Patience week1

 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends, With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.    2 Peter 3.8-9

In his brief but significant letter, Peter reminds us that lack of patience is a frequent problem in our lives. God has a big clock, whose slow-moving hands tick off centuries. We only have small clocks, whose twirling second-hands sweep out the hurried seconds of our lives. Time! Peter says in this passage that God’s clocks have no second-hands. His days are millennia. 

A thousand years are but a day, with such a clock God never gets neurotic. There are no pressing deadlines in eternity. God rules, the ages dawdle in. No hurry,  such impediments as speed and time limits are only for those who wear watches and keep appointment books. 

In the stretch between our small, short lives and the never-ending life of the Great God, we fidget and grow impatient. The answer is for us to move in close to God and dwell in His everlasting light, only there will we find contentment with no impatience. 

There is an art required in patience. The art consists in the alignment of our finite watches with God’s eternal clock. We do not have unlimited time to accomplish His plan for our lives. Therefore we must, as the psalmist suggests, ‘number our days aright'. (Psalm 90.12) What does he mean by this? We are never to forget that our lives are fleeting and, especially by the reckoning of God’s great clock, coming to a swift end. Therefore, we must do two things. First, we must pace ourselves so that we do not live frantically, and then we must schedule the appointments of our lives so that every earthly moment yields some heavenly product.

Peace week1

 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.   Romans 12.20

God’s grace affords those who long to serve Him the power to triumph in the realm of spiritual struggle. Satan is the author of all such struggle, so Paul makes it clear that God is going to crush Satan under the heel of those who rely on the strength of God for their hope.

Once Satan is defeated, our turmoil is gone, and we can fulfil God’s plans for our lives. Nothing is more beautiful than to exalt God and achieve in Christ an inner serenity free of all turbulence. After Jesus was victorious over Satan in the wilderness, angels came to Jesus and ministered to Him. After the reign of Satan is over in our own lives, peace will be born, and we will serve God without distraction. 

Alienation is always the by-product of evil. Just as God draws us to Himself. Satan drives a wedges into that holy relationship. The devil actively works at trying to limit the number of God’s friends. 

The God of peace will crush Satan under His feet. What a great promise that is! When we were lost in sin, Satan kept us in turmoil. He agitated our troubled minds with hatred, self-will and ambition. He left us weeping in despair, helpless before our hopelessness. The evil one is the author of our identity crisis, the breaker of our hope. He always comes shod in the muddy boots that stomp our desire for clean morality into unwholesome pleasures.

But when Jesus reigns, our old enemy is crushed. We are free to live and serve God in peace. 

Joy week1

 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.     Psalm 19.1-4

In this passage God’s creativity is honoured by David’s flamboyant praise. David reminds us that God’s glory can be seen in God’s handiwork in our world. 

If your joy grows weak, take your Bible to a lonely hillside, and there where the horizon is wide, the air is fragrant and the clouds tend toward silver, study the Scriptures and open your life to praise. In such a place it is impossible to keep your joy to yourself.

The ancient Egyptians and Greeks often looked to the skies and drew pictures of their gods and goddesses, their demons, dragons and heroes in the fiery distant stars. But the psalmist looked up into the stars and saw that beneath the entire canopy of space there was only one great constellation. This constellation, etched by all the stars at once, formed a picture of God.

The heavens declare the glory!

When God finished each and every day of creation, He remarked that it was good. We are like God when we stop and appreciate all that He has made. When we stop and survey His created order, we can only exalt in His work and cry, ‘It is good!’

So may it be with your soul. May the beautiful things of God never permit you a speechless moment. May you recognise God’s creativity in all of your creativity.

When you see God’s great works, may you fully appreciate the true concept of joy.

Love Week1

 Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.   Genesis 1.29

A primary evidence of love is giving. Can there be a surer index of love? Shakespeare said, ‘They do not love that do not show their love.’ In this Genesis passage, no sooner are Adam and Eve created than their loving Creator says, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth. . .They will be yours for food.’ Human beings are barely created when they receive from God a gift, the earth itself.

One can only imagine, ‘Mr. and Mrs. First Folks' saying ‘No God, it is too much! All this for us?’

God might have replied, ‘Yes, it is all for you. You must learn in receiving this gift from me that I love you. And while your descendants may someday think that they can give without loving, no one can ever love without giving. Here on the first day of your existence, receive this present, this planet, as evidence that I am God, and God is love. Then you will know that you were made and given this world as an evidence of my love. My desire toward my children is to keep on showing them my love forever.’

In the next chapters of Genesis, an  unthinkable pageant unfolds. Adam and Eve disobey. Having been loved to the level of paradise, they abandon God’s love for the plastic pleasures of all God has forbidden.  The first sin is not only bad because it’s first, it’s bad because it takes the holy, pure love of heaven and refuses to honour it. As a result of such reprehensible treatment of God’s love, the gates of Eden slam shut. Adam and Eve’s exile was not only their punishment, it was the prequel to all those who see the love of God and turn their backs on it.

The seeds of human desperation lie at every refusal to cherish the most valuable treasure in the world, the love of God. 

Zion

 O Zion, you who bring good tidings. . .Say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God.’    Isaiah 40.9

When Handel composed his famous oratorio The Messiah, he included a piece based on this verse (‘Oh thou that tallest good tidings to Zion') combined with Isaiah 60.1, ‘Arise, shine, for your light has come.’ In the order of songs, it comes right after the prediction of the virgin birth in Isaiah 7.14, ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive.’ It was Handel's way of saying, ‘This is how we should respond to Christ's birth.’

Go and tell.

Share the good news.

Arise and let your light shine.

These are good words for today because Christmas eventually ends for all of us. Soon enough we will take down the tree, pack away the ornaments, and either use our gifts or take them back to the store to be exchanged. In a few days the children go back to school, and life returns to normal.

But will we be changed by Christmas?

People sometimes wish they could keep the Christmas spirit all year long. They speak of it as if the ‘magic’ of these days comes only once a year. But it depends on what ‘magic’ you are talking about. If you mean the tree and the gifts and the mistletoe and the chestnuts roasting on an open fire, that indeed comes only once a year. But the greater truth of Christmas ought to warm our hearts long after the holiday has ended.

Would you like Christmas to last all year long? It can if you will take Isaiah’s words to heart. So go back to where you came from.

Back to your office.

Back to your classroom.

Back to your factory.

Back to your neighbourhood.

Back to your job.

Back to your family duties.

Go back to the humdrum of daily routine. But do not go back unchanged. Arise and let your light shine. When the shepherds saw Jesus, they couldn’t stop talking about it. Christmas didn’t change their circumstances, but it changed them deeply and profoundly. Yes, they still had to deal with cranky sheep and sometimes they had to step in sheep manure, but that hardly mattered now.

They had seen the Christ child.

Have you seen Jesus this year at Christmastime? If you have, then go back to what you were doing before and take the memory of Christmas with you. Start where you are, and God will be with you.

With that thought, our Advent Alphabet comes to an end. But if you go and tell the good news of Jesus, you will have Christmas all year long.

Grant to us, O Lord, the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the Magi, and the peace of the Christ child. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Immanuel, God with us

 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.   John 1.14

Heaven's birthday celebration erupted with Jesus's earthly arrival! Angels' amplifying horns reverberated, and confetti of shooting stars worshipped across the night sky. Singing at the top of their lungs, the angelic choir declared,

Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased!    Luke 2.14

Jesus' delivery was in the most unprivileged and disgusting place. Such a glorious event began in horrible surroundings. Baby Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed on top of dirty, smelly yuck. And still, all of heaven proclaimed God’s grandeur with His entrance. Jesus deserved better, but God had a plan and a purpose to be with us. So He sent His precious one and only Son to save sinners.

The foul barn stable represents the dirtiest part of ourselves, and Jesus, in His holiness, was laid among what defines us, our sins. His truths enlighten our disobedience, revealing where we fall short of God’s glory. Yet He is always with us amid our messiness.

Focusing on His love, mercy, and forgiveness will lead our hearts to confess our sins. God gives us purification as we cooperatively relinquish them. Through our cleansing, His faithfulness offers us an abundance of grace and peace. The beauty of our deliverance from our sinful lives is to be clothed in His righteousness as God’s Spirit desires.

Excitedly, yet humbly, welcome Jesus so you, too, can receive new birth into a God-designed life with exclusive devotion. May your soul bellow in heavenly songs of praise to Immanuel, God with us!

Father, I praise You for who You are and for always being with me, no matter my circumstances. Cleanse me in the areas I willingly surrender to You. Forgive me, and bring me into Your loving embrace. I long to know You more intimately. In Jesus' name, Amen

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty saviour. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.    Zephaniah 3.17

You

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.   Luke 2.11

‘Unto you.’

