Within the first two chapters of The Gospel According to Matthew, Matthew shares that God communicated “in a dream” five times. God’s messages and warnings within the dreams described in Matthew 1 & 2 are evidence of what was revealed over one thousand years earlier to Job, “For God does speak…In a dream, in a vision of the night…he may speak in their ears…with warnings, to turn them from wrongdoings and keep them from pride, to preserve them from the pit…” (Job 33:14-18 NIV). Has God every spoken to you through a dream? That’s what happened for Joseph, the man engaged to Mary, the mother of Jesus. An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that Mary “will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 NIV).

 

Not only can God communicate through angels, prophets, and dreams, but he chose to communicate his message of salvation for the whole world by sending his son, Jesus the Messiah. God wants all the people of the earth to be saved from the pit of death (2 Peter 3:9). But the choice is ours to make. God told the Israelites through Moses, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV). The Lord won’t force us to choose him nor trust him. God sent his son to show us how much he loves us and how much he wants us to “choose life.” The name Joseph was told to name the child conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb was “Jesus,” which means “God saves.” The Lord sent his son as our Savior, to save us from the eternal consequences of our sins.

 

Have you placed your faith in Jesus as your Savior? You can’t earn God’s forgiveness or a ticket to heaven. Salvation is a gift. It is a free gift offered to you from our Heavenly Father through his son, Jesus the Christ. You have the freedom to choose to receive the free gift or reject it.

 

Do you believer that Jesus is the Son of God and that he paid the price for your sins when he was crucified for you and everyone who has ever lived?

 

If you are a long-time Christian, praise God today and throughout this week for his indescribable gift of salvation in and through Jesus!

 

If you turned your back on faith, the church, or God, today is the perfect day to repent of your sins and turn back to Christ by seeking forgiveness, trusting in God’s grace and mercy given through Christ our Savior, and making a commitment to faithfully follow Jesus.

 

If you are not a believer, what if God is using this message to get your attention because he wants you to choose life through faith in his Son, Jesus? Consider reading the daily Bible verses below and using the prayer suggestions in the “Soul” section of each day, while continuing to join us for weekly online worship services. God will reveal himself to you if you seek him with “all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

 

*If you don’t have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online.

 

For a full version of this Your Faith Journey devotional download the Worship Guide from the Avon UMC website: www.AvonUMC.com

 

The Your Faith Journey Bible verses for this week are listed below:

 

Sunday (12/6)

Today I am going to offer God _________________________________.

 

During the worship service God revealed ____________________________________________________________________________________.

 

Monday (12/7)

Read Job 33:14-18 and prayerfully wrestle with the questions below:

Has God every spoken to you through a dream? If he has revealed something to you through a dream, what did he say or reveal?

 

Which of the ways listed below have you experienced God revealing messages to you? Through…

 

The Bible      Songs      Sermons     Prayer

Books & Articles     Art     Movies     Loved Ones

Nature/Creation     Journaling     Worship Services

Working     Testimonials of Others      Christian Mentors/Leaders

 

Holy Communion     Cards & Acts of Care     Holy Visions

Serving Others     Classes & Bible Studies     Traveling & Trips

Giving Generously     Being Served By Others      During a Time of Need

Being the Recipient of the Generosity of Others

Co-workers      Small Group Members

 

 

Which of the ways you indicated above has God communicated to you most often and most clearly?

 

If you haven’t heard a message from the Lord in a long time, perhaps you need to either return to the way he most clearly communicates to you or try one of the other ways listed above.

 

Tuesday (12/8)

Read Genesis 20. The end of the chapter reveals that “Abraham prayed to God” and people were healed because of the prayer. Today, pray for those who need emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical healing.

 

Wednesday (12/9)

Read Genesis 28:10-22. In the verses Jacob declares, “the LORD will be my God…and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth” (Gen. 28:21-22 NIV). Have you ever declared that the LORD is my God? What are you giving as an ongoing declaration that the LORD is your God? Ask God to bless others through you today, and ask Him what you can give as an ongoing declaration that He is your God. Jacob gave a tenth of all he was given, perhaps that is what God will have you to give as well.

 

Thursday (12/10)

Read Matthew 1:18-25, then pray for God to reveal a word, phrase, or verse that is specifically for you for today.

 

Friday (12/11)

Read Acts 16:9-10 and pray for God to give you clarity about who needs your help and what you should do about it. Paul and his companions believed “God had called” them “to preach the gospel” in Macedonia (Acts 16:10 NIV). Pray for God to either clearly reveal the gospel to you, or to use you to share it with others. God may want you to invite someone to an AUMC Christmas Eve worship service so that they are able to hear the Good News about Jesus.

 

Saturday (12/12)

Reflect upon the past week, and re-read verses or phrases that stood out to you. The following questions may be helpful as you reflect:

 

How did you see, hear, or encounter God during this past week?

 

Who needs to hear about your experience sometime in the coming days?

 

 

*To download the entire Worship Guide, which includes the extended version of the Your Faith Journey Guide, go to www.AvonUMC.com.