Let's Go!

 "When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.' So they hurried off..." Luke 2:15

    Smelly, low-on-the-totem pole shepherds were the first ones to receive the heavenly birth announcement. Not the heads of state or the religious leaders or the elite of society. No, God chose to tell these shepherds the "good news that will cause great joy for all the people.(Luke 2:10)"

    What if these guys had not responded to the divine proclamation? What if they'd have shrugged and said, "Nah, it's probably a hoax, a conspiracy theory." Or, "We've got sheep to herd, we've no time to be out chasing rainbows." Or perhaps, "It's awfully late and my dogs are barkin'. It's been a long day." They could have said, "Surely, that message was meant for someone else." 

    Aren't we glad, though, that they were not apathetic, lukewarm listeners, but they hurried off. They were bustin' to see the long-expected Jesus who came in the most unexpected way. Born to a virgin, tucked in a manger in a stable in the small town of Bethlehem. The shepherds likely felt right at home in that environment. They didn't pause to put on a clean shirt or grease down a cowlick. They went as they were and were not disappointed.

    After viewing the Beautiful Savior, they went on their way, glorifying and praising God while spreading the word. They graduated, in one starry night, to become shepherds of people; the first missionaries! 

    Now it's our turn. Let's go!

"Do not merely listen to the word...Do what it says. Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead." James 1:22, 2:17

God With Me

 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

    The miracle of the incarnation is often buried beneath all the trappings and wrappings of Christmas.

    When I really stop to ponder it in my heart, the truth of God coming here to be with me is worth more than all the presents in the world. It's not just that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, lived a good life helping others and was crucified in Jerusalem. As awesome as that is, the incarnation without the resurrection would put my God in the tomb forever. 

    But the empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives! As the song says, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, my life is worth the living just because He lives."

    God knows when I sit and when I rise (Psalm 139: 2). He walks with me through dark valleys (Psalm 23:4), providing comfort and refuge. He searches for the lost, brings back the strays, binds up the injured and strengthens the weak (Ezekiel 34: 15, 16). He goes before me, hems me in with loving protection and directs my steps, never leaving me nor forsaking me. (Deuteronomy 31:8) The God of all creation is my God!

    Years ago, I recorded this quote by a Scottish preacher named John Ker in my journal: 

    "The history of all God's dealings with man is the record of an approach nearer still, and nearer, until, in the Incarnate Son, he shares all our sorrows and carries our sins, 'til faith puts its fingers into the print of the nails, its hands into the wounded side, and constrains us to cry, 'My Lord and my God!'"

    From the manger to the empty tomb, God demonstrated just how much he loves us and desires to be with us. So, Merry Christmas and Happy Easter to all, and to all a good night!

"Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 21: 3, 4 

The Worth of the Soul

 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" Matthew 16: 24-26

    One of my favorite Christmas carols is "O Holy Night." It was written by a French wine merchant, Placide Cappeau, who dabbled in poetry. As Christmas approached, he was asked to compose a  hymn and, although he wasn't a religious man, when he read the account of Christ's birth in Luke chapter two, he imagined himself within the nativity story. That is how the worshipful words came to be.

O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

    Contemplate that last line, "and the soul felt its worth." It's funny how one can hear the same songs every Christmas season and then, suddenly, a phrase incurs a deeper meaning.  We are left to ponder, "What is my soul worth?" 

    It's priceless! We know this because of the dear price Jesus paid at Calvary to ransom us from bondage. He wrote the check, so to speak, and signed it in the red of His precious blood.

    In the passage above, Jesus implores us to surrender our souls to Him or we will lose them. We don't realize the worth of our souls until we meet the One who restores that eternal part of us. (Psalm 23:3) The Bible says our soul thirsts for the living God (Psalm 42:2). It is only in Him that we find hope and rest (Psalm 62:5). Once we are sated by Him, the natural response is to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul (Deuteronomy 6:5). 

    Years ago, I heard a story about Abraham Lincoln. When passing by a slave auction, he paid the price for a female slave only to set her free. But, she would not go her own way because she loved him so much for what he had done that she wanted to follow him.

    How much more should we fall in love with our Redeemer, Jesus the Christ, until we, like the song says, "Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine! Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever. His power and glory evermore proclaim." 

"My soul glorifies the Lord." Luke 1:46

    

Living Proof

 "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." 1 John 4: 15, 16

    During the hiatus between blizzards, I joined the winter-weary throngs who shopped to fill their coffers before the Alberta Clipper descended upon us.

    While in line at the dollar store, I smiled when I read the back of the man's ball cap who stood in front of me: "I Love Jesus." For such a succinct proclamation, it spoke volumes.

    "I like your hat," I ventured. Returning my smile, he told me just how much Jesus meant to him so I asked him how he came to know Christ as his Savior. 

    "I was sittin' in church one Sunday," he began, "when the pastor asked if anyone would like to be baptized."  Encouraged by my understanding nod, he continued. "After he said that, my arms broke out into goosebumps! When I arose to go forward, my wife and kids just gaped, and I've never looked back."

    As his turn in line came, he showed me his selection of trinkets he was purchasing - various pens and things for the children at his church. He also told me his hobby was creating wood crafts with which to share his faith. 

    It became clear he was a regular, well-liked customer when the cashier chimed in, "It's true. He has given me a cross and a necklace that he made." 

    As we exited the store, the man bade me to come over to his car where he gifted me with a handmade frame and a cross display that says, "God loves me." I hugged him, assuring him of how much he had blessed me that cold day. I was sure his gifts made Jesus smile as much as they did me.

