And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7
He missed the whole thing! It happened right around him and next to him and behind him and in front of him but he still missed the whole thing. Amazing! Maybe he was too worried about the money he thought he should have been making. Maybe he was wiped out from too many people asking too many questions. Maybe he was distracted from the fight he had with his wife earlier that night. Whatever the reason--he missed the whole thing!
The innkeeper who allowed Mary & Joseph to stay in his stable the night Jesus was born was probably within a few feet of witnessing the central event of mankind, yet he missed the whole thing! He knew they were there--he allowed them to stay there. She was a scared, teenage girl wracked with the pain of labor--probably without her mother or a midwife; he was a nervous young man, wringing helpless hands and weeping as he heard the anguished, pain-filled cries of his bride as she labored to give the savior of the world birth. How could they go unnoticed to this innkeeper?
Surely he must’ve seen the wide-eyed shepherds as they flocked to his small shed. Men cannot experience a sky full of angels and come quietly! Dirty, wonder-struck shepherds falling in reverence before a tiny, hours-old infant and His exhausted teen mother had to cause quite a commotion! Imagine the bleating sheep crowding out the animals in the stable! So much for a silent night! Did the innkeeper cover his ears and turn over in his bed and wish they’d all just hush so he could sleep? He missed the whole thing!
A sky full of angels. A star above the little stable he loaned out as a labor and delivery room. The birth of the Savior who would offer him redemption from his sins. He missed it all. Never in Scripture do we read of the innkeeper falling to his knees in worship with the Magi or running through the streets to proclaim the birth of the Messiah. We see no reference of his gazing into the night sky and shielding his eyes from the amazing brightness of the star shining over his humble home. We don’t even see where he snuck around the corner and peeked in to the gathering of worshipers to see what all the ruckus was all about. The innkeeper apparently got so distracted by other happenings in his life that he missed the event that literally split time into. He missed the whole thing. What distraction cause him to miss this once in an eternity event?
What has distracted you from the true meaning of Christmas? There is no doubt that we all get way too busy at Christmastime. There are office parties to attend, choir practices to make, school plays to watch and lots and lots of church programs to dutifully observe. Don’t let busyness of the season cause you to miss the true gift of Christmas like the innkeeper did.
No matter how beautiful the gifts are that are wrapped in brightly colored paper and ribbons and laid under your tree tonight, don’t let our celebrations distract from the knowledge that the most precious gift ever given to you was once wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. As you enjoy the beautifully decorated ornaments that are hung on your Christmas tree in your home tonight, don’t let anything cause you to forget that God’s greatest gift to you once hung on another tree and died in your place.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
On the 8th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of Worship
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:10-12
Do you have just a moment to spend with me today? May I have just a few minutes of your precious time? I know you’re busy! You may be reading this on a blackberry at the mall as you try to find those last minute gifts, or you may be taking a break from wrapping up those treasures for those you love. May I ask a question? What gifts do you bring this Christmas? Do you stress over what to purchase each family member and friend? We want to buy something we know they would like and hope we don’t go broke in the process! But what gift can you bring to Christ this Christmas? Let’s take our cue from the Wise Men from long ago.
What did the Magi bring with them on their journey to see the Christ Child? They had no Wal-Mart on the way to Bethlehem! No Macy’s! No Saks 5th Avenue! What royal treasure would suffice for a new king? We can all recite the gift list from all the retellings of all the Christmas stories we’ve heard all our lives: The Wise Men brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But what is the significance of these gifts? What can we learn from them?
They brought Jesus the gift of gold. Gold has always been precious. It signifies the best one has to offer. What is the best you can offer Christ this year? Life takes a toll on your heart, but you can still offer Christ the gift of loving Him best, desiring Him most. Oh, that can be so hard to do when we get so caught up in the busyness of this season! But worship Christ this Christmas by giving Him the gift of loving Him best and desiring Him most.
Frankincense was considered one of the world’s most treasured commodities, and in fact, rivaled gold in it’s value. It’s resin had such a sweet, sweet fragrance. The trees which produce this resin grow in such unforgiving environments that they seem to grow out of solid rock. Perhaps this sweet fragrance represents those things in life that you love most, that you hold dearest to your heart. The family you cherish, the dreams you have. Will you worship the Christ Child with your dreams? Will you honor Him by trusting Him with your most precious dreams, even the dream you have for your family? Will you gather with family and friends and worship this Christ Child this year? What a gift to lay at the manger!
