December 19

Morning

The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. — Prov 16:33 BSB

If even the roll of the dice is under the Lord’s control, how much more is the entire course of our lives! If He governs such small things as the casting of lots, how much more does He guide the events of our lives—especially when we remember our blessed Savior’s words: “The very hairs of your head are all numbered! Not even a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge!” Reflecting on this should bring a deep sense of peace over your mind. It would relieve you from so much unnecessary worry, enabling you to walk with patience, calmness, and joy, as a Christian should.

When we are anxious, we cannot pray with true faith or serve our Master effectively. When we fret about our circumstances, we are interfering with Christ’s work and neglecting our own! Our task is to obey; His is to provide. Be wise and focus on obedience, leaving the providing to Christ.

Consider your Father’s storehouse and ask yourself: Will He let you starve when He has laid up such abundance for His children? Look at His heart of mercy—can it ever be unkind? Look at His unfathomable wisdom—can it ever be mistaken? Above all, look to Jesus Christ, your Intercessor, and ask yourself: While He is pleading on my behalf, can my Father deal harshly with me? If He remembers even the sparrows, will He forget His own children?

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous be moved” (Psalm 55:22).

Evening

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. — Rev 21:1 BSB

It’s difficult to imagine a world without the glorious ocean. The new heavens and the new earth lose some of their beauty in our minds if there’s to be no sea with its shimmering waves and shell-covered shores. But perhaps this text is meant to be understood metaphorically, reflecting the ancient view of the sea as something mysterious and fearsome.

The sea often represents division—it separates nations and keeps people apart. For John, exiled on the island of Patmos, the sea was a barrier, isolating him from his brothers and his work. In the world to come, there will be no such divisions. No rolling waters will separate us from loved ones; there will be unbroken fellowship among all the redeemed. In this sense, “there will be no more sea.”

The sea is also a symbol of change. Its tides rise and fall, its surface shifts from calm to stormy, and its waves are stirred by the winds and the moon’s pull. This world, too, is full of change and instability. But in heaven, there will be no more change, no more fear of life’s storms sinking our hopes and drowning our joys. The “sea of glass” before God’s throne glows with the brilliance of peace, unmarred by any waves or tempests.

Soon, we will reach that land where partings, changes, and storms will be no more. Jesus will guide His people there. Are you in Him or not? That is the question that truly matters.