    Down through the ages, hearts like that of this man have been changed as living proof of the existence of God. How do we know our Redeemer lives?  He lives within our hearts! From the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch who "went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39), to the joy within my own heart, and all the countless conversions in between, the Presence of the Lord has been plain to see. 

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5: 14-16

Rear View Mirror

 "I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done." Psalm 143:5

"I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory." Psalm 63:2

    There are perks to getting older. Consider all the cool senior citizen discounts that become available. We who have more salt that pepper in our hair these days get cheaper haircuts, movie admissions and purchases. We are offered smaller meals at some restaurants. Perhaps we receive deference from those younger than us. 

    Recently, Dave and I attended a free dinner and play performance put on by the students at my former high school. We were so impressed by the polite friendliness we encountered from each kid we met. They went above and beyond our expectations. 

    It's most beneficial to peer behind me in the rear view mirror at my faith journey because I can attest to the many mile markers along the way. When I was a child, I had no idea where God was going to lead me, but now that I am older, I can share the myriad marvels I have experienced at His hand of grace and mercy.

    The roots of my Christian upbringing gave me the best start, but God did not stop with that. I was saved from certain death when I had gone into anaphylactic shock. I was rescued from further tragedy when I was deeply lost in the woods. When the car I was riding in appeared to be headed into a horrid crash, I was brought through to the other side of it, totally unscathed. Why was I spared?

    As a teenager, when I had attended a revival called Jesus '77 in Pennsylvania, I witnessed a miracle before my eyes. A group of kids was encircled in prayer around a young man whose leg from hip to toe was encased in a cast. Imagine my reaction when the guy suddenly fell to the ground as the cast cracked and those around him excitedly began to peel it off!

    My Jesus revealed His saving grace to me when, as a young bride, I read the eighth chapter of Romans along with many of the Psalms. He delivered me from evil when I saw a demonic presence at the foot of my bed one night. Before my dad died, God lifted the cloud of dementia so we could say our goodbyes to him. What a merciful gift that was! And just last year, God saved my granddaughter from a terrible outcome when she fell from a second floor window.

    This is just an abbreviated list, inconclusive at best. If I could enumerate all the terrific things God has bestowed upon me, chief of sinners though I be, there wouldn't be enough paper on which to record them. I do hope to attempt it, though, as I write my memoirs for the next generation, which now includes a wee grandson named Roman!

    It's not really bad, this aging business. I see it as an opportunity to share my testimony. May you find the words to do the same.

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come." Psalm 71:18

I've Got a Great Bod

 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139: 13, 14

    Usually, it's not until something goes awry that we then take note of how wonderfully we are made.

    Recent prayer requests on behalf of the ill have brought to my heart just how thankful I need to be for all the pieces and parts of mine which God has so wisely given to me, things I take for granted. So, I put forth effort to uncover some of these details.

    Take the uvula, for example (is that Latin for "punching bag?") It's been hanging around in the back of my throat for 60+ years now, but what's its purpose? I've discovered it blocks the passage into my nasal cavity so when I swallow, food and fluids don't come forth from that orifice, thereby causing a social faux pas. Thank you, Lord!

    Now that I've swallowed in a dignified manner, it's up to my epiglottis to guard the gateway to my trachea. This leaf-shaped flap, if working properly, prevents another social blunder from occurring at the dinner table. I'm so glad I have one of those.

    I had no idea I even owned a pylorus, but God gave me this watch valve that attaches to my stomach and regulates food being sent to southern regions. Along the incredible journey, my consumption is aided by peristalsis. This defines the involuntary muscular movements that move my food on down where it belongs. 

    I hope you'll join me in thanking our Creator for His attention to details. Though conversations that revolve around our digestive process are not considered proper etiquette, maybe we could silently express our gratitude as we partake in tantalizing treats this Thursday, praising God for just how wonderfully we have been Hand-crafted.

    Just don't let your humorous relative make you laugh so hard that milk comes out of your nose. That would reflect poorly on your uvula.

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Needs vs. Wants

 "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

        When, as a child, my mother had me memorize the twenty-third psalm, this first verse gave me pause. As I pondered its meaning, I asked my mom, "If I need the Lord as my Shepherd, then why wouldn't I want Him?"

    We are studying this psalm in my ladies' bible study. By way of introduction, we were asked to consider what our five or six greatest needs are in life.

    My list began with fresh air followed by clean water, but I am embarrassed to admit I listed my Bible, which I know to be a treasure, as number five. I guess it's because, initially, I was only thinking about what I needed to prolong my temporal life. But, there are thirsts greater than any need of mere air or water.

    In her book, "The Hiding Place," Corrie Ten Boom recounted the Nazi occupation of her country, Holland. As devout Christians, she and her family ran an underground operation to save the Jews, including hiding the hunted within a secret room of their home.

    After a betrayal of trust, a raid was conducted of their home in 1943 during which Corrie was beaten, arrested and taken into prison. The illness she'd had at the time of the raid flared into a pre-tubecular state while confined in miserable conditions, so after several weeks, she was taken to a crowded medical facility. When a nurse escorted her to use the restroom, she covertly whispered to Corrie, "Quickly, how may I help you?"

    Corrie's response: "Yes, oh, yes! A Bible! Could you get me a Bible?"

    What would your list of imminent needs look like? If in Corrie's position, would a Bible have been your first request?

    The thought occurred to me that a person can be seated before a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast and still be hungry. He can imbibe in laughter among friends, yet still go home quite thirsty. A person can also be fed by the Presence of the Living God while wracked with illness and starvation, because only God can truly satiate us down to our very souls.

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your Name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63: 1-8