Myrrh is a resin that comes from a tree, often referred to as a “weeping tree”. It is bitter in taste, yet has a sweet fragrance. It has been used in embalming and anointing of the dead, thus it represents suffering and sorrow. However, myrrh was one of the most valuable treasures of the day, so this gift was given to the baby King! If your heart hurts from sorrow or hurts you have experienced this year, you can worship through your tears and sorrow. He understands the pain of a heavy heart. Bring Him the gift of worship through tears.
When we bring the Christ Child the gift of our worship, our circumstances become smaller and smaller and God becomes bigger and bigger. As we begin to open our treasures before Him--giving Him the best we have to offer Him (represented by gold), worshipping by trusting Him with our dreams and worshipping with family and friends (represented by frankincense) and worshipping through suffering and sorrow (represented by myrrh)--He accepts our worship and will deal with us as we lay these treasures at His feet. What amazing and costly treasures!
There is a hidden gem in the passage of Scripture you may not have paid much attention to in the past. It’s the verse that says “the magi left for their own country by another way.” (Matthew 2:12) When you truly experience Christ at Christmas like the Wise Men did, when you fall down in true heart-felt worship and lay your treasures at His feet, you too, will leave a different way. You will not stay the same. When you allow yourself to become vulnerable in the presence of an Almighty God wrapped in the robe of human flesh, you will not--you cannot--stay the same. When you fall at the manger in honest worship, you will leave another way. God becomes bigger, your problems--even infertility--will become smaller.
So take a cue from the Wise Men this year. See the star of Bethlehem. Worship the newborn King. Rejoice! Exceedingly! Bring your treasures and lay them in worship at His manger and then leave another way.
No wonder they called them Wise Men!
After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.
Matthew 2:10-12
Do you have just a moment to spend with me today? May I have just a few minutes of your precious time? I know you’re busy! You may be reading this on a blackberry at the mall as you try to find those last minute gifts, or you may be taking a break from wrapping up those treasures for those you love. May I ask a question? What gifts do you bring this Christmas? Do you stress over what to purchase each family member and friend? We want to buy something we know they would like and hope we don’t go broke in the process! But what gift can you bring to Christ this Christmas? Let’s take our cue from the Wise Men from long ago.
What did the Magi bring with them on their journey to see the Christ Child? They had no Wal-Mart on the way to Bethlehem! No Macy’s! No Saks 5th Avenue! What royal treasure would suffice for a new king? We can all recite the gift list from all the retellings of all the Christmas stories we’ve heard all our lives: The Wise Men brought with them gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But what is the significance of these gifts? What can we learn from them?
They brought Jesus the gift of gold. Gold has always been precious. It signifies the best one has to offer. What is the best you can offer Christ this year? Life takes a toll on your heart, but you can still offer Christ the gift of loving Him best, desiring Him most. Oh, that can be so hard to do when we get so caught up in the busyness of this season! But worship Christ this Christmas by giving Him the gift of loving Him best and desiring Him most.
Frankincense was considered one of the world’s most treasured commodities, and in fact, rivaled gold in it’s value. It’s resin had such a sweet, sweet fragrance. The trees which produce this resin grow in such unforgiving environments that they seem to grow out of solid rock. Perhaps this sweet fragrance represents those things in life that you love most, that you hold dearest to your heart. The family you cherish, the dreams you have. Will you worship the Christ Child with your dreams? Will you honor Him by trusting Him with your most precious dreams, even the dream you have for your family? Will you gather with family and friends and worship this Christ Child this year? What a gift to lay at the manger!
Myrrh is a resin that comes from a tree, often referred to as a “weeping tree”. It is bitter in taste, yet has a sweet fragrance. It has been used in embalming and anointing of the dead, thus it represents suffering and sorrow. However, myrrh was one of the most valuable treasures of the day, so this gift was given to the baby King! If your heart hurts from sorrow or hurts you have experienced this year, you can worship through your tears and sorrow. He understands the pain of a heavy heart. Bring Him the gift of worship through tears.
When we bring the Christ Child the gift of our worship, our circumstances become smaller and smaller and God becomes bigger and bigger. As we begin to open our treasures before Him--giving Him the best we have to offer Him (represented by gold), worshipping by trusting Him with our dreams and worshipping with family and friends (represented by frankincense) and worshipping through suffering and sorrow (represented by myrrh)--He accepts our worship and will deal with us as we lay these treasures at His feet. What amazing and costly treasures!
There is a hidden gem in the passage of Scripture you may not have paid much attention to in the past. It’s the verse that says “the magi left for their own country by another way.” (Matthew 2:12) When you truly experience Christ at Christmas like the Wise Men did, when you fall down in true heart-felt worship and lay your treasures at His feet, you too, will leave a different way. You will not stay the same. When you allow yourself to become vulnerable in the presence of an Almighty God wrapped in the robe of human flesh, you will not--you cannot--stay the same. When you fall at the manger in honest worship, you will leave another way. God becomes bigger, your problems--even infertility--will become smaller.
