be shocking to a first-time reader. If the Son of God were to enter the world as a baby, […]

How wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.            —Ephesians 3:18 It’s hard to imagine that Jesus voluntarily went from being worshipped by angels to sleeping in an animal feeding trough—gave up equality with God to become human (Phil 2:6–7). At this season, we think about […]

The light shines in the darkness.                          —John 1:5 Much of the world pauses at this season to celebrate the birth of Jesus. “The Word [Christ] became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (Jn 1:14). When John spoke of his coming to live […]

A Savior has been born.            —Luke 2:11 “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you” (Lk 2:10–11). The news was good. But that it would cause great joy for all the […]