All is calm…

Christmas has traditions for most families. We do the usual stockings stuffed with small surprises, gifts under a decorated tree, turkey and all that goes with it, and much joy that Jesus came. But one traditions is odd. Our daughter lives more than 3000 km from here but we and her brother get on the phone and play Boggle, amid a lot of laughter and threats of cheating. This year, our granddaughter got a day pass and spent twelve hours with us on boxing day. Part of that was helping her granddad begin a 3600 piece Lego castle. In all this, the joy of Jesus kept my heart lifted in the energy of His grace. 

Today I read and identified with these words: “I rejoiced greatly to find some of our children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father” (2 John 4) and “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 4)

I tend to focus more on bad news than good news, so this passage also popped out:

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. (Jude 17–23)

The last few lines give me a sense of what God wants from me, but the Lord would not let me linger there. He gave me this to keep the joy flowing:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24–25)

And then this as if Jude needed an exclamation mark:

And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, (1 Corinthians 1:30)

PRAY: Jesus, you have become wisdom from God for me. This is why I must boast only in you and not in myself or my so-called wisdom. Please reveal more and more of your glory and grace to my heart. I want to bow before You quicker, lower, and with more joy than ever before. You are my majestic and merciful King. Open the eyes of my heart a bit wider to behold the great hope to which you’ve called me in the gospel. Deepen my adoration of you, Jesus, and loosen my grip on my so-called treasures. What do I have that you have not given me? 

I praise You for coming into a world where everything is broken, but You came to make all things new, even me. I look forward to the day when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. It’s going to be a loud and large day. This Christmas I’m thankful I could say, “Be still, my soul” . . . and experience Your calm glory and quiet mercy, and worship You with quiet certainty that Your will is being done. This I pray in Your wise and worthy name. Amen.

From Darkness to Light

 

We had a bountiful Christmas Day. Much food, many gifts, laughter, calls from those who could not join us, a couple of games, lots of praise for God’s goodness, and several surprises. One gift I received is an object lesson. It is a black mug with a white interior. However, when hot liquid is poured in, the outside of the mug turns white and dozens of wise words show up, the last one being reference to these verses:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

My quirky mind responds: this mug is like me, washed clean on the inside but that does not show up easily on the outside — until I get in hot water and rely on the Lord. Not an exact illustration, but close enough to remind me that I don’t need a dose of trouble to keep centered on Jesus. He is with me all the time and in all situations!

Today’s devotional begins with seeing Jesus, not just as a babe in a manger as depicted in nativity scenes this time of year, but as He is now and as He was as a grown man:

But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)

MacArthur writes the truth of what happened to baby Jesus, and that reality was in my mind most of yesterday, even as we celebrated His birth. The devotional says:

“Those soft baby hands fashioned by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb were made to have two great nails hammered through them. Those little chubby feet were made to walk up a hill and be nailed to a cross. That sacred head was made to wear a crown of thorns. His tender body wrapped in swaddling clothes would be pierced by a spear to reveal a broken heart. The death of Christ was no accident; He was born to die.”

Jesus died because the blackness of sin was keeping humanity from knowing and loving God. Sin makes us far more concerned with our own selves, our way, our rights, even what is under a tree with our name on it.

Jesus came to die in our place—to be our substitute. Otherwise, we would die and pay for our own sin. He was not a martyr dying for a great cause, but a substitute and a Savior dying for you and me so we could be set free from the penalty and power of sin to love and serve God instead of being enamored with our own selves and our own stuff.

He was on my mind all day. While I was thankful for the gifts from family, each thing wrapped was a reminder of the greatest gift — eternal life and a relationship with my Creator that cannot be put in a box and tied up with a golden ribbon.

PRAY: Jesus, yesterday we celebrated You as God’s gift to us and I felt Your love in each gift was opened. I’ve often called myself ‘God’s spoiled brat’ and that is evident today as I smell the turkey soup in the crockpot, view the leftover yummies in the frig, and look with a bit of dismay at thoughtful gifts and count all the chocolates. May my heart always be thankful, for these things but mostly that you came as a babe, grew to a man, and died as my substitute to set me free from the blackness of sin, and even from all the hot water I would be in if I didn’t have You and Your protection and care to guide my life.

PONDER: The gentle nativity scene is nothing like the intended result of that birth — a scene of blood and horror as the innocent Jesus was put to death that I should not experience separation from the One who created me and died for me. This is the wonder of Christmas.