So take a cue from the Wise Men this year. See the star of Bethlehem. Worship the newborn King. Rejoice! Exceedingly! Bring your treasures and lay them in worship at His manger and then leave another way.
No wonder they called them Wise Men!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
On the 7th Day of Christmas My True Love Said to Me...Do Not Be Afraid
The angel said to her, " Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.”
Luke 1:30
But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, " Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:20
Do not be afraid. We hear it again in the Christmas story. Yesterday we heard it spoken to aged Zacharias as a promise that God had heard every single time he prayed for a baby. From the first excited prayer he must have uttered as a naive young man looking with anticipation toward his future, to the prayers he prayed through the night as he listened to his grieving wife weeping for another month lost to her menstrual cycle, God heard every single prayer. There was no room for fear.
Perhaps the most astonishing declaration for the absence of fear was also the most unbelievable. How do you tell a virgin teenager that she will not only carry a baby in her untouched womb, but that this baby will be God robed in flesh, and then tell her not to fear? How do you tell her that she will be responsible for raising the Messiah and then tell her not to worry about it? How do you expect a teenager to lay aside fear and take on a responsibility no one else in all of time and eternity has ever or will ever carry?
And poor Joseph! The young love of his life expects him to believe that she has remained faithful, yet her bulging belly screams another story! Customs of the day said he had every right to have her stoned, but his heart wouldn’t let him. Would he stay with a girl whose faithfulness he questioned, or would he face a future without her? Suddenly, Joseph’s fitful sleep was interrupted by a holy visitor with the same message given to Mary and later to Zacharias: Do not be afraid. Joseph was told he didn’t have to fear taking Mary as his wife. God’s hand was on her life, and not the hand of any man. If God had chosen Mary for this task, He had certainly chosen Joseph as well, so he didn’t have to fear his future either.
The players in the nativity faced daunting tasks and they had reason to tremble. God saw their trepidation and sent holy messengers to assure them that there was no reason for fear. In the earthly realm, there was a lot to fear, but when God is with you, fear dissipates. Mary could face a virgin pregnancy because the Lord was with her. There are times you are afraid as well. Like Mary, you may ponder things in your heart and wonder how in the world things have come about the way they have. As you consider the situations that cause you anxiety--Will this pregnancy result in a living baby, or will I lose this one too? Will the adoption fall through? Will I have a job in the coming weeks? Can our marriage survive this struggle?--remember that Christmas is all about Jesus Christ taking the robe of human flesh to be God Emmanuel, God With Us, so that we don’t have to be afraid of our future. The same God who sustained Mary through the calling He gave her walks with you and will sustain you as well.
Like Joseph, your future may not be coming together as you planned. He thought he’d marry his sweetheart and live happily ever after. Instead, he married a pregnant virgin and became stepfather to the Son of God! Don’t you imagine there were times he simply didn’t think he was up to the task? Don’t you think he was afraid he couldn’t do what God was asking him to do? Do not be afraid. If God assigns you a task, He’ll give you the capabilities to complete the task, whether the task is following God into full-time ministry on the mission field, taking a leap of faith in a new relationship, pouring your love into a foster child, or stepping way out of your comfort zone to minister to “untouchable” people when you’d much rather have a “regular” life of 2.5 kids and a white picket fence! God knew the task He assigned to Joseph and instructed him to marry Mary without fear. As you face the exciting task of trusting God and living a life of His calling, He tells you the same: Do not be afraid.
Isn’t it amazing that our indescribable, uncontainable God cares enough about our emotions to speak to us and comfort us? Do not be afraid!
If your heart carries fear or unrest in this Christmas season, it is my prayer that you will sense the presence of God Emmanuel so very near to you today, and that you will not be afraid.
Luke 1:30
But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, " Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:20
Do not be afraid. We hear it again in the Christmas story. Yesterday we heard it spoken to aged Zacharias as a promise that God had heard every single time he prayed for a baby. From the first excited prayer he must have uttered as a naive young man looking with anticipation toward his future, to the prayers he prayed through the night as he listened to his grieving wife weeping for another month lost to her menstrual cycle, God heard every single prayer. There was no room for fear.
Perhaps the most astonishing declaration for the absence of fear was also the most unbelievable. How do you tell a virgin teenager that she will not only carry a baby in her untouched womb, but that this baby will be God robed in flesh, and then tell her not to fear? How do you tell her that she will be responsible for raising the Messiah and then tell her not to worry about it? How do you expect a teenager to lay aside fear and take on a responsibility no one else in all of time and eternity has ever or will ever carry?
