December 9 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Luke 19:1–10

Devotional

Advent means Christ is coming; He is coming! He will be found wherever a sinner is found powerless in himself to pay his own guilt under the curse of God’s holy law. Have you come to the end of yourself? Do you know yourself as a debtor to God? Have you recognized that you are totally unworthy to receive grace? Remember, what God cannot do for your sake, He can do for the sake of Christ. This is a sure and firm pleading ground. Christ is the only Intercessor who lives forevermore to make intercession for His people. His work of praying continues even when you no longer can pray. His intercession has virtue when you no longer have anything to present to the Lord. Concerned, sighing, tempted, and hopeless ones, is there no place to be found on earth where rest can be found for your soul?

The coming Christmas event opens up a way for you. Before the Child Jesus was born, there was no place for Him in the inn. He was not permitted to find a place so that a poor sinner could still find a place with God. He was wrapped in swaddling clothes and later He had to lose them. He hung naked on the cross so that a naked sinner could be covered before God. He cried to God on the cross. He was forsaken of God so that He could be a Savior for the wretchedness of man. Here is comfort for the comfortless. Here is help for the helpless. Here is salvation for the wretched.

God gives a Savior! Christ offers grace because He bore the punishment. He is so willing to save a sinner that He presents Himself and says, “The Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Therefore discontinue climbing up those self-made ladders to come to Jesus, for He is found in low places. You must lose yourself in order to find Him. Come down; come down, for He comes to sinful people.

This coming Christ can still do something with guilty sinners. He can still use you. He wants to save that which is lost. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He has sent away empty-handed. The rich young ruler went from Christ in sadness, but He accepts and receives publicans and sinners. “Father,” He says, “I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.”

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.