December 9 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

2 Corinthians 13:

¹This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
²I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:
³Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.
⁴For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
⁵Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
⁶But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
⁷Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.
⁸For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
⁹For we are glad, when we are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your perfection.
¹⁰Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.
¹¹Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
¹²Greet one another with an holy kiss.
¹³All the saints salute you.
¹⁴The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

Devotional

Our God is a God of love. Not only that, but He is love. He loved us with an everlasting love. He loved us as sinners, and reconciled us unto himself when we were his enemies. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that who­soever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

In Isaiah 38:17 we read (according to the Hebrew), "Thou hast loved my soul from the pit of corruption." His love brought us out of that horrible pit into the glorious liberty of the children of God. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

What manner of love! And nothing, and no one, can separate us from that love.

Prayer

O Thou God of love and peace, how can we suffici­ently thank Thee for Thine infinite love, wherewith Thou hast loved us? And for the peace that passeth all understanding, which Thou hast bestowed upon us. Words fail us to express the thanks we owe Thee. Help us, O God, to abide in Thy love, and may Thy peace fill our hearts.

Blessing, and honor, and glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen.

---

Scripture in Devotional: 1 John 4:8; Jer. 31:3; Rom. 5:10; John 3:16; Rom. 5:8: 1 John 4:10; Rom. 8:21; 1 John 3:2; Rom. 8:35-39.

Click here for background on Light and Comfort and the author.