And poor Joseph! The young love of his life expects him to believe that she has remained faithful, yet her bulging belly screams another story! Customs of the day said he had every right to have her stoned, but his heart wouldn’t let him. Would he stay with a girl whose faithfulness he questioned, or would he face a future without her? Suddenly, Joseph’s fitful sleep was interrupted by a holy visitor with the same message given to Mary and later to Zacharias: Do not be afraid. Joseph was told he didn’t have to fear taking Mary as his wife. God’s hand was on her life, and not the hand of any man. If God had chosen Mary for this task, He had certainly chosen Joseph as well, so he didn’t have to fear his future either.
The players in the nativity faced daunting tasks and they had reason to tremble. God saw their trepidation and sent holy messengers to assure them that there was no reason for fear. In the earthly realm, there was a lot to fear, but when God is with you, fear dissipates. Mary could face a virgin pregnancy because the Lord was with her. There are times you are afraid as well. Like Mary, you may ponder things in your heart and wonder how in the world things have come about the way they have. As you consider the situations that cause you anxiety--Will this pregnancy result in a living baby, or will I lose this one too? Will the adoption fall through? Will I have a job in the coming weeks? Can our marriage survive this struggle?--remember that Christmas is all about Jesus Christ taking the robe of human flesh to be God Emmanuel, God With Us, so that we don’t have to be afraid of our future. The same God who sustained Mary through the calling He gave her walks with you and will sustain you as well.
Like Joseph, your future may not be coming together as you planned. He thought he’d marry his sweetheart and live happily ever after. Instead, he married a pregnant virgin and became stepfather to the Son of God! Don’t you imagine there were times he simply didn’t think he was up to the task? Don’t you think he was afraid he couldn’t do what God was asking him to do? Do not be afraid. If God assigns you a task, He’ll give you the capabilities to complete the task, whether the task is following God into full-time ministry on the mission field, taking a leap of faith in a new relationship, pouring your love into a foster child, or stepping way out of your comfort zone to minister to “untouchable” people when you’d much rather have a “regular” life of 2.5 kids and a white picket fence! God knew the task He assigned to Joseph and instructed him to marry Mary without fear. As you face the exciting task of trusting God and living a life of His calling, He tells you the same: Do not be afraid.
Isn’t it amazing that our indescribable, uncontainable God cares enough about our emotions to speak to us and comfort us? Do not be afraid!
If your heart carries fear or unrest in this Christmas season, it is my prayer that you will sense the presence of God Emmanuel so very near to you today, and that you will not be afraid.
Friday, December 18, 2009
On The 6th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me--The Gift of Answered Prayer & Lack of Fear
Do Not Be Afraid--Your Prayer Has Been Heard
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.
You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
Luke 1:5-7, 11-14
Throughout the course of the next week, many people will take Bibles off the shelf and with family gathered ‘round, read the timeless Christmas story. They’ll share how a frightened virgin teenager carried the hope of the world in her womb and the love of her good man, Joseph, in her heart. Once again, they’ll hear the songs of angels and imagine the awe of the shepherd and envision the gifts of the Wise Men. (I wonder if they’ll miss the infertility story stuck right in the middle of it all?)
After the angel appeared to Mary and told her she would carry God’s Son, she journeyed to see Elizabeth, her aunt. She and her husband were described by God as righteous and blameless, yet there were no children in their home because Elizabeth was infertile. Zacharias was a priest and was busy going about the business of the Lord when an angel appeared to him. Realize that angels of Scripture are nothing like the pretty, sweet-faced cherubs we see in gift shops! Zacharias was terrified of this holy, angelic being making an appearance to him this day! Fear gripped this old man’s heart and he probably thought he would die!
We know that Elizabeth & Zacharias’ life was one marked by prayer for a baby because of what the angel said to him that day: "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” Can you imagine the look on this old man’s face? Not only does an angel appear to him, but the angel not only tells him not to be afraid, but also tells him he’s about to be a father? “You don’t have to be afraid, Zacharias. Your petition has been heard!” “What petition has been heard?” “Your petition to have a child has been heard!” All the prayers he had prayed all those years begging God for a baby really had been heard by God! They hadn’t bounced off the heavens and floated off into space! God heard them and the answer was given! A baby was on the way!
Perhaps the angel would say the same to you this Christmas:
You don’t have to be afraid. Your petition has been heard.
You don’t have to be afraid that God really isn’t who He said He would be. Your petition has been heard!
You don’t have to be afraid that God doesn’t care about your marriage. Your petition has been heard!
You don’t have to be afraid of the financial struggle you face. Your petition has been heard!
You don’t have to be afraid of the uncertainty of your future. Your petition has been heard!
