December 4 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Matthew 10:28-42:

²⁸And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
²⁹Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
³⁰But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
³¹Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
³²Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
³³But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
³⁴Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
³⁵For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
³⁶And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
³⁷He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
³⁸And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
³⁹He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
⁴⁰He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
⁴¹He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward.
⁴²And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.

Devotional

". . . and so preserves me that without the will of my father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head . . . ." (Heidelberg Catechism 1). In our day we hear much about security. We want to be secured against loss, sickness, accidents, want in old age, etc. But there is no absolute security anywhere except in God. If we are in his care and under his protection we are absolutely safe. "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is for­gotten of God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." He that feeds the birds and clothes the grass and the lilies will surely provide food and clothing for his children. He has promised it. But because He has promised, we should pray, and we may be fully assured that He will hear us.

Said the robin to the sparrow,
   "I would really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings
   Run about and worry so."

Said the sparrow to the robin,
   "Friend, I think, that it must be,
That they have no heavenly Father,
   Such as cares for you and me."

He does not only preserve our bodies, but also our souls. "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. He preserves and we are safe.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for Thy father­ly care and kind protection over us. Thou who dost not forget one single sparrow, and who dost clothe the grass and lilies of the field, wilt surely provide food and clothing for Thy children. May we then be without fear, and without anxious care; for we are of more value unto Thee than many sparrows. We thank Thee that we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Help us to believe and trust, and to rejoice in Thee. Amen.

---

Scripture in Devotional: Luke 12:6, 7; John 10:28; 1 Pet. 1:5.

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