In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
I love the Christmas story and this passage of scripture specifically. In fact, it is one of my most favorite passages in the whole Bible. And yet … sometimes I wonder if I get lost in the poetry and the wonder of the event and miss the deep significance.
As you may know, I spent the last several weeks caring for a loved one as she made her transition to heaven. So many times, both when she was in the hospital and later at home, I wondered what people who are without Jesus do in times of great trial and challenge. We were so obviously buoyed up by the prayers of friends and the grace of our dear lord. I would not like to try to endure that without the help of my dear Jesus. The other day it dawned on me that more was born on that Christmas morn than just a baby; more even than a Messiah and king. It dawned on me that hope was born on that precious morning.
Humanity was lost and without a hope. At least the Jews knew there was a promised Messiah but the rest of humankind had no hope, no prayer. And while it sounds a bit crazy, eternal salvation just isn’t the whole gift. In fact, over the last six or so weeks it hasn’t even seemed like the most important gift of that blessed morn. No, to me, Christianity is so much more than my address in eternity. Christianity to me is my precious, beloved Jesus who is with me every minute of every day caring about every single thing in my life; he who cries when I cry, who laughs when I laugh; he who takes joy in some of the simplest things in my life; who will sit with me, ride my bike with me, who forgives me when I lose my temper and brags on me when I do something right. He is more than a brother, he is so much more than a lord, and more even than a Messiah. He is my breath. I appreciate that he paid the price for me to get to spend eternity in the company of God but I needed someone who would breathe for me, who would laugh for me, who gives me joy in the midst of great travail, who gives me strength when I have none of my own. I love him because he has breathed life and hope into this hurting and decayed world. He gives joy where there is sorrow and he is life. I love him because he first loved me and because he loves me unconditionally. He gives us hope of a future, hope of getting through the rough times. I have stood on, relied on, leaned on and believed in that hope. I have seen the love of those he calls his own and how his beauty shines through them like the glory of the Lord must have shone on that Christmas morn.
When we were lost and without hope our Father sent us hope in the guise of a little baby. Never again is the world without hope, praise God. For all those who don’t know the Lord Jesus personally I pray that they would find him and be wrapped in his love and grace as I have been. For those without hope, I have this Christmas wish, that the personification of hope, Jesus, the Christ, will fill them with all the joyful anticipation of joy in the morning and that they would be filled with the courage and confidence that comes with knowing Jesus personally, not as Lord, nor as Messiah, but as best friend, confidant, loving brother, as hope and glory. This is what Christianity means to me. Take a deep breath, breath in hope and life. Let Jesus fill you heart and your lungs.
May your Christmas be blessed with a deeper revelation of and a more meaningful relationship with the Lord Jesus and may your heart be filled with hope and joy. Merry Christmas and God bless you.
For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
It is a spiritual law that those things which we greatly fear, we will attract to us. Why? We meditate on it. We roll it around and around in our minds until it takes on a life of its own. As we think on that thing of which we are afraid, we experience many of the same emotions and almost to the same intensity level as if they really happened. In our imagination they are real and they have life. The next thing you know we start spitting that unbelief and fear out of our mouths. Language is how God created all that is. Our words have tremendous power in our lives. So when we harbor fear and dread in our hearts we continually give it life until we finally give birth to that which we have most feared.
But take heart! Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4: 18) and God is love (1 John 4: 8). God is that perfect love which has been shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5: 5). Cast all of your care upon him; cast all that you fear into his hands because he cares for you (1 Peter 5: 7). You now have no reason to fear. He has taken all of the fear unto himself and given you his perfect love in its place. Meditate on the depth of God’s love for you and you will be so full that there will be no place for that fear any longer. Bless God!
The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.
The Amplified version of the Bible reads, “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest.” This is an easy scripture to read right over but if we will open our hearts and minds to it, it will grow into a very large ministry to our hearts. There are many times when we want to fight our own battles but God told the Israelites to hold their peace. In other words, stay still and silent. God is going before you to fight your battles for you. This was just before the Red Sea was parted and the Egyptians were swallowed up in it. The Israelites had to do nothing but cross over on dry land. The Lord did the rest. Isaiah 43:2 reads, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
Father God is leading us into trusting him at a new level. He wants us to release our troubles to him, rely on him and watch the victory unfold before us while we retain our peace. You just go to prayer and hold this scripture up to Him. Tell him that you are going to let him handle this problem for you. Then pray for (not about) the people involved in the situation. Your life then becomes about the Lord Almighty and your trust in him rather than your cogent arguments or the persuasiveness of your speech. Life is no longer about what you can accomplish through the force of your personality but rather how deeply you can trust your Father. He is waiting for people to depend on him and the promises he has made to us. Hold him to his word and let him deliver you.
Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield.
All of your protection is in the Lord. We claim it every day according to Psalm 91. In the same way, you are surrounded by the goodwill of the Lord. You are to receive favor and walk in it. It is intended for you to have favor with both God and man (Proverb 3: 4) and that favor surrounds you. It encompasses you on every side. No one nor anything can come to you except through the favor of God. Favor is the unmerited (you didn’t have to earn it) blessing of the Lord. People and God see you and receive you with goodwill and a kind heart. They are willing to be gracious to you because you have an abundance of favor. You can expect the best, not in an arrogant way because you did nothing to earn or deserve it. You can receive it, though, in the graciousness of God. Just because He loves you, He gives you favor. Receive His favor and watch it bless your life daily.
You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.
Only one thing is needed. There are many things which distract us and which seem important. However, Jesus told Martha that only one thing is needed. That one thing is the Word of God. Martha’s sister, Mary, had chosen that one thing. She was sitting at the feet of Jesus receiving his Word. Jesus told Martha that this one thing, this one needed thing, would not be taken away from Mary.
We are confronted by so many challenges in a day. Even as we seek answers sometimes we can become overwhelmed by the multitude of things we feel we must do in order to receive our relief. Thank God for the Word of God and this teaching from Jesus. When all is in chaos, we need only one thing, Jesus.
I have been impressed that our lives could be much easier and more simple if we can grasp the deep revelation of this passage. There is really only thing we need. The Word of God will guide us, enlighten us and keep us. In our day to day lives, as well as in a time of need, there is only one thing which is needful. Like Mary we choose that best part which is the Word of God. And when we do, if we do, then Jesus insinuates himself into our every need and takes upon himself all of the worry and upsetting issues of life. Be blessed and filled in him.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith.
We are born of God as his dear children. Jesus’ sacrifice purchased our lives from death and bondage and we have been translated into the Kingdom of Christ. Because of Jesus, because of who he is in us, we overcome the world. We have the ability and capacity in Him to overcome every trial, every obstacle. It is our faith in Him that has made us overcomers. We do not have to live as the world does. We do not have to be victims to all that is in the world including economic depression or terrorist activity because we are born of God through Christ Jesus. Much more happened to us when we were born again than just our eternal salvation. We were adopted into the family of God and into the Kingdom of His dear son. That has given us certain privileges and protections. Imagine yourself as the child of the President of the United States. What protections and privileges would you have? Expand that many times over because God is more than a president, more than a king, more even than the king of the world. He is the almighty majesty of the universe. All things are under him and he is your Dad.