You just don’t have to be afraid. Even if it seems that you have waited forever, your every petition has been heard by heaven!
Elizabeth and Zacharias were old. They had prayed many prayers for many years and probably wondered many times why God didn’t grant them children in their youth. But God had a greater plan. He knew their child had a special and magnificent call on his life. He would be the forerunner to the Messiah. God knew there was a specific time that John needed to be conceived. God heard every prayer Elizabeth prayed for a baby. And He answered in perfection. God heard every single time Zacharias cried out to Heaven for his wife to conceive. He hears you as well.
So don’t be afraid this Christmas. Don’t fear for your future. Don’t fear your family. Your petitions have been heard, so there is no need for fear.
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him.
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.
You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
Luke 1:5-7, 11-14
Throughout the course of the next week, many people will take Bibles off the shelf and with family gathered ‘round, read the timeless Christmas story. They’ll share how a frightened virgin teenager carried the hope of the world in her womb and the love of her good man, Joseph, in her heart. Once again, they’ll hear the songs of angels and imagine the awe of the shepherd and envision the gifts of the Wise Men. (I wonder if they’ll miss the infertility story stuck right in the middle of it all?)
After the angel appeared to Mary and told her she would carry God’s Son, she journeyed to see Elizabeth, her aunt. She and her husband were described by God as righteous and blameless, yet there were no children in their home because Elizabeth was infertile. Zacharias was a priest and was busy going about the business of the Lord when an angel appeared to him. Realize that angels of Scripture are nothing like the pretty, sweet-faced cherubs we see in gift shops! Zacharias was terrified of this holy, angelic being making an appearance to him this day! Fear gripped this old man’s heart and he probably thought he would die!
We know that Elizabeth & Zacharias’ life was one marked by prayer for a baby because of what the angel said to him that day: "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John.” Can you imagine the look on this old man’s face? Not only does an angel appear to him, but the angel not only tells him not to be afraid, but also tells him he’s about to be a father? “You don’t have to be afraid, Zacharias. Your petition has been heard!” “What petition has been heard?” “Your petition to have a child has been heard!” All the prayers he had prayed all those years begging God for a baby really had been heard by God! They hadn’t bounced off the heavens and floated off into space! God heard them and the answer was given! A baby was on the way!
Perhaps the angel would say the same to you this Christmas:
You don’t have to be afraid. Your petition has been heard.
You don’t have to be afraid that God really isn’t who He said He would be. Your petition has been heard!
You don’t have to be afraid that God doesn’t care about your marriage. Your petition has been heard!
You don’t have to be afraid of the financial struggle you face. Your petition has been heard!
You don’t have to be afraid of the uncertainty of your future. Your petition has been heard!
You just don’t have to be afraid. Even if it seems that you have waited forever, your every petition has been heard by heaven!
Elizabeth and Zacharias were old. They had prayed many prayers for many years and probably wondered many times why God didn’t grant them children in their youth. But God had a greater plan. He knew their child had a special and magnificent call on his life. He would be the forerunner to the Messiah. God knew there was a specific time that John needed to be conceived. God heard every prayer Elizabeth prayed for a baby. And He answered in perfection. God heard every single time Zacharias cried out to Heaven for his wife to conceive. He hears you as well.
So don’t be afraid this Christmas. Don’t fear for your future. Don’t fear your family. Your petitions have been heard, so there is no need for fear.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
On The 5th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of "Why"
I’m Dreaming of a “Why” Christmas
I recently heard my little girl sweetly singing a Christmas carol to the top of her lungs. She had her angelic face tilted just perfectly, her eyes closed, and with all the gusto her 9 year old heart could muster, she belted out “I’m dreaming of a ‘why’ Christmas!”
There are so many, many “whys” during the holidays. The strong emphasis placed on family relationships during this time of year spotlights the whys your heart carries. Why did my baby not survive yet another chose to abort? Why do we struggle financially when other families who never tithes seem to flourish? Why is my family member sick? Why did I lose my job? Why can’t I ever conquer depression once and for all? Why won’t our adoption go through? Why does God choose to grant a healthy pregnancy to someone who calls her baby an “accident” when I have done any and every thing I can do to conceive and nothing has worked? Why? Why? Why?
Are you struggling with a “Why Christmas” this year? If so, then I encourage you to consider “Why Christmas?” Why did God give us Christmas? Imagine if you will, that an amazing miracle would occur today, and your doctor would call you and say that according to your latest test results you are perfectly pregnant. All your hormone levels are exactly as they should be and the next nine months are blissfully filled with your bulging belly and growing baby. You give birth to a perfect child and all is right with the world. You cannot believe the love your heart hold for this miracle in the flesh who has your eyes and your husband’s chin.
However, in the greatest act of love imaginable, you hand this much desired baby over to someone else! The love you hold for you baby is incomprehensible, but you know the other person will perish if you do not give them your child, and you cannot bear the thought, so with more compassion that you ever dreamed possible, you give them the gift of the baby you have desired so long. This person doesn’t even know your name, doesn’t love your baby, and really doesn’t even care that this child exists! You give your child to someone else because you know they need your baby to survive, and they don’t even realize it. They look at you as if you’ve lost your mind, and they tell you they don’t want your baby and walk away.
Can you imagine loving another person so much that you’d give your baby to them? God can.
God loves you so much, He gave His Baby to you on Christmas. He gave you His Baby because He knew you needed Him to survive. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) He knew your heart would be filled with so many “whys” this Christmas and you needed God Emmanuel, God with you. That’s why God gave Christmas.
If your heart is filled with a million “whys”, and you’re dreaming of a “why Christmas”, remind yourself of why God gave us Christmas. He loves us. He gave us His Baby. God Emmanuel. God with us. God with us through the good time. God with us in the bad times. God with us at the doctor’s offices. God with us when the periods starts and the pregnancy tests are negative. God with us through the tearful nights. God with us in good times. God with us when family celebrations are too hard. He is God with us because God gave us His Son that first Christmas night. God with us to make a way for sins to be forgiven so we can be with Him for eternity.
That is why God gave us Christmas.
I recently heard my little girl sweetly singing a Christmas carol to the top of her lungs. She had her angelic face tilted just perfectly, her eyes closed, and with all the gusto her 9 year old heart could muster, she belted out “I’m dreaming of a ‘why’ Christmas!”
There are so many, many “whys” during the holidays. The strong emphasis placed on family relationships during this time of year spotlights the whys your heart carries. Why did my baby not survive yet another chose to abort? Why do we struggle financially when other families who never tithes seem to flourish? Why is my family member sick? Why did I lose my job? Why can’t I ever conquer depression once and for all? Why won’t our adoption go through? Why does God choose to grant a healthy pregnancy to someone who calls her baby an “accident” when I have done any and every thing I can do to conceive and nothing has worked? Why? Why? Why?
Are you struggling with a “Why Christmas” this year? If so, then I encourage you to consider “Why Christmas?” Why did God give us Christmas? Imagine if you will, that an amazing miracle would occur today, and your doctor would call you and say that according to your latest test results you are perfectly pregnant. All your hormone levels are exactly as they should be and the next nine months are blissfully filled with your bulging belly and growing baby. You give birth to a perfect child and all is right with the world. You cannot believe the love your heart hold for this miracle in the flesh who has your eyes and your husband’s chin.
However, in the greatest act of love imaginable, you hand this much desired baby over to someone else! The love you hold for you baby is incomprehensible, but you know the other person will perish if you do not give them your child, and you cannot bear the thought, so with more compassion that you ever dreamed possible, you give them the gift of the baby you have desired so long. This person doesn’t even know your name, doesn’t love your baby, and really doesn’t even care that this child exists! You give your child to someone else because you know they need your baby to survive, and they don’t even realize it. They look at you as if you’ve lost your mind, and they tell you they don’t want your baby and walk away.
Can you imagine loving another person so much that you’d give your baby to them? God can.
God loves you so much, He gave His Baby to you on Christmas. He gave you His Baby because He knew you needed Him to survive. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) He knew your heart would be filled with so many “whys” this Christmas and you needed God Emmanuel, God with you. That’s why God gave Christmas.
If your heart is filled with a million “whys”, and you’re dreaming of a “why Christmas”, remind yourself of why God gave us Christmas. He loves us. He gave us His Baby. God Emmanuel. God with us. God with us through the good time. God with us in the bad times. God with us at the doctor’s offices. God with us when the periods starts and the pregnancy tests are negative. God with us through the tearful nights. God with us in good times. God with us when family celebrations are too hard. He is God with us because God gave us His Son that first Christmas night. God with us to make a way for sins to be forgiven so we can be with Him for eternity.
That is why God gave us Christmas.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
On the 4th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of Seasons
It Came To Pass...
Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 1:1, 4
452. That’s how many times the phrase “it came to pass” shows up in the King James version of the Bible! No wonder I’ve heard so many preachers expound on these Scriptures! There are so many of them! I’ve even heard a Christian comedian build an entire set around this one popular Biblical phrase--“it came to pass”!
Do you realize there is great comfort for you in this phrase--“it came to pass”? Today, it probably seems as if your life will consist of nothing more than shopping bags and jingle bells! For the next few days you will know just which stores have the best sales and which ones will open at the indecent hours before the sun even begins to consider its ascent in the sky! The insanity of the Christmas season consumes your every waking thought and most of your paycheck and it is almost unimaginable to consider a couple of weeks from now when Christmas 2009 will be a dear memory! “It came to pass...”
A problematic time is the same way. It is a season in your life. A difficult, hurtful time will not last forever. It comes into your life, and will pass into your history. God allows it to come into your life for a purpose and eventually it will be a part of the story of your life. It will be part of what has made you into the amazing woman or man you are, but believe it or not, it will eventually be a part of your history, not a part of your everyday existence! It’s so hard to see the end of the story when you are waiting for the results of a blood test or trying your best to decide where the money will come from to pay this month’s mortgage.
Hardships always seem so much more intense at Christmastime, but if you are having a problem this Christmas and it has brought you frustration and tears, remember that it is a season in your life. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. If God has appointed this time in your life to be a hard season for you, then realize that He also has an appointed time for joy in your life. There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
It will not always be as hard as it is today. It came to pass... It has come into your life, but it will pass. God can use the difficulty you are facing in ways you never dreamed possible to reach you and teach you and show you amazing things about Himself. But it has come to pass. This may be your time for weeping, but your time for laughing is coming. You may have had a time for mourning, but you will dance again!
It came to pass!
Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 1:1, 4
452. That’s how many times the phrase “it came to pass” shows up in the King James version of the Bible! No wonder I’ve heard so many preachers expound on these Scriptures! There are so many of them! I’ve even heard a Christian comedian build an entire set around this one popular Biblical phrase--“it came to pass”!
Do you realize there is great comfort for you in this phrase--“it came to pass”? Today, it probably seems as if your life will consist of nothing more than shopping bags and jingle bells! For the next few days you will know just which stores have the best sales and which ones will open at the indecent hours before the sun even begins to consider its ascent in the sky! The insanity of the Christmas season consumes your every waking thought and most of your paycheck and it is almost unimaginable to consider a couple of weeks from now when Christmas 2009 will be a dear memory! “It came to pass...”
A problematic time is the same way. It is a season in your life. A difficult, hurtful time will not last forever. It comes into your life, and will pass into your history. God allows it to come into your life for a purpose and eventually it will be a part of the story of your life. It will be part of what has made you into the amazing woman or man you are, but believe it or not, it will eventually be a part of your history, not a part of your everyday existence! It’s so hard to see the end of the story when you are waiting for the results of a blood test or trying your best to decide where the money will come from to pay this month’s mortgage.
Hardships always seem so much more intense at Christmastime, but if you are having a problem this Christmas and it has brought you frustration and tears, remember that it is a season in your life. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. If God has appointed this time in your life to be a hard season for you, then realize that He also has an appointed time for joy in your life. There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
It will not always be as hard as it is today. It came to pass... It has come into your life, but it will pass. God can use the difficulty you are facing in ways you never dreamed possible to reach you and teach you and show you amazing things about Himself. But it has come to pass. This may be your time for weeping, but your time for laughing is coming. You may have had a time for mourning, but you will dance again!
It came to pass!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
On the 3rd Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of His Plan
Joseph
The Forgotten Member of the Christmas Story
There is no doubt you are being bombarded with everything Christmas. It’s everywhere you look! Turn on the television and there are commercials offering you the greatest bargains you could ever hope for. Decorations line the streets and radio stations blast “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. Sometimes you don’t want to rock around another Christmas tree--you just want a few moments of peace and quiet! Your heart is filled with so many questions, and in this time when our attention is turned to God’s plan for humanity, you can’t help but wonder about His plan for you. Today would be a good day to sit down with Joseph. Share a few moments with the man who adopted the Savior. The one who wiped His nose and taught Him a trade. The one whose heart must have carried as many questions that first Christmas as yours does this Christmas.
Have you ever really thought about Joseph? What he thought and felt? He knew all about a life that doesn’t go according to a plan! He thought he would marry the girl down the road, he’d build her a nice home and they’d have children--together--and they’d be like everyone else. Sound familiar? He had no idea that God had such a plan and that he would play such a role! Don’t you imagine he must have scratched his head more than once as he pondered the part he was to play in this scene? “God, why me? Why did You choose me? I don’t know if I can do this!” Can’t you see his face as he tried to get Mary settled in a stable for the birth of Jesus? “God, I’m failing You. I’m failing her. I’m failing Him. I can’t do this right. I just can’t do this. I just wanted to get married and have a family, God! I feel like such a failure!”
Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Joseph so we don’t really know if he felt like this or not. We do know that he must have loved Mary, and that he trusted God with all of his heart. No matter what his exact thoughts were, he had to be amazed at the magnitude of the role he was called upon to play. I believe there were times when his calling felt too heavy, the job seemed too hard. Does yours? Especially during times when society focuses so intensely on perfect family gatherings and idyllic holiday scenarios? Think again on Joseph.
During the times Joseph must have struggled in feeling like he wasn’t doing enough for his unique family, Heaven must have smiled. Why? Because Joseph’s trusting heart was leading him down the path Heaven had planned for him. He couldn’t see the entirety of God’s plan and couldn’t understand all that he was asked to do, but his servant’s heart trusted God. He was playing a role in the events that would change not only his world, but the world.
There are times as you are called upon to trust facets of God’s plan that you do not understand, but your trusting heart may be changing someone’s world. Without plausible explanation, you know that the hours poured into a young person’s life will pay off one day whether you see the results or not. You give of your talent and your treasure to outreaches and ministry opportunities and know that the Holy Spirit will multiply your efforts and meet someone’s need through the gifts you’ve offered in His Name. Somehow, your servant’s heart keeps trusting in God and His magnificent plan for your life. And Heaven smiles because your trusting heart keeps you walking the path God has planned for you even when you cannot fully explain it.
Joseph may have winced when he looked inside that dirty, little stall where his sweetheart would labor to bring the Savior into the world. He may have thought he was doing Him an incredible injustice by not providing better. But God led him there just as He led the shepherd and the Magi there. Just as He led you to your Bible Study group, or into the care of your supportive friend or church family who loves you as you faithfully serve.
And Heaven smiles.
The Forgotten Member of the Christmas Story
There is no doubt you are being bombarded with everything Christmas. It’s everywhere you look! Turn on the television and there are commercials offering you the greatest bargains you could ever hope for. Decorations line the streets and radio stations blast “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. Sometimes you don’t want to rock around another Christmas tree--you just want a few moments of peace and quiet! Your heart is filled with so many questions, and in this time when our attention is turned to God’s plan for humanity, you can’t help but wonder about His plan for you. Today would be a good day to sit down with Joseph. Share a few moments with the man who adopted the Savior. The one who wiped His nose and taught Him a trade. The one whose heart must have carried as many questions that first Christmas as yours does this Christmas.
Have you ever really thought about Joseph? What he thought and felt? He knew all about a life that doesn’t go according to a plan! He thought he would marry the girl down the road, he’d build her a nice home and they’d have children--together--and they’d be like everyone else. Sound familiar? He had no idea that God had such a plan and that he would play such a role! Don’t you imagine he must have scratched his head more than once as he pondered the part he was to play in this scene? “God, why me? Why did You choose me? I don’t know if I can do this!” Can’t you see his face as he tried to get Mary settled in a stable for the birth of Jesus? “God, I’m failing You. I’m failing her. I’m failing Him. I can’t do this right. I just can’t do this. I just wanted to get married and have a family, God! I feel like such a failure!”
Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Joseph so we don’t really know if he felt like this or not. We do know that he must have loved Mary, and that he trusted God with all of his heart. No matter what his exact thoughts were, he had to be amazed at the magnitude of the role he was called upon to play. I believe there were times when his calling felt too heavy, the job seemed too hard. Does yours? Especially during times when society focuses so intensely on perfect family gatherings and idyllic holiday scenarios? Think again on Joseph.
During the times Joseph must have struggled in feeling like he wasn’t doing enough for his unique family, Heaven must have smiled. Why? Because Joseph’s trusting heart was leading him down the path Heaven had planned for him. He couldn’t see the entirety of God’s plan and couldn’t understand all that he was asked to do, but his servant’s heart trusted God. He was playing a role in the events that would change not only his world, but the world.
There are times as you are called upon to trust facets of God’s plan that you do not understand, but your trusting heart may be changing someone’s world. Without plausible explanation, you know that the hours poured into a young person’s life will pay off one day whether you see the results or not. You give of your talent and your treasure to outreaches and ministry opportunities and know that the Holy Spirit will multiply your efforts and meet someone’s need through the gifts you’ve offered in His Name. Somehow, your servant’s heart keeps trusting in God and His magnificent plan for your life. And Heaven smiles because your trusting heart keeps you walking the path God has planned for you even when you cannot fully explain it.
Joseph may have winced when he looked inside that dirty, little stall where his sweetheart would labor to bring the Savior into the world. He may have thought he was doing Him an incredible injustice by not providing better. But God led him there just as He led the shepherd and the Magi there. Just as He led you to your Bible Study group, or into the care of your supportive friend or church family who loves you as you faithfully serve.
And Heaven smiles.
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