Pause for a moment and consider who was speaking and who was being addressed. When the shepherds heard these words from the angel, they must have been flabbergasted. Shepherds were near the bottom of the social order of ancient Israel. They were often poor and uneducated, and some were quite young. Not very many people would put ‘shepherd' on their who do you want to be choice. There were many easier ways to make a living in ancient Israel. So when the angel says, ‘To you is born,’ he’s really saying, ‘Christ came for lowly shepherds.’ But what about those theologians in Jerusalem who knew but didn’t care? He came for them too, but they missed it altogether.

When Christ came, his birth was first announced to the outcasts of society. They were the first ones to hear the good news of Christmas. There is a great lesson in this for all of us. Our Lord came for the forgotten people of the earth, and most of the time they are the ones who receive Him with the greatest joy. Rich people often have no time for Christ, but the poor welcome Him as an honoured guest.

A man travelled a great distance for an interview with a distinguished scholar. He was ushered into the man's study, where he said, ‘Doctor, I notice that the walls of your study are lined with books from the ceiling to the floor. No doubt you have read them all. I know you have written many yourself. You have travelled extensively, and doubtless you’ve had the privilege of conversing with some of the world’s wisest men. I’ve come a long way to ask you just one question. Tell me, of all you’ve learned, what is the one thing most worth knowing?’ Putting his hand on his guest’s shoulder, the scholar replied with emotion in his voice, ‘My dear sir, of all the things I have learned, only two are really worth knowing. The first is, I am a great sinner, and the second is, Jesus is a great Saviour!’

If you know those two things, you know the best news in the whole world, that a Saviour has been born for you who is Christ the Lord.

Two thousand years ago God sent a gift wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

Jesus is God’s gift to you.

Merry Christmas!

The happy day is here at last.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Lord of all, we come before You, celebrating this happy day when Eternity entered time, and the Infinite became finite. You who were rich became poor that we through Your poverty might be rich. Give us ears to hear the glad tidings and voices to sing with exuberant praise that at long last our Redeemer has come! In Jesus' name, Amen.

Jesus hope, peace, joy and love

 Believers experience Christmas differently than the world because of Jesus. This is more than just a day to celebrate with food, family, and gifts under the tree. This is a day when we celebrate the birth of the One who will rescue us from ourselves because of His great love.

As we leave the holiday season behind us for another year, may you find a place for Jesus in your life. Advent brings a beautiful reminder of hope, peace, joy, and love, but they are not just for the season. Walk in the life Jesus offers and rest in His hope, peace, joy, and love all year long. Continue to grow in knowing Him through reading His Word, fellowshipping with believers, and communicating in prayer.

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.     Matthew 28.19-20

You are part of God’s family and bring His story into the world by sharing the gospel with others. Bring the hope, peace, joy, and love you have found in Jesus to everyone you know. This is the call on your life, and there you will find He is with you!

Dear Jesus, thank You for entering our world as a baby, so humble. Thank You for living a perfect life and being the sacrifice for my sin. You have brought me hope, peace, joy and love. May I share this with my world so they will come to know You. In Your name, Amen

X

 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.   Luke 2.11

There aren’t many words that start with X.

I checked the dictionary, found a few, and couldn’t pronounce most of them because they are words we rarely use.

Then it hit me.

The letter X is an ancient symbol for Christ because it stands for the first letter in the Greek word for Christ,

Χριστός (pronounced “chris-tos”).

R.C. Sproul explains it this way,

Christos is the New Testament Greek for Christ. The first letter of the Greek word is transliterated into our alphabet as an X. That X has come through church history to be a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ.

Luke 2.11 uses three words to describe him, Saviour. . . .Christ. . . .Lord. Each word is vitally important. Saviour is an Old Testament word that means ‘one who delivers his people.’ Christ is the Greek version of the Hebrew word Messiah, which means ‘the anointed One.’ Lord is a term for Deity. It’s a synonym for God.

He is the Saviour, He is the Lord, and He is the Christ, the one sent from God. This is the heart of Christmas. God loved us enough to send His only begotten Son.

X stands for Christ, who is our Saviour and Lord. And that’s what Christmas is all about.

We call you Lord because that is what You are. We call you Saviour because You came to save us from our sins. We call you Christ because all God’s promises are fulfilled in You. Glory to you, Lord Jesus, now and forever, Amen.

Joseph

 An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.’       Matthew 1.20

Deep satisfaction tingled through Joseph’s fingers. The wood’s imperfections yielded to his touch. Beeswax would seal the table’s beauty, providing a durable surface for family meals.

Family. The word pierced his heart deeper than the roots of the tallest cedar. Mary, his betrothed, pregnant with another man’s child.

What is worse? Joseph wondered. That she betrayed me or God? Should I expose her? Should I marry her? What about my reputation? People will assume I committed this unthinkable sin. I thought she was the one. If I divorce her quietly, it might protect her from public shame. It’s the right thing to do.

‘Lord,’ Joseph prayed, ‘I don’t understand. You have always been faithful. When the perfect cedar for my project fell at the ax of another carpenter, You provided a more perfect one in the forest beyond. I trust You now to provide a more perfect wife. Adonai.’

Instead, God provided a dream. ‘Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife,’ the angel said. Joseph was at a  crossroads. The logical choice was divorce. The courageous choice was to trust God instead of relying on his own understanding. Imagine God’s trust in Joseph to choose him to be the stepfather to His Son! God trusted Joseph. Joseph trusted God. 

Lord Jesus, when i stand at the crossroads, fill me with courage to trust You instead of relying on my own understanding. It is Your faithfulness that enables me to faithfully trust You regardless of the circumstances. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.     Proverbs 3.5-6

Wonder

 All who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.    Luke 2.18

Some transactions use wondered. 

Others say amazed. 

Others use the word marvelled.

The story itself sounds incredible, especially the part about hearing the angels in the middle of the night, not to mention finding the Son of God in a feeding trough. It’s even more surprising that God chose lowly shepherds as the first evangelists. 

Amazement comes in two varieties. The first has to do with temporary fascination over an unusual turn of events. It’s what happens when a giant-killing non-league team wins over a premiership side. Terrible teams occasionally get lucky and beat much better teams. It’s unusual but not miraculous.

The second kind of amazement we could call ‘Holy Wonder'. It’s awe that comes from seeing God at work in the world. Go all the way back to Genesis and you discover God created the entire universe out of nothing. He spoke and the stars flew into place. He spoke and the earth took up its orbit. He spoke and the squirrels began to scamper through the forest.

God speaks and it happens. He takes a lump of dirt and make a man. Then He takes a rib and makes a woman. When we read Genesis 1-2, we encounter something truly wonderful, that is, full of wonders on every hand.

The wonders continue to the very end of the Bible. Revelation 19 tells us that when Christ returns, he will have written on His robe and on His thigh, ’King of Kings and Lord of Lords.’ (Revelation 19.16) When Christ returns, He will establish His kingdom on the earth, and all earthly kings will now before Him.

Christmas is indeed a cause for holy wonder. How can it be that God should become a man? How can a King be born in a feeding trough? How could the world ignore His coming? And what sort of God comes into the world like this?

We ought to be amazed at Christmas time. If we go through this season without ever pausing to think about the wonder of it all, then we have missed the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place.

Lord Jesus, we long to be transformed by the wonder of Your coming. Free us from our addiction to the mundane. Give us the faith of a child so that we can laugh with joy once again. In Jesus' name, Amen

Zerubbabel

 This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,” says the LORD Almighty.     Zechariah 4.6 

 Everything came to a screeching halt when they chose fear over faith!

 Zerubbabel was commissioned as governor under King Cyrus of Persia to lead the first wave of liberated exiles from Babylon to their homeland in Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. As the work began, so did the opposition. It came quickly! Rather than trust God and resist the opposition, fear and discouragement reigned. Work on the temple stopped for sixteen years! God promised Zerubbabel would lay the foundation of the temple and that his hands would also complete it, and God is a promise keeper!

Lord, remind me of my utter inability to accomplish anything apart from You. However, with You nothing is impossible! Give me the strength by Your Spirit to finish the assignment You have given me. In Jesus' name, Amen

But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’   Matthew 19.26

Virgin

 The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and they will call his name Immanuel.     Matthew 1.23

Do you believe in the Virgin Birth? 

What difference does it make? 

Let’s start with the first question. For almost 2000 years Christians have repeated this phrase from the Apostles Creed, ‘Conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.’ Although Christians have disagreed on almost everything, here is a truth unanimously affirmed by all branches of the Christian church. 

We believe Jesus was born of a virgin. 

That forces us to confront what we believe about Jesus Christ. Who is he? Where did he come from? At issue is the supernatural character of our Lord. Is he truly the Son of God from heaven? If you answer yes, you’ll have no problem with the virgin birth. If you answer no, you’ll have no reason to believe it. 

Christians make a claim for Jesus that cannot be made for any other person: His life did not begin with his birth or with his conception. Unlike every other human whose beginning can be traced to a specific moment in time, the true life of Jesus Christ had no beginning. Because he is eternal, he existed forever with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. This is an utterly supernatural claim that could not be made about anyone else. 

Here is another way to state the same truth. For Christ to be our Saviour, three conditions must be met, 

He must be a man. An angel could not die for our sins. He must share our humanity. 

He must be an infinite man. A mere mortal could not bear the infinite price that must be paid for our sins. 

He must be an innocent man. A sinner could not die for the sins of others. 

Our Lord fulfils all three conditions. 

Because he is born of Mary, he is fully human. 

Because he is conceived by the Holy Spirit, he is fully God. 

Because he is born holy, he is sinless in thought, word, and deed. 

Thus, he is fully qualified to be our Saviour. 

The angel told Joseph to name him Jesus “for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1.21) That connects his birth with his saving work on the cross. The virgin birth matters because it tells us who Jesus is and lays the foundation for the great work he will accomplish on the cross. 

He had to be born this way to die the way he died. 

We are not saved by the virgin birth, but without it we are not saved at all. 

Almighty God, may we not stumble in unbelief but believe in your Son, our Saviour, born of a virgin, who died for our salvation, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is our coming king. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jeconiah

 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Like these good figs, so I will acknowledge those who are carried away captive from Judah, whom I have sent out of this place for their own good, into the land of the Chaldeans.’     Jeremiah 24.5

As the Babylonian army marched toward the city to besiege it, the Israelites continued to stray further from the Lord and His commands. Unaware of the impending judgment, they disobeyed His law and let their hearts grow cold in their love for Him. 

King Jeconiah took the throne of Israel at eighteen years old. His father, King Jehoiakim, did evil in the sight of the Lord, King Jeconiah followed in his father’s footsteps. The days were dark for the people of Israel as the world they knew was destroyed. They wondered if God would keep His promises and save them. Held captive in Babylon, they wondered how the promised Messiah would come if Israel was destroyed. 

King Jeconiah did not lead well and found himself in prison for thirty-seven years. When released, he was brought into King Evil-Merodach’s presence. He spoke kindly to Jeconiah and invited him to eat at his table all the days of his life. His life was not only preserved, but he was under the king’s care. The Lord watched over Jeconiah even in his disobedience and preserved His promise. He was working His plans for good even when it looked dark. Indeed, God was with him. 

Father, help me to trust You when the darkness comes. Give me faith to remember You are with me and courage to walk in boldness knowing You are working all things for Your good plan. In Jesus' name, Amen

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.     Romans 8:28

Until

 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.  Matthew 2.9

What exactly was the ‘star’ the Wise Men saw in the east?

Frankly, we don’t know. The Greek word is a very general one that could refer to any bright object in the sky. It might mean a star or a planet or a meteor or even a comet. It could refer to some unusual conjunction of the planets that produced an extremely bright object in the skies. Or perhaps the ‘star’ was a special heavenly light prepared by God to guide the Magi. 

Somehow they knew it was ‘his' star, which is why they were overjoyed when they saw it. (Matthew 2.10) It led them to the home where Mary and Joseph were taking care of the baby. That doesn’t sound like a comet or a meteor to me. It sounds more like a special light from God sent to direct the Magi to Jesus. 

They followed it until it came to came to rest over the place where the child was. The word ‘until’ means the guidance was very precise. The star was a kind of divine GPS that led them from Persia in the east to Jerusalem in the west and from Jerusalem to Bethlehem and then to the precise house  where Jesus was staying with Mary and Joseph. 

The star seems to have appeared in the east and then disappeared. That explains why they were overjoyed when they saw the star as they travelled from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. (Matthew 2.10) The reappearance of the star meant they were on the right track. 

Soon they would meet the infant ‘King of the Jews.’

God always gives us enough guidance to do His will. Did they know the star would reappear on the road to Bethlehem? No, but it happened in the ordinary course of events. As they followed the light they were given, God sent the star to lead them to the exact location of the child. 

God arranged their journey from Persia to Bethlehem so that they would meet Jesus and worship Him. 

It is no different for us.

Let us lay aside our cares and follow the Wise Men on their journey to Bethlehem. A baby lies there who is the Light of the World. The King in the cradle. Immanuel. God with us. The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus, Saviour, Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Lord Jesus, may we be like the Wise Men who were guided to You by a star. Give us wisdom to seek You and light to find You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Josiah

 When the King heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair.     2 King 22.11

God uses history for His good. 

God removed the evil influences in Josiah’s life during his formative years, allowing him to seek the God of David with all his heart, soul, and might. He had wise godly counsel around him, but it wasn’t until he heard the Word of God read aloud that he realized all was doomed because the nation had turned from God. 

Hearing the law grieved him and made him seek God even more. Josiah fulfilled a three-hundred-year-old prophecy by removing all the idols from the land and allowed his people to worship the one true God freely. 

He honoured God by introducing the celebration of Passover, a feast not celebrated since the time of Samuel. Because Josiah sought the Lord, God delayed the punishment for thirty-one years.

Father, thank You for Your written Word. What a glorious godly example Josiah was because he sought You with all his heart, soul, and might. Help us to follow that example in all we do. In Jesus' name, Amen

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.   Matthew 6.33

Terrified

 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.    Luke 2.9

Translators handle that last word in various ways: 

“Terrified.”

“Very frightened.”

“Sore afraid.” 

I like that last one the best because it’s both archaic and descriptive. Though we never use the phrase “sore afraid,” we know exactly what it means. 

 It’s the natural reaction when God suddenly enters our world. One moment you and the other shepherds are chatting out in the fields while the sheep sleep peacefully. It’s a beautiful night in Judea, the sky is filled with stars, and you are glad to be there. 

Suddenly an angel shows up and scares you to death. If an angel of the Lord stood before me in the middle of the night, I would be “sore afraid” too. 

This seems to happen whenever an angel shows up for the first time,

The angel said to Mary, “Fear not” (Luke 1.30).

The angel said to Joseph, “Fear not” (Matthew 1.20). 

The angel said to the shepherds, “Fear not” (Luke 2.10). 

Sometimes we need a “divine disruption” so that God can speak clearly to us. When Christ came to this sad world, God sent the angels to say, “Pay attention. Something big is happening here!” 

If our greatest need had been education, God would have sent a teacher.

If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent a banker.

If our greatest need had been advice, God would have sent a counsellor. 

But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent a Saviour. His name is Jesus. He is Christ the Lord, the Son of God who came from heaven to earth. 

Are you overcome with worry? 

Weighed down with fear? Are you “sore afraid” about your future? God’s answer to your fear is not a theory or a doctrine. God’s answer is not a seminar or a book to read. 

God wrapped his answer in a baby named Jesus. He alone is the Lord from heaven. He alone can save us. All that God has for you and me is wrapped up in his Son. No matter what difficulties we face or the decisions we must make, in the end God leads us back to that simple one-word answer: “Jesus.” 

In an interview with David Frost on PBS, Billy Graham said he hoped the last word he uttered before dying was simply this, “Jesus.” We can’t do any better than that. 

Heavenly Father, may faith rise to banish our fear because if God be for us, who can be against us? Amen.

Hezekiah

 Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, not before all the multitude that is with him, for there are more with us than with them. With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.      2 Chronicles 32.7-8 

Second only to King David, Hezekiah would become known as the greatest king in the history of God’s people. 

There would be no “like father like son” in Hezekiah’s story. His father, King Ahaz, did what was wrong in the Lord’s sight, provoking the anger of God, plundering, and shutting the doors of the house of the Lord. Unlike his father, Hezekiah did what was right in the Lord’s sight. He immediately opened and repaired the doors of the house of the Lord, ushering in worship and consecrating a nation to serve the one true and living God. 

Hezekiah’s life would be marked by two particularly insurmountable battles, threats of a fierce clash with the mighty Assyrian empire and a personal struggle against an illness that threatened to claim his life. Two vastly different battles, yet one common thread. 

Hezekiah prayed. God heard. God answered. 

The first battle found the evil king of Assyria sending messengers to taunt the people of Jerusalem and deliver a warning letter to Hezekiah to surrender, or else! After reading the letter, Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, spread out the letter before the Lord, and prayed. (2 Kings 19.14-15)

Picture Hezekiah taking that letter and laying it out before the Lord. If you read his prayer in verses 15–19, you’ll observe a man acknowledging who God is and then pouring out his need to the only one He knew who could save and deliver them.

