First Light

Matthew 8:3 “And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

This chapter in the book of Matthew is one of comparison and contrast. The first two stories we see involve very different men: and leper and a centurion. The leper was a man ostracized by all around him. He was used to being held at arm’s length. I don’t think we fully grasp how repulsive his disease was. It completely disfigured the body and was contagious to anyone who would come near. This leper was forced to be a beggar, and he had no resources of his own. Read more »

This is just a reminder that First Light will take a three-week break for the holidays.  The last devotional of 2008 was today, Friday, December 12. We will resume in the new year on Monday, January 5, 2009.

Luke 2:12  “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

God reveals Himself to those who have a willingness to believe. Perhaps this is why the Lord Jesus said, “A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign” when the Pharisees and Sadducees tempted Him, seeking a sign from Heaven. The truth is, they had been given literally every sign in the Book! Read more »

Luke 2:10 “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring
you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David of Saviour which is Christ the Lord.”

I love the fact that this good news the angels were proclaiming on this holy night was news that applies to “all people.” It was not news reserved only for the mighty or for the wealthy– just look at the men who received the news first! Read more »

Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Let me test your knowledge of literary terms: are the words nothing and everything “synonyms” or “antonyms”? If you guess antonyms, you are right! Antonyms are words that are opposites, and we would all agree that nothing and everything are opposites, right? Well, yes, most of the time that would be the case. But here in this passage, these two words are directly related to each other. Paul tells us to “be careful [worried] for nothing” but to pray about “everything.” Read more »

Philippians 2:12-13 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

I am continually amazed how perfectly the Word of God, written so long ago, still applies very specifically to our everyday lives. These verses are just one example. In his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul acknowledges in verse 12 that they could have behaved very differently while he was away from them. As their spiritual leader, he was pleased that they still obeyed God, even when he was absent. Can’t we all relate to this situation? Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I wonder if my boss sees what I am doing?” Or maybe you notice “So-and-so isn’t here today,” meaning you can act differently. Read more »

It is our hope that you have enjoyed the First Light daily devotionals. This is just a reminder that First Light will take a three-week break for the holidays. The last devotional of 2008 will be Friday, December 12. It will resume in the new year on Monday, January 5, 2009.

Zechariah 7:4-6  “Then came the word of the LORD of hosts unto me saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?”

For seventy years-ever since the old temple had burned-the children of Israel had fasted at regular intervals to mourn the destruction of the temple. Now that the temple was rebuilt, the Israelites wondered whether the Lord wanted them to continue fasting every fifth and seventh month. They were concerned that their outward practices were exactly right-they wanted to “cross all of their t’s.” Read more »

Zephaniah 1:4-5 “I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. . . . And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham.”

The more you study Scripture, the more you realize the sin of idolatry is a very serious thing in the eyes of the Lord. It is amazing how much Scripture is devoted to condemning the sin of idolatry! Yes, back in Bible days, idolatry was more visible-people worshipped idols made of wood and stone. Even though this type of idolatry can still be found, most idolatry today is hidden idolatry of the heart. America today is just as guilty of idolatry as the pagans of Bible days. And Christians are not immune to idolatry either. How easily it can creep into our hearts and lives! Read more »

Nahum 1:3 “The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.”

My heart goes out to semi truck drivers! Have you ever seen a little car whip around a semi truck and then stop quickly behind another car or at a stoplight? For some reason, people think that because semis are slow to reach their cruising speed, they can stop quickly and easily. That is so far from the truth! Any little car that whips around a semi and then expects it to stop on a dime is flirting with disaster. In much the same way, we are reminded here in Nahum that we must never underestimate God or His power and judgment. Read more »