December 13 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Romans 15:1-13:

¹We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
²Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.
³For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
⁴For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
⁵Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
⁶That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
⁷Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
⁸Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
⁹And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
¹⁰And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
¹¹And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
¹²And again, Esaias [Isaiah] saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
¹³Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Devotional

We are sinners, and we daily increase our guilt. From this standpoint, what hope is there for us? And who is so miserable as a man without hope? Yet, in our sin and misery we may hope in God. The prophet Jeremiah says, "O Lord, though our iniqui­ties testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be a stranger in the land? . . . . Yet, thou, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not." He has promised never to leave nor to forsake his people; so we have good hope, a hope that maketh not ashamed. Our hope is a living hope. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begot­ten us again unto a lively (living) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead!" This hope is our Lord Jesus Christ, "the hope of glory," the "anchor of the soul, both sure and stead­fast." There is no condition in life nor in death that should, or can, cause us to despair.

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou dis­quieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

Prayer

O Thou God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. We must confess before Thee, that our iniqui­ties testify against us; our backslidings are many; we have grievously sinned against Thee. Yet, Thou art the hope of Israel, Thy people; for Thou art a gracious God. Thou forgivest iniquity, transgression and sin. Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities. May this be our hope. For Christ's sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Jer. 14:7-9; Heb. 13:5; Rom. 5:5; 1 Pet. 1:3; Rom. 1:1; Col. 1:27; Heb. 6:19; Ps. 42:11.

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