Father, I confess that I cannot fight these battles alone. I desperately need You. Help me to trust You with my insurmountable needs. In Jesus' name, Amen

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.    Philippians 4.6

Sign

 This will be a sign for you, You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.     Luke 2.12

A strange sign. 

A baby in a manger. 

What does it mean? 

Jesus came because we made such a mess of things. God said, “I will not leave you alone. I will not let you destroy yourself, each other, and the world I made.” After we had trashed everything, God said, “I’m coming down there so you’ll know once and for all how much I love you.” We didn’t pay any attention, it didn’t even make sense to us. How could God visit us? But he did, and he came to the world in a most unlikely way. He entered a virgin’s womb and came out as a baby, born in Bethlehem, a baby named Jesus, born to save us from our sins. 

When he grew up, we killed him. Murdered him. Hung him on a cross. That’s the thanks we gave to God for visiting us. But we were wrong about everything. After we killed him, he came back from the dead, proving he was right all along, and we were really wrong, dead wrong about everything, and still God loved us and came from heaven to earth on the greatest rescue mission in history. 

He came because we blew it so badly. 

He came and we killed him. 

He died and became our Saviour. 

Only God could have done something like that. What a story! What a Christ! C.S. Lewis said, “The son of God became a man to enable men to become the sons of God.” God has done it all. God wrapped up his Son in swaddling clothes and said to the whole world, “This is my Christmas gift to you.” 

That’s the sign! 

We mess things up, and God sends a baby in a manger. 

This is the central truth of Christianity. God has entered human history to provide for our salvation. What we could not do, he did for us through his Son. Everything else flows from this truth. If he had not been born, he could not have died for our sins. And he would not have risen from the dead. He had to become like us to save us. There was no other way. 

Christmas matters because truth matters. God did not leave us alone, but in our misery, he came to visit us one dark night in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. 

Christmas is all about who we are, and who God is, and how far he will go for us. 

The sign of his love is a baby wrapped in rags lying in a manger. 

Lord Jesus, we are like sheep, always going astray. We need you more than we know! Come, Lord, we need you right now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Ahaz

 For the Lord humbled Judah because of King Ahaz of Judah, who threw off restraint in Judah and was unfaithful to the Lord.      2 Chronicles 28.19

Could God possibly be with a corrupt leader whose moral compass is oriented only toward himself?

God humbled the entire nation of Judah because of wicked king Ahaz. For Ahaz, ‘throwing off restraint' included burning his sons as offerings to pagan gods and stripping gold from God’s temple to pay an Assyrian king to protect Judah from military attack. That payoff did not pay off, and Judah suffered horrendous losses. Later, Ahaz made sacrifices at a pagan altar he installed inside the Lord’s temple before eventually shutting its doors completely.

Yet Ahaz is listed in the genealogy of Christ. God clearly had a plan.

God allowed the natural consequences of Ahaz's wicked leadership to unfold, affecting the entire nation. But He did not abandon Judah, nor did He cut off Ahaz’s family. Despite the depravity of Ahaz, God preserved one of his sons. When Hezekiah became king, he immediately set out to right the wrongs of his father.

‘If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.’ (2 Timothy 2.13) God’s character doesn’t change. He is gracious to us because of His nature, not because of ours. He extends His love even in the face of the worst behaviour.

We know what it is to live in a culture that has thrown off restraint. Headlines shout stories of brokenness that must surely break the heart of God. Our world may be filled with chaos and corruption, but God is still on the throne. He is with us because His love never changes.

God help me to trust that You are with me in a broken world even when all appearances are to the contrary. Remind me of Your faithfulness in the face of faithfulness, whether my own or those around me. Increase my understanding of Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you.    Isaiah 54.10 

Remember

 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers and remembered His holy covenant.     Luke 1.72

What was it like just before Jesus came to the earth?

Part of the answer comes from the song of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. You can read the whole song in Luke 1.67-79. Some of it sounds strange to our ears. But that’s part of the great value of this passage. Zechariah's song reveals the deep faith of the Jewish people on the eve of Messiah’s birth. For hundreds of years the people of God had been waiting for Messiah to come. Now at last He is almost here. 

All of that is on Zechariah’s heart and is comprehended in this one single truth. At long last God has visited His people! That means God has kept his promise. 

It’s hard for us to grasp the magnitude of this thought. Nobody appeared more forgotten than the Jews chafing under Roman rule. Reduced to an obscure province in the Roman Empire, they were rejected, overlooked, and despised. Nearly 1000 years had passed since the glorious days of King David. Over 400 years had passed since their last prophet, a man called Malachi. As Zechariah looks down at his infant son, he knows the crucial moment of world history has arrived. In his arms he holds the baby who will grow up to prepare the way of the Lord. That could only mean one thing, 

The Messiah is on the way!

The long wait is over!

God has remembered His promise!

He has visited His people!

Christmas is only one week away. As the commercials keep telling us, there are only shopping days left until Christmas Day. But think about what else that means. There are also,

7 praising days until Christmas 

7 singing days until Christmas 

7 worshiping days until Christmas 

How are you going to spend the 7 days that are left for you before Christmas finally arrives?

Good news, my friend. Jesus is here at last! Will you drop everything and welcome Him into your heart? Or are you too busy this year to be bothered with Him?

Lord Jesus, You remembered me even when I had forgotten you. You came for me when I was running away. Thank You for turning me from an enemy into a friend by Your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Love

 Believers experience love differently than the world. The world seeks to be satisfied with a love that comes from others, but we are satisfied because of the love that comes from God. 

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognise that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.      James 1.2-3

As you enter this fourth week of Advent, may you find love in the promise that is to come. The narrative introduces us to Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. How great was Joseph’s love for Mary as he walked a hard road of obedience to bring the Saviour into the world. His love displayed allows us to see the love of our Heavenly Father adopting us to become His children and heirs of the kingdom 

Father God, You demonstrate Your love to me on the pages of Scripture. All You offer in the storyline of Jesus reveals this to me. Thank You for loving me and using people just like me to bring Jesus into this world. May my love for You be demonstrated in a life that seeks You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Question

 ‘How will this be’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’    Luke 1.34

This is a perfectly natural question. 

Mary is betrothed but not formally married. She has never had serial relations with any man. How then can she become pregnant and bear a son?

Mary does not doubt the angel’s word, even though it must have sounded incredible.  She believed what the angel said. Her only question had to do with how it would happen.

In essence, she says to Gabriel,  ‘All right. I’m willing to do my part, but you need to explain how we’ll handle this one little problem.’ That’s real faith. That’s believing the impossible. That’s trusting God when the ‘facts’ argue against it. 

Mary has often been portrayed as a kind of misty, other worldly figure. If you look at some  of the great paintings of Mary, they make her look so peaceful you almost forget she was a real person. That’s a shame because Luke makes it clear she was very real, with very real doubts, very real questions, and very real faith. 

Nowhere is this seen with more clarity than in verse 38,

‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word.’

Without exaggeration, we may call this one of the greatest statements of faith in all the Bible. 

We read it so often that we forget how great it really is. But remember, it’s 2:00 in the afternoon, you’re 16 years old and very much in love. Your mum asks you to go fetch some water to do the laundry, and on your way to the well, you run into a man you’ve never seen before. He tells you that you’re going to get pregnant, you’re going to give birth to a son, and he’s going to be the Son of God. When you ask how, he says, ‘Don't worry about it. The Holy Spirit will cover you like a cloud, and you’ll end up pregnant. That’s all there is to it.’ What do you say to that?

Mary said yes. Yes to God, yes to the impossible, yes to God’s plan.

When the angel said, ‘Nothing is impossible with God,’ Mary took a deep breath and replied, ‘May everything you said come true.’ And with those words, Christmas came to the world.

Our Father, we do not pray for more faith. We pray for courage to exercise the faith we already have. Make us like Mary, willing to believe in spite of our doubts. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Uzziah

 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.    Colossians 3.23-24

‘Never get too big for your boots,’ If I heard that once, I heard it hundreds of times. After all, I thought I was the centre of the universe. But the harsh reality hit when my flaws became apparent to me and everyone else. I had stood on the pedestal of my pride, and it crumbled beneath me. This seems to be the story of King Uzziah too.

King Uzziah was known for his many military and architectural achievements during his fifty-two-year reign over Judah in the eighth century BC, yet he failed to lead his people spiritually. Second Chronicles 26.4-5 highlights that King Uzziah prospered as long as he obeyed God’s commands, God was with Uzziah. His downfall was recorded in 2 Chronicles 26.16 when he overstepped his role. In his attempt to perform the duties assigned only to priests, he violated God’s divine order. Pride led to his downfall, and he spent his later years suffering from leprosy.

Had King Uzziah recognised he was supposed to work for God’s glory and not his own, his pride might have been tempered, and he might not have ‘gotten too big for his boots.’ We must live by faith knowing God is pleased when we serve Him. He is at work in all our efforts, whether we see results or not, and He is using us to further His purposes, not ours.

Father, humble my heart. May I always fix my gaze on You, seeking only to do Your will. In Jesus' name, Amen

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.      2 Corinthians 15.58

Ponder

 Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.     Luke 2.19

The word ‘treasured’ has the idea of counting things up, almost like making a list so you will not forget anything. It’s what you do at the end of a hectic day, and you want to make sure you don’t forget anything that has happened. 

The word ‘pondered’ goes deeper than ‘wondering’. It means to take the events as you have laid them out in your memory and then go beneath the surface to understand what it means and why it happened the way it did.

No doubt Mary went back to what happened to Zacharias and Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist. I’m sure she thought about what Gabriel said, how Joseph responded when she told him she was pregnant, and the amazing dream Joseph had. She must have recalled the long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, and all the events of the birth itself, including the surprise visit of the shepherds. She certainly had plenty to think about. No doubt she continued to wonder why God had chosen her, and I’m sure she pondered what was ahead for her newborn son. 

Pondering is hard work, which is why many of us never get around to it. Yet this is the perfect time of year to do it. 

What better time than now to consider what God has been teaching you?

Here is a simple exercise that may help you do some serious pondering before 2025 arrives,

Set aside at least an hour of uninterrupted time.

Find a quiet place. Turn off the TV and put your smartphone on silent. 

Begin with a prayer asking God to show you the things he wants you to learn. 

Then think about the last 12 months. What has God been teaching you? What lessons seem to come up again and again? What have you learned about yourself this year?

What have you learned about God’s character this year?

Ask the Lord for insight as to where He might be leading you in the year to come. 

If you do this exercise with an open heart, God will give you insight about the past and hope for the future. 

Mary pondered what God had been doing in her life. Now it’s your turn. 

My Lord, give me eyes to see Your hand at work in my life. When nothing around me makes sense, anchor my heart in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Jehoshaphat

 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.   2 Chronicles 20.17

‘A vast army is coming against you.’ The warning came of two armies approaching to attack Judah. ‘Alarmed, Jehoshaphat, resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord.’ Jehoshaphat prayed, ‘If calamity comes upon us, . . . we will stand in your presence. . . and cry out to you. . . we do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.’ (2 Chronicles 20.2-4, 9, 12)

The Spirit spoke to them through Jahaziel, the priest. ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged. . . the battle is not yours, but God’s. . . go out and face them. . . the Lord will be with you.’ (2 Chronicles 20.15, 17)

Preparing to set out, Jehoshaphat told them, ‘Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld. . . you will be successful.’ (2 Chronicles 20.20)

They sent the worship team ahead of the army, singing praises to God. As they began to sing, God set ambushes. When they arrived at the scene, there were only dead bodies. The armies had destroyed one another. Victory was theirs without a battle.

God is with us when we are facing trouble. We can follow Jehoshaphat's example when troubles come our way. When we don’t know what to do, we can resolve to inquire of the Lord and seek His help because He is with us. We can stand in His presence with our eyes on Him knowing He will watch over us and accomplish His purposes.

Lord, I do not know what to do. You are with me in this struggle. Give me the wisdom I need. Strength me to persevere and stand firm. In Jesus' name, Amen

You are my hiding place, you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.  Psalm 32.7

Opposed

 ‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed.’   Luke 2.34

Call this the bad news about the good news.

Not everyone loves Jesus.

Not everyone is glad He came.

The scribes ignored Him.

Herod tried to kill Him.

Their descendants will nail Him to a cross.

He is the Great Divider of Men. He will cause many to fall and many to rise. Many will speak against Him, and in speaking against Him, the hidden thoughts of the heart will be revealed.

What a thing to say about a tiny baby. ‘Mary, they are going to touch this child, and you won’t be able to do anything about it. They are going to hate him, they are going to lie about Him, they’ll spread rumours about you and Joseph, they will smear His name with malicious lies. You will have to stand by helplessly and watch it happen.’

Down the road it all came true. Eventually they questioned not only His parentage, but also His mental ability. They snickered and said, ‘He thinks he’s the Son of God. But he’s filled with demons.’ When hatred took full control, they arrested Jesus and put Him on trial as a seditious blasphemer. They beat Him within an inch of His life, leaving His skin in tattered ribbons. After the trial, He was condemned to die. In the end, Mary watched her son die an agonising, brutal, bloody, inhuman death. Amid the stench and gore of crucifixion, Mary stood by her son, unable to staunch the flow of blood, unable to wipe His brow, unable to hold His hand.

It all happened exactly as Simeon had predicted. When Mary watched her son die, a sword pierced her soul. Above the cradle stands the cross. This little baby was born to die. Day Hammarskjold, late Secretary-General of the United Nations, put it this way,

How proper it is that Christmas should follow Advent. For to him who looks towards the future, the Manger is situated on Golgotha, and the Cross has already been raised in Bethlehem. (Hymns for the Family of God)

The joy of Christmas leads on to the agony of Good Friday. He was born to end up that way.

Your response to Jesus reveals what is in your heart. But that’s not all. Your response to Jesus tells us where you are going and how you are going to get there. But most of all, the way you respond to Jesus tells us where you are going to spend eternity.

Gracious Lord, give me grace to take my stand with Jesus today and never to be ashamed of Him. May I have courage to follow Jesus even when the road leads to a cross. In Jesus' name, Amen

Asa

 As soon as Asa heard these words, the prophecy. . ., he took courage and put away the detestable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities that he had taken in the hill country of Ephraim, and he repaired the altar of the Lord that was in the front of the vestibule of the house of the Lord.    2 Chronicles 15.8

Fiery indignation burned in King Asa’s heart as he saw the horrific idols that littered the land of Judah and Benjamin. Inspired by the words of the prophet Azariah to be strong in the Lord and not forsake Him, Asa took courage (2 Chronicles 15.8) and got rid of all the abominable images from the land, including one very important one, the detestable image of Asherah constructed at the order of Asa’s grandmother, Maacah, the queen mother. Asa demolished this image too and had his grandmother deposed of her title as queen mother. (2 Chronicles 15.16)

All believers have moments in their lives when the rubber meets the road. Will we obey the Lord or choose the approval of man over God? Asa heard the prophet’s words. We need to be in God’s Word rehearsing His commands and promises. Prayer support cannot be overestimated. 

Lord, please give us determination and strength to fear You more than man, especially when we may disappoint a loved one. In Jesus' name, Amen

The Lord is my helper, I will not fear, what can man do to me?   Hebrews 13.6

Night

 He rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt.    Matthew 2.14

The sequence of events goes like this, 

1. Joseph and Mary were in Nazareth when the conception of Jesus took place. 

2. They travelled to Bethlehem where Jesus was born. 

3. Herod the Great ordered all the baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem to be slaughtered 

4. An angel warned Joseph to take Mary and Jesus and flee to Egypt for safety. 

5. They left by night, fled to Egypt, and stayed there until Herod died.

6. Then they returned to Nazareth where Jesus was raised. 

There are many mysteries about all this, 

1. We don’t know how old Jesus was when they went to Egypt. 

2. We don’t know where they stayed in Egypt. 

3. We don’t know how long they stayed in Egypt. 

4. We don’t know how old Jesus was when they returned to Nazareth. 

Because Herod wanted the baby Jesus dead, he ordered the male babies of Bethlehem put to death. That’s why an angel warned Joseph who took Mary and Jesus during the night and fled to Egypt. After Herod died, an angel told them it was safe to return. But when he heard Herod’s son was reigning in his father’s place, Joseph took Mary and Jesus and returned to Nazareth. 

Matthew 2.14 says Joseph and Mary took Jesus and left during the night, fleeing for Egypt because they feared what Herod might do to their baby. Given Herod’s slaughter of the baby boys of Bethlehem, that was a wise move. 

Whenever God does anything good in this world, the devil puts his demon spirits into overdrive, stirring up men like Herod to do their dastardly deeds.

The path of life takes many unexpected zigs and zags, and we all find ourselves fleeing to Egypt for safety from time to time. True greatness waits its time. It does not rush the Lord or complain when things happen slowly or when the plans of life suddenly are overturned. By faith we go down to Egypt in the middle of the night, knowing that one day by faith we will come ‘out of Egypt.’ Both the going and the coming are part of God’s plan for us. 

Though he was the Son of God, Jesus had to escape to Egypt in the middle of the night. As He was not exempt from the trials of this world, neither are we. But God will have the last word. Herod will die, Jesus will return home to grow up in safety. 

Perhaps you feel as if you are in a dark place at this moment. Be encouraged, child of God. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. 

Loving Lord, You ordain both the rising of the sun and the coming of the night. When my way seems dark, light my path so that I might follow You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Abijah

 God is with us, He is our leader. With their trumpets, his priests will sound the battle cry against you. People of Israel, do not fight against the Lord, the God of your ancestors, for you will not succeed.    2 Chronicles 13.12

We long to know God is with us when we feel outnumbered or overwhelmed, or need an answer.

The wicked King Abijah reigned in Judah for only three years before he died. ‘He committed all the sins his father had done before him, his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.’ (1 Kings 15.3) King Abijah attempted to reclaim the northern ten tribes of Israel as part of his kingdom, resulting in a war between Abijah and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. Second Chronicles 13 describes a battle in which Abijah triumphed over Jeroboam with His army half the size. King Abijah stood on Mount, Zamaraim and spoke out to Northern Israel about God’s covenant with David, Abijah announces in today’s verse with conviction and sincerity. The troops of Israel had come behind Judah to ambush them. But the men from Judah cried out to God, the priests blew their trumpets, and ‘at the sound of their battle cry, God routed Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.’ (2 Chronicles 13.15) God fought this battle.

Moments come in our lives when we must decide to depend on ourselves or God.

The lesson of reliance on God for victory is a recurring theme in the Bible. However, we should never trust a past spiritual accomplishment or season of victory. Our dependence on Him is moment by moment.

Abijah’s story encourages and gives us hope. Our dependence on God is the key to our spiritual and earthly victories. We can trust His promises.

Lord, I know You are with me in circumstances that are more than I can handle. Please help me understand that You are always there through every facet of my life and that I may depend upon You moment by moment. In Jesus' name, Amen

I depend on God alone, I put my hope in Him.    Psalm 62.5

Manger

 She gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger.      Luke 2.7

What’s wrong with this picture?

The answer is simple, Jesus doesn’t belong here. He’s the Son of God from heaven. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like a vagrant or a criminal. He deserves the best the world has to offer. He comes from heaven to earth, and ends up in a stable? How can that be? Let me press the point another way. God could have done better. Suppose you had all power and could choose the time, place, and manner of your son’s birth. Would you choose to have him born outside, in a stable? That doesn’t make any sense.

What’s going on here?

The world had no room for Christ then, and it has no room for Christ now. John 1.11 puts it very plainly, ‘He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.’ Jesus came ‘home’ to His own people, and they wouldn’t take him in. He came to the people who should have known Him best, and they wanted to do with Him.

If Jesus were born today, it would happen in a ramshackle shed, a field in the country, or a remote village in India. The world that had no room for Him then has no room for him now.

His humiliation started early and continued to the very end. He was born outside because they wouldn’t let Mary and Joseph come inside. During His ministry He told His disciples, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ (Matthew 8.20)

He owned nothing but the clothes on His back, and when He was crucified, the soldiers gambled for His robe. When He died, they buried Him in a borrowed tomb.

He was an ‘outsider’ in every sense, He came from ‘outside’ this earth, He was born ‘outside' the inn, and He died ‘outside' the city walls.

The ‘No Vacancy' signs were there for our benefit. God could have made a room available. He could have created a hospital or a palace in Bethlehem if He had so desired. The sequence of events that unfolded, the census, the long journey, no room at the inn, ‘no crib for a bed', the feeding trough, the ‘swaddling clothes', all of it was planned by God even though it all appeared to happen by chance. God willed there would be no room in the inn not for the sake of Jesus, but for our sakes, that we might learn who Jesus is and why He came.

May God grant to each of us faith to believe and an open heart to say, ‘Yes, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for You.’

Lord Jesus, we pray today for those who are struggling to know You. Pull back the curtains of unbelief so that they might be filled with faith to believe in You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Rehoboam

 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”    1 Kings 12.8, 10-11

When God places us in positions to lead or influence others, He is there to help us. 

Alone in his chambers, the newly crowned king found himself anxiously pacing. His father, Solomon, had just died, and the future of the kingdom now rested upon his shoulders. Drawn to the table near his bed, Rehoboam picked up the gold sceptre. Staring intently at the symbol of his sovereign authority, he pondered the request of the people. In three days they would return to get his answer. Would he grant their desperate petition or, like his father, do what was necessary to secure his own kingdom? 

It was by holy design that Israel’s kings were to reflect the heart of God to the people. The intent of their Heavenly Father was for the apple of his eye to be governed with both justice and mercy. In choosing not to seek God’s guidance in response to the people’s plea and deciding instead to pursue his own desires, Rehoboam set in motion the prophesied fate of the anguished nation. In disappointment that fueled anger, Israel rebelled, and the kingdom was torn in two, only a remnant remained under the foolish king’s rule.

We all struggle at times to know what the right thing to do is, but just as He was with Rehoboam, God is with us. Whether it is running a business, parenting children, or doing anything where others look to us for direction, God wants us to recognise He is there to help us. Even when we put our agendas ahead of His and things don’t go as we plan, God does not forsake us. He responds to the slightest whisper of His Name. With His wisdom being a treasure beyond compare, He is always faithful to provide the answers we need.

Father, in the places of my life where You ask me to lead, I invite Your guidance so I may reflect Your heart and Your ways. In Jesus' name, Amen

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with my loving eye upon you.   Psalm 32.8

Leaped

 The baby in my womb leaped for joy.   Luke 1.44

That’s what Elizabeth said to Mary when they met.

Elizabeth’s baby was John the Baptist.

He evidently started his career early.

We know babies in the womb can see and hear and react to sound and light. Consider a child in his mother’s womb in the latter stages of pregnancy. Even before birth, he learns to recognise the voice of the father and mother.

It was the same way with John the Baptist.

His whole purpose in life was to point people to Jesus.

He came to prepare the way to the Lord.

He leaped for joy inside his mother’s womb, meaning he did that kind of prenatal cartwheel all pregnant mothers understand.

When God filled Elizabeth with the Spirit, her baby leaped within her for joy. Why should this surprise us? The God who can conceive Jesus within Mary’s womb can also cause John the Baptist to leap for joy inside Elizabeth’s womb. The miracle would have been a great consolation to Mary in her difficult circumstances. John was unaware of the meaning of his movement, yet his leaping was inspired by the Lord. The Holy Spirit was at work within him even before he was born.

Does Jesus seem far away to you?

Do you wonder if He really understands?

This passage (Luke 1.39.44) is part of God’s answer to you. One writer put it this way,

Two babies meet while still in the womb of their mothers and the Holy Spirit bears witness between them. God comes into the womb of a woman and so identifies with humankind in our weakest, and most vulnerable condition.   (Presbyterian Pro-Life Monthly, 2009)

This passage shines a light on Christmas because it means our Lord was part of the human race from conception. He was born on Christmas, but His human life began nine months earlier. He was truly a Saviour who became like us even before He was born.

Consider that the Lord you worship was once an embryo in Mary’s womb.

How weak, how frail the Saviour appears.

How great a distance the Son must travel to enter our world.

He is truly Immanuel, God with us.

Lord Jesus, may I never take for granted the miracle of Your entrance into our world. In Jesus' name, Amen

Solomon

 That night the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream and God said, ‘What do you want? Ask and I will give it to you!’.   1 Kings 3.5

What is one of the best gifts you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a bike, a new outfit, a puppy, a car, or even a child.

King Solomon was a young king who felt overwhelmed, discouraged, and lost. He describes feeling ‘like a child who doesn’t know his way around'. (1 Kings 3.7) Solomon prayed and asked God for wisdom. God not only gifted him with wisdom and an understanding heart, but also riches, fame, and a long life. (1 Kings 3.10-14)

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, discouraged, and alone during all the hustle and bustle of the holidays and preparations. It can be hard to enjoy the small moments.

I can only imagine how Mary felt holding baby Jesus for the first time in the coolness and smelliness of the stable. The loud mooing of the cows contrasted with the greatest amount of joy and uncertainty. Can you imagine the thoughts going through her mind as not only a first time mum, but the mother of God’s Son? Phew! Talk about feeling overwhelmed!

God was with Solomon, and He is always with us. Just as Solomon asked for the gift of wisdom, we can come to God and ask Him for what we may need. He will always equip us with all we need to fulfil our calling, giving us peace over a situation, strength to care for a loved one, or wisdom on how to raise a teenager or toddler!

Dear God, thank You for being a God I can come to in times of need. Please help me in my current situation and guide me in the direction I should go. In Jesus' name, Amen

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.    James 1.5

Kingdom

 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.   Luke 1.33

It is easy to forget how revolutionary these words must have sounded in the beginning. They were,

Spoken by an angel 

To a virgin 

Announcing a baby

Who will one day

Rule the world.

And it came totally out of the blue

To a teenage girl 

Who was a virgin

In Nazareth, a minor city 

In a remote corner of the Roman Empire. 

It didn’t seem likely. 

How would Mary’s baby have a kingdom that never ends?

After all, she and Joseph were betrothed (more than engagement, less than what we call marriage), they were poor, she was pregnant, and they didn’t have connections with the movers and shakers in ancient Israel. 

They were just a young couple facing a crisis pregnancy. 

The whole affair would cast a shadow over them and lead to rumours and insinuations that would follow Jesus during His earthly ministry. 

Even now, after 2000 years, the angel’s message seems mind-blowing. 

Jesus has a kingdom. 

He is building it in human hearts around the world. 

Someday He will return and visibly reign on the earth. That kingdom, His kingdom, will never end.

There are some men and women who are not like everyone else. They have been gripped with the thought that the kingdom of God is the greatest thing in the world. That one thought has revolutionised their lives and reoriented their values. Kingdom issues are at stake. That’s the only possible explanation for the way they live. 

Everyone reading my words has a choice to make. Either you join yourself to the kingdoms of this world that are doomed to fail. Or you join forces with Jesus Christ and follow Him as your Saviour and Lord. 

His kingdom will never end. Why would you follow anyone else?

Lord Jesus, help me to know You, love You, and serve You with joy because You are my one and only King. In Jesus’ name, Amen

David

 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.    1 Samuel 18.14

King Saul put David to the test. He raged with jealousy and tried to kill David with his spear, even while David played music to soothe him. Saul was afraid because the Lord had left him and was now with David. Saul made him commander, hoping he would die, but instead David became successful. 

It appears David remained submissive to Saul, despite the attempts at his life. Since the Lord was with David, he was protected. He could have simply resisted Saul and run away, but he didn’t. 

He remained obedient to his king. 

Slamming the door behind me I blurted, “I give up.” It had been one of those days when everything had gone wrong. My anger shot into orbit like a pea from a slingshot, and my lack of patience was put to the test. 

So often when my self-limitations are pushed to extinction in my marriage I want to quit.

Before I walked out the door that day, I should have realised that all I needed was to ask God for help. Frustration was the result of trying to do it all on my own. 

As the Advent season approaches, perhaps you’re feeling overwhelmed with decorating, shopping, and planning meals, and anger comes easily. In those times, let us be more like David. Although we may still have spears to dodge, let’s look to Jesus for help. If we can capture the realisation that the Lord is with us, we already have success within our grasp.

Father, thank You for the promise that You are here with me at this very moment. Please strengthen me to withstand all that I may face today. Help me to be still in Your presence. I know it’s there that I find all the success I need. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.     Psalm 16.8

Just

 Her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.    Matthew 1.19

He’s the forgotten man of Christmas. Mary understandably gets more attention. 

Yet Joseph is one of the greatest men in the Bible. 

Let me briefly list for you the things we know about him,

His father was Jacob. 

His family hometown was Bethlehem in Judea, but he lived in Nazareth in Galilee. That meant Joseph and Mary had to travel about 95 miles in the dead of winter to register for the census. 

He is from the royal line of David. The genealogy in Matthew 1 makes that clear. 

He was a carpenter by trade. 

He was a poor man. When he and Mary presented Jesus in the temple, they brought a turtledove to sacrifice. Jews only did that when they could not afford a lamb. 

He was a devout man. 

Nowhere does his faith shine brighter than when he thinks Mary has been unfaithful to him. He loved her so much that he was unwilling to expose her to public humiliation. Instead, he decided to divorce her quietly. 

Having made his decision … he didn’t do it. As one writer put it, there was a “short but tragic struggle between his legal conscience and his love.” Then one night, God spoke to him in a dream. 

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1.20). 

Joseph needed assurance. He couldn’t marry Mary until he was sure it was all right. He had to know the truth. God met him at the point of his need at precisely the right moment. He told Joseph the one thing he most wanted to hear, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.” 

And later, when the angel gave him the good news that the child was conceived through the Holy Spirit, he gladly took her as his wife. He took the baby as his own son and gave him the name Jesus. 

In these days of confusion, Joseph shows us what a godly man looks like,

He was strong when he could have been weak. 

He was tender when he could have been harsh. 

He was thoughtful when he could have been hasty. 

He was trusting when he could have doubted. 

There is one other line of proof about the kind of man Joseph was. When Jesus grew up and began his ministry, he chose one word above all others to describe what God is like. He called him Father. 

Where did he learn about fathers? From Joseph, a good and just man. 

Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing Joseph. Grant me that same courage to trust you even when my circumstances make no sense to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

    

Joy

 Believers experience joy different from the world. The world seeks to be happy, but happiness is fleeting. Those of us who know Jesus face life with joy even in suffering. 

Dear brothers and sisters, when trouble of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.      James 1.2-3

As you enter this third week of Advent, may you find joy in the promise that is to come. The narrative leading to the birth of Jesus begins this week with the story of the kings. King David will enter the scene humbly. His life includes great victories and grave trials. Through it all we see the words of his soul penned in the book of Psalms and find he found great joy in knowing his God.

Father God, You are a constant source of joy. In the trials of life when my faith is tested, I recognise You are growing me to serve You completely. May I ever look to You for the source of my joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Inn

 She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.      Luke 2.7

 

Don’t think of a Premier Inn.

The ‘inn’ was nothing like that.

It most likely was a guest room in a house in Bethlehem. Perhaps Mary and Joseph went there because they knew the owners. Perhaps they were related. But we all know the result.

No room in the inn.

That’s not an incidental detail.

He was born like this so the humble might feel free to come to Him. The very manner of His birth, turned away from the inn, born in a stable,  means God invites the rejected, the abused, the mistreated, the forgotten, the overlooked, to come to him for salvation. ‘We might tremble to approach a throne, but we cannot fear to approach a manger.’ (Charles Spurgeon)

If Jesus had been in Paris or Beverly Hills, only the rich and famous would feel at home with Him. But since He was born in a stable, all the outsiders of the world (and there are far more outsiders than insiders) instinctively feel a kinship with Him.

Is there a hint here of His upcoming death? I believe there is. Turned away from the inn and resting in a feeding trough, he was already bearing the only cross a baby can bear, extreme poverty and the contempt and indifference of mankind.

This baby lying forgotten in an exposed stable, resting in a feeding trough, is God’s appointed ‘sign’ to us all. This is a true incarnation. God has come to the world in a most unlikely way. This is what Philippians 2.7 means when it says He ‘emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.’ Nothing about the baby Jesus appeared supernatural. There were no halos, no angels visible, and no choirs singing. If you had been there, you might have concluded this was just a baby born to a young couple down on their luck. Nothing about the outward circumstances pointed to God. Yet all of it, every part of it, every single, solitary, seemingly random detail, was planned by the Father before the foundation of the world. To the unseeing eye, nothing looks less like God, to those who understand, His fingerprints are everywhere.

There was no room for Jesus that night in Bethlehem. Will you make room for Him in your heart this year?

 

My Lord, though the world has no room for You, come and dwell in my heart today. In Jesus' name, Amen

 

Jesse

 Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.     Ruth 4.21-22

I wonder how different our family tree would look if we got to choose who’s on it.

Here in the book of Ruth, we see Jesse quietly perched on his family tree. God placed him between two Bible heroes, Boaz, his grandfather, a man of strong character, and King David, his son, a man after God’s own heart. 

God chooses who comes before and after us. We choose the kind of legacy we will leave the generations that follow, whether our family's or others'. In Steve Green’s words,  ‘May all who come behind us find us faithful’.

A legacy does not just involve material wealth. Timothy’s grandmother Lois left him a legacy of faith, (2 Timothy 11.5) which is ‘of greater worth than gold.’ (1 Peter 1.7) Proverbs talks of leaving a legacy of wisdom and righteousness. (Proverbs 8.20, 14.26)

Boaz left a legacy of kindness and integrity to his grandson Jesse. (Ruth 4)

Jesse left a legacy of hard work to his eight sons, including David the future king. 

A spiritual legacy is ‘an enormous value to the next generation....a priceless ‘imprint on the future.’’ Brian Dodd

Father, thank You for being with us and with those You’ve chosen to come before and after us. Help us live godly lives that will become a ‘heritage of faithfulness’ to pass on. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me.   Psalm 71.18

Hope

 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong.    Hebrews 6.19

What does this verse have to do with Christmas?

At first glance, the answer appears to be nothing.

But this verse has everything to do with a promise God made to Abraham four thousand years ago. God promised to give him a land of his own, and he promised him a nation of descendants. He also promised that through Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed. (Genesis 12.1-3) From this stupendous promise came the nation of Israel and (2000 years later) the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate ‘seed of Abraham.’

Look at the first verse of the New Testament,

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham. Matthew 1.1

Starting with a genealogy doesn’t sound very hopeful. After all, Matthew contains all those ‘begats’ we like to skip over because the names are unfamiliar and hard to pronounce.

But that’s a mistake.

If you study the list, you soon discover that it reads like a rogue's gallery.

There is Abraham who lied about his wife (twice),

Isaac who lied about Rebekah,

Jacob who was a congenital cheater,

Judah who slept with his daughter-in-law (thinking she was a shrine prostitute),

David who committed adultery and murder,

Solomon who had hundreds of wives,

And then there is Manasseh, a man whose name is synonymous with evil.

He was so wicked that he sacrificed the children of Judah to the pagan deities.

The list also mentions four women, Tamar slept with Judah, Rahab the harlot, Ruth who was a Moabitess, and Bathsheba who committed adultery with David. Three are Gentiles. Three are involved in prostitution. One is an adulteress. All four are in the line that leads to Jesus Christ!

In the end, the only name in the genealogy that matters is Jesus. Everything that happened before was meant to lead to him. God orchestrated centuries of history to bring His Son to the world at just the right moment.

That’s the good news of Christmas.

Is there hope in the world? Yes! Hope shines from the manger. If we want that hope to invade our lives, we must come to Bethlehem and now before the newborn King.

If you have a messed up past, you can still be part of God’s forever family. Reach out to Jesus, and you will find He has already reached out to you.

Father, You are a promise-keeping God. Thank you for making promises to the undeserving because that includes me. Thank you for everlasting hope that death cannot destroy. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Boaz

 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”   Ruth 3.9

Crossing the field, Boaz suddenly shifted his gaze from his foreman to a woman gleaning in the distance. 

Noting her difference, Boaz cocked his ear as his servant connected the stories of the hardworking woman. This was Ruth the Moabite. Impressed? He was more than impressed. Though an outsider, Ruth proved herself compassionate, humble, courageous, and loyal in caring for Naomi, her mother-in-law. Finding Israel’s God to be the true God, Ruth trusted Him for her own. The connection made, Boaz covered her with his provision and protection but soon discovered a greater need. As the harvest night neared its end, Ruth’s voice trembled as she asked Boaz to be her redeemer. 

His mind raced as he thought of her request. Seeking God’s guidance, Boaz knew He would be with him in these moments. Already aware of his desire to redeem Ruth, Boaz knew a closer relative had the right. Would this man take the risk, pay the price? Hardly waiting for the day to dawn, Boaz presented the redemption need, the other found the risk too great leaving Boaz to win the honour. Through his selfless act of love, Boaz met Ruth’s greatest need as her redeemer. Their story is just a part of a greater redemption story, yours and mine.

Our greatest need is a Redeemer. When we are separated from a holy God because of sin, the punishment for sin is death. Because of His great love, God sent His Son, Jesus, who became man and took all sin upon Himself. He paid our penalty through His death on the cross. With acknowledgment of sin and acceptance of God’s gracious gift of salvation, each person is redeemed, possessing an eternal hope and inheritance. By securing our redemption, Jesus made a way for us to be with the Father. Just as God was with Boaz in his act of redemption, God is with you as your Redeemer.

Lord, my greatest need was filled because of Your greatest love. Thank You for sending Your Son to die in my place, providing eternal security with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.     Romans 5.8

Glory

 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”     Luke 2.14

How many times have we heard those words?

How many times have we seen them printed on Christmas cards?

How many times have we repeated them?

These words contain three promises that are directly connected with the coming of Christ to the earth, 

1. Glory to God in the Highest. 

2. Peace on Earth

3. Goodwill toward Men. 

Unfortunately, it’s hard to find ‘peace on earth’ and ‘goodwill among men' nowadays. If you want to know what’s wrong with the world, look in the mirror. The problem is you, the problem is me, the problem is all of us together. 

There is no peace on earth because we are not peace-loving people. We are filled with anger, hate, lust, and greed. 

We were made for glory, but our glory faded a long time ago. First, we disobeyed, then we died on the inside, then we started dying on the outside, then we turned to our own devices, then we said, ‘God, we don’t need you at all. Leave us alone!’ And we wonder why the world is the way it is. Look in the mirror. ‘We have met the enemy, and he is us.’

Is there such a thing as peace on earth? The answer is Yes. But the peace Jesus brings is not won around a conference table or at the point of a bayonet. His peace goes from heart to heart to heart.  

The angels’ message is true. There is such a thing as peace on earth and goodwill toward men. It comes when Jesus Christ comes into a life.  

Is it possible to have his peace at Christmastime? Yes, it is. 

When Jesus enters your life, He will remove the hatred and bitterness, and He will redeem the hurts of the past.  

My prayer for you at Christmastime is that you might experience the peace that Jesus brings. 

The glory of God shines forth from that manger in Bethlehem. 

His glory still shines today. 

One day His glory will fill the earth. 

Lord, come and fill us because we are empty without You. Shine through us and fill this dark world with Your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Salmon

 Nahshon was  the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz.   1 Chronicles 2.11 

Salmon had a role in the ancestry of King David and Jesus and was the father of Boaz.

Although little is said of him in the Scriptures, Salmon was a link in the chain to fulfil the promise. We often search for significance in our titles and roles, but this simple line referencing Salmon reminds us our worth is in our connection to Christ. Our role can seem but hold great significance in the kingdom. After all, have you heard of Salmon? We may feel our roles are insignificant and people may not have of us, but through us will they hear of and know Jesus?

Salmon's small reference shows that our significance isn’t measured by the size of our influence but by our faithfulness to God. We are called to serve God where we are, finding value in every season and role even if it is a simple one. Let’s be encouraged that as the seasons of life and our roles change, we can cling to God and be steadfast that our impact for the kingdom never wavers and our significance is not found in how big or small our influence. 

This simple mention of Salmon could remind us of the importance of the small, the significance of the simple, and the sweetness of being the mother, father, or spouse of, because that role for Salmon helped bring about our greatest gift. 

Jesus, help us to find our significance in You and not in our roles and accomplishments. Remind us that even the smallest acts of faithfulness can have a great impact in Your kingdom. Grant us peace and assurance in every season of life, knowing that our value comes from our connection to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen 

Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that  you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is  the Lord Christ you are serving.    Colossians 3.23-24 

Fullness

 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son.” Galatians 4.4

 

The word ‘fullness’ speaks of something complete and fully developed, like a ripe apple ready to be picked or like a pregnant woman feeling labour pains, ready to deliver her baby. It describes the moment in history when the stage was perfectly set. At that moment,  not earlier and not later, God sent forth His Son.

Think of how unlikely it all seems,

A decree from Caesar Augustus.

An angel appears to Mary.

A virgin becomes pregnant.

An angel comes to Joseph in a dream.

A baby called Immanuel.

A mysterious star in the east.

Wise Men showing up in Jerusalem.

Angels appearing to shepherds.

A trip to Bethlehem.

No room in the Inn.

A stable that was available.

A babe wrapped in rags and placed in a feeding trough.

A star that led the Wise Men to the right house in Bethlehem.

Gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

A dying king who tried to kill the baby.

A desperate journey to Egypt.

 

None of it happened by chance.  A pagan emperor issued a decree at just the right moment in history,  when the Pax Romana was in full force and the world was yearning restlessly for deliverance. Angels showed up to a young man and a young woman who believed what they said. When the virgin became pregnant, Joseph decided not to divorce her. A star began to shine in the east that led the Wise Men to travel hundreds of miles seeking the baby. All of it finally focused on a stable outside an inn in the ‘little town of Bethlehem,’ where the most incredible event in history took place.

C. S. Lewis says it this way, ‘The central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation. They say that God became Man. Every other miracle prepares the way for this, or results from this.

Sometimes we focus on peripheral questions (how did Jesus turn water into wine?) that distract us from the central truth of our faith. We believe God became a man.

The Creator became part of the creation.

The infinite became finite.

Almighty God took on the form of a man and was born as a tiny baby.

 

This is the central truth of our faith.

When everything was just right  God sent His Son to be our Saviour. That’s what Christmas is all about.

 

Lord, thank You for arranging all the details centuries in advance. You set the stage, then Christ was born. Open our eyes so that we may see Him clearly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.