May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
Matthew 1:20-21 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in
a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home
as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She
will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because
he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 2:16
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was
furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity
who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned
from the Magi.
Stress or celebration?
On Sunday afternoon, I went with Sara, Eli, and Ella Cate to
see the movie Journey to Bethlehem. The movie is a musical, so I wasn’t
sure what to expect. What I found was a fresh retelling of the birth of Jesus.
Yes, they took some creative liberties, but what I carried away from the movie
and thought about this week were two important messages.
King Herod was evil and so threatened by the thought of a
new king being born, he would go to the worst measure to get rid of the baby.
My heart broke for this man who, so full of pride and greed, would dive into
the depths of darkness to keep his crown.
The truth is, Jesus didn’t come to rule nations or dethrone
anyone. He came to rule the hearts of people. To spread love and offer hope. A
hope Herod never knew.
The second was the effect Mary’s pregnancy had on her family
and Joseph’s. We read of how Joseph said he would break the betrothal to Mary
quietly. Even still, Mary carried baby Jesus.
I have great respect for Joseph. Not just because he stepped
up and married Mary, but because of his faith in God. He trusted the One who
created him and carried out His plan in obedience.
When faced with a difficult circumstance or conflict, what
do I do? React like Herod and lash out? Or pray like Joseph and obey God?
As I consider the celebration of Christmas and the stress placed
on us to have everything perfect, I remember Mary and Joseph and their not so
perfect circumstances and know God doesn’t expect me to have a flawless holiday.
He only wants me to be obedient and have faith like Joseph and Mary and share
the love of Jesus.
How about you? Will Jesus’ love shine through your Christmas
celebration?
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
The times they are a-changin.’ --Bob Dylan
When my girls were young and they stayed home from school
due to illness, if they felt like it, we sometimes played games like Old Maid,
Candyland, or Go Fish. We would deal the cards or set up the board and play
until they were ready to rest.
The other day, my granddaughter called. She’d gotten sick. Fortunately, she was already off school and didn’t miss a day. We chatted for a bit, then
she asked me to hang up because she wanted to video chat on Messenger. She’s
nine and was using her mom’s phone with permission. When I answered the call, her
pretty face popped up, and I could see she didn’t feel well. We talked for a
minute, then she told me we could play a game on the phone. I had no idea. She
clicked something and brought up Go Fish and we played two rounds.
The older I get, it seems like life changes at lightning
speed. Perhaps because I can look back and see the history I’ve lived, yet one
thing has never changed.
Jesus remains the same no matter how many years pass. He
continues to share His love. There are days I think He should walk away from me
because I’m a lowly human, instead He stays with me through the valleys and the
peaks. He opens His arms and welcomes me in. He sees value in me and never
leaves me.
He loves you, too. His arms are open to everyone. He loves
like no other. He’ll be there through the best and the worst.
I love this song by Matthew West, The God Who Stays.
I hope you’ll take a listen.
Genesis 24:42 When I came to the spring today, I said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, if
you will, please grant success to the journey on which I have come.”
Who is on your journey?
The other day, Tim and I took a road trip. We traveled to three
bookstores in the Cincinnati area. The first stop we made was to a little shop
in Madeira. The owner had kindly kept my books on the shelf for several months,
a few had sold, but she was ready to return the others to me. After we picked
those up, Tim drove to Mason, and I visited the lovely Belong Christian
Bookstