praising and glorifying...

December 24, 2012

Luke 2:21 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had seen as it had been told them

May we be like the shepherds in this beautiful story, may we run to praise and run to glorify the savior. May we tell all that we have seen and heard in our own lives!

remember...

December 21, 2012

Luke 2:17-19 But Mary treasured up all these things pondering them in her heart

 

This is one of the things I love about Mary. She didn’t let all this pass her by; she purposely remembered all that God had done for her. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t always been good at that. I haven’t always been good at this. I get so caught up in the moment that I let those moments of blessings pass me by unnoticed and unremembered. May I seek to do better at that in 2013…

run with haste to meet with Him...

December 20, 2012

Luke 2:16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in a manger

 

Do we ever go with haste to meet Jesus? Of course our meeting with Him will be just a tad different than this. We won’t meet the baby in a manger we will meet the savior who has been to the cross for us. We meet Him in our prayer life. We meet Him in every word written in God’s word. We meet Him in our meditating on scripture. Do we hastily get up every morning to meet with Him? If not perhaps we, like the shepherds, should leave what we are doing a run hastily to meet with Him!

...singing loud, proud, and a little off key

December 19, 2012

Luke 2:12-14

V14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased

 

I can’t sin; not at all. I want to, and there are certain times I can convince myself it’s not THAT bad, but the reality is…I can’t sing. That being said “I love music” I love to listen to it; music moves me. It stirs within me a love for God and all He has done for us. I love to praise Him in song. I love to listen to Him being worshiped through music and singing. I would have loved to have been with these shepherds that night and heard the heavenly host praising God. I would have loved to have been in the throne room with Isaiah as he heard the seraphim singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts…” I can only imagine how beautiful it sounded as they praised God. Truth is; it doesn’t really matter how bad or really how good we sing. What is the most important is our heart’s attitude while we are doing it. So, if you are like me and just a tad bit vocally challenged, sing loud from a heart that seeks to honor Him. For He will be pleased with your offering!!   

our Savior is born...

December 17, 2012

Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord

 

Is there any other more special verse in the bible? Our Savior, born for us, in a stable; born to parents of humble means. I love this verse.  

for all...

December 14, 2012

Luke 2:10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people

 

Jesus was coming for all the people. Granted the Jewish Nation were and are God’s chosen ones, but His salvation is for us all. How thankful we can be for that!

 

no room...

December 13, 2012

Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn

 

“…no place for them in the inn” as I read that I was reminded of how often we don’t have “room” for Him in our lives either. We are often too “busy” or just aren’t willing to give up something we think we want for Him. Many times this is a conscious decision but sometimes we just walk through life choosing everything else but Him unaware of it. This is why I think Paul urged us to examine ourselves in the faith constantly. To see if we are making “room” for Him in our lives or if we are simply walking through life choosing everything else but Him…

 

...it's time

December 12, 2012

Luke 2:6 And while they were there the time came for her to give birth

 

“The time”…God had the exact moment that His Son would be born down to a minute. God knew how, when and where He would be born. Mary was far enough along in her pregnancy that Joseph couldn’t leave her behind but not far enough along that she didn’t deliver on the way to Bethlehem. It had been prophesied that the Messiah would come out of Bethlehem. Bethlehem means “The City of Bread” and they were in fact a main producer of grain and bread. Jesus would grow to call Himself, “The Bread of Life”, how fitting that He would come from “The City of Bread”.

taxes, a pregnant lady and a donkey...

December 6, 2012

Luke 2:4-5

V4 And Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee…

 

It all comes back to taxes! Funny how God can use anything to bring about His will and fulfill His promises. It had been decreed that the Messiah would come from the City of David. In order for Rome to collect the proper amount of taxes it need to know exactly how many people lived in it. This of course necessitated a census.  So, at right about nine months pregnant Mary and Joseph set out for a 3 day journey. Having been right about nine months pregnant three times in my life I can assure you that the very last thing Mary probably wanted to do at this time in her life is travel three days on a donkey. Yet, like in many things in our lives God requires us to do things that we would probably prefer not to do, but at the same time we are called to be obedient. May I remember that…

being obedient...

December 5, 2012

Matthew 1:24-25

V24 When Joseph got up from sleeping, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her.

 

He obeyed. He did so unquestioningly. He did even knowing that others around him would never understand and could quiet possibly ridicule him. Yet, he obeyed anyway. His love of God was apparently more important to him than anything else. Can we say the same? Can we be like Joseph and obey without even one question? All throughout the Nativity story we see Joseph’s obedience; he is the model of what we, as believers, should be like. 

rejoice...

December 4, 2012

Matthew 1:23 See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name Him Immanuel

 

“O Come, O Come, Immanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That morns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice, Rejoice! Immanuel

Shall come to thee oh Israel”

 

Immanuel means “God with us”, and how thankful I am that so many years ago God sent His son to be with us. I am so very thankful that we have Him to call upon. That in Him we can Rejoice!

keeping promises...

December 3, 2012

Matthew 1:22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

 

God certainly keeps his promises. He is always faithful to do so. This is just one example of how He does this. Jesus’ birth reflects every promise found in scripture so that everyone would recognize Him as their savior.