December Devotions and Doodles – Day 10 (December 10)
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:67-80
Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers
and remembered his holy covenant—
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.
He has given us the privilege,
74 since we have been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child grew up and became spiritually strong, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
December 10 Devotional: Growing Up
There is something almost all babies (and puppies for that matter) have in common: they grow up! Most parents want the best for their children. They want health and success and happiness for them. But most of all, we want our children to be close to God, to have a deeply rooted faith in Jesus, and to live holy lives.
Spiritually Strong
I would absolutely love if it could be said of my children as they mature that they “grew up and became spiritually strong” like Zechariah and Elizabeth’s son, John. This young man was prophesied about and he fulfilled those prophecies. He fulfilled his destiny. How many people throughout history can truthfully say that they completely fulfilled the plan God had for their lives?
A Prophecy about John
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
It wouldn’t be too bad if my children turned out like John: a prophet of the Most High, a person who prepares the way for the Lord, one who imparts the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, and someone who guides the feet of others into the way of peace.
The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree
God chose very well when He chose Zechariah and Elizabeth to be the parents of this unique messenger. In previous days this month, we have read about Elizabeth’s faith-filled and joyful response of praise to God. Today, we get some insight into the character of Zechariah.
We learn that Zechariah is filled with the Holy Spirit.
He begins with blessing and praise to God for sending the Messiah.
Zechariah goes on to prophesy and speak over His new son John.
Zechariah and Elizabeth are parents who seek the will of God, are filled with the Holy Spirit, and raise a son to fulfill God’s plan for His life.
Raising Kids Who are Spiritually Strong
As our children grow, we have to nurture their spirit lives and draw them to God. I want to be a parent like Zechariah and Elizabeth are. Filled with the Holy Spirit. Blessing others. Praising God’s name. Speaking God’s plan over the lives of my kids. Raising spiritually strong, mature grown ups.
Put Your Gardening Gloves On
Recently, I was at a Christmas party and sitting next to a lovely lady that told me that she has kept a poinsettia alive for several years, it is 3-4 feet tall. I tend to have a brown thumb and was fascinated as I listened to what she did to nurture this plant to health and life and then to cause it to grow and thrive. It involved feeding and soil composition and watering patterns – more thought than I ever put into plants.
It occurred to me that parenting is like gardening. We have to learn when to spiritually feed/teach our kids, what environment they need, when they need to be left alone to grow and thrive, etc. It is intentional and purposeful.
December 10 – Action Step:
What about us today (December 10)?
If you never received this kind of care from the parental figures in your life, you may need to spend some time cultivating your own spiritual garden. Getting spiritually strong.
If you are a parent, you and your children can grow along together. With focus, all of us can be as strong and beautiful spiritually as a master gardener’s poinsettias are physically!
Prayer:
Dear God, grow us up in You. Help us to mature and grow strong spiritually, closer to You and deeply rooted in Your will. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Show us how to raise children to be spiritually strong and to be spiritually strong ourselves. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Drawing Tutorial – December 10: How to Draw a Poinsettia
- Draw a loose triangle of three petals.
- Add a second loose triangle based on the openings between the first petals.
- Do the same thing again, and add a small petal on the upper left side.
- Put a grouping of small circles in the center of the flower.
- Draw veins on each petal of the poinsettia.
- Add a few leaves and veins.
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