In the beginning God…(Genesis 1:1) Before time as we know it began, God was. Before time as we know it began, Jesus Christ was. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning (John 1:1). This Christmas season, we worship the Almighty, uncreated One! Jesus is the One who was, who is, and who is to come! (Revelation 1:8)
These are the beginning words of Mary’s praise to God for the child that would be born. She, a virgin, would conceive of the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of God—news so unexpected, so impossible, so humbling, and yet, so magnificent that Mary could not contain her praise.
I am writing, knowing that in a few weeks when this devotional is posted, I will already have company in my home. I know myself well. I will awaken early and quietly slip to my sunroom with coffee in hand to spend time with my Lord before everyone gets up. And yet, I also know that the list of things to be done will plague my thoughts, making it difficult to concentrate on God’s Word and to pray.
Dear Lord,
I do not understand. That night I saw the sky and heard the angel’s song—but I have so far to come in my faith. When I entered the cave and saw You in your mother’s arms, I saw the miracle of new life. It was an amazement to see a newborn child among the barnyard animals.
Our personal story begins when we receive God’s gift of grace. But who receives a gift without opening it? With the unwrapping come amazing surprises. We begin to experience things we previously could not have dreamed of. Even in the middle of life-as-usual, we see new dimensions and a new purpose. 2+2 now equals 7 or 10 or infinity. The only explanation is that the grace of God is at work in our life.
In the desert there was enough grace to feed Israel for another day. In the temple sacrifices there was enough grace to procure forgiveness for God’s people for another year. In the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, there was enough grace to forgive our sins, transform our lives and lead us to our eternal home.c
When we use the word “grace” to describe human interactions, it is often a lovely synonym for letting someone off the hook. When we apply grace to God’s character and actions, something else entirely comes into play. If it were possible to obtain a core sample of the heart of God, the analysis would come back as pure grace.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I turned over the calendar and it was official: countdown to Christmas. Before me whirled visions of shopping for the perfect gift at just the right price, addressing and sending out Christmas cards, shopping, decorating the house, rushing to programs and parties, shopping, baking and cooking special treats and, of course, shopping. Lord, give me the strength to keep up with all my blessings! But more than that: make this year different.
Christmas memories from my childhood are of cousins and sweet desserts, decorated trees and stockings, and the anticipation of opening gifts! What will I get this year? How many of those presents are for me?
It is early in December and already my calendar is filling up with Christmas activities, parties, and baking. I haven’t even started buying gifts yet. The hustle and bustle of the holidays can quickly become overwhelming for me. Where can a girl get some peace?
While reading the Christmas story, I was struck by God’s abundant provision for his people.
The story opens with Zechariah and Elizabeth who were older and had no children. But God had a plan. He opened Elizabeth’s womb, and she conceived a son. She was overjoyed! “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people (Luke 1:25).”
At the beginning of the year, I buy an appointment book to keep me organized. This is my attempt at time management, which I’ve never been adept at.
December ushers in the Christmas season. Everyone is wonderfully happy and selfless, or so the retail marketers and filmmakers would like us to believe. The commercials and movies show pictures of smiling people baking Christmas cookies and selecting the perfect gift. All the houses are elaborately decorated both inside and out. A mound of gifts waiting to be opened lies under a beautifully adorned Christmas tree as the problem-free family congregates.
Today, we conclude our look at Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s faith journey. Yesterday, we left off with our faith heroes out of the furnace and without a trace of the flames. What happens as a result is nothing short of a miracle in verse 28,
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I’m surprised when God allows me to go through a difficult trial. If I am trying my best to follow, love, and serve Him with my whole heart, why would He allow this struggle? One day, the realization came to me; well, why not me? If God allowed His Son to endure the cross, what makes me special enough to receive an exemption from struggles?
Yesterday, we read about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith. They told Nebuchadnezzar they were not afraid of his threats of throwing them into the fiery furnace if they chose to not bow down to the golden statue. With such a display of their faith, we might hope that God would rescue them from even being thrown in to begin with, but that is not what happened.
I will never forget the beautiful lesson that came when I asked God to release me from a seemingly hopeless situation. About 4 years into a “No” from God, I came across Daniel 3 in my ladies’ Bible study. In this story, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue.
Have you ever experienced a situation that appeared hopeless - where darkness closes in, and the way out seems hidden? It might be that your shoulders feel the weight, and intense emotion crushes your chest. Do these feelings sound familiar? In response to some pretty serious persecution, Daniel and his friends most likely would answer with a resounding yes.
Luna was “ours” for about a month.
We found her meowing just outside our door.
This wasn’t the first time we’d seen Luna. Sometimes she would lay around our porch. She had a collar, and we knew she had a family — just down the street.
Just this week, I saw a Facebook post that feeling thankful lowers your stress by 23%.
It sounded good, but I wanted to check it out.
What I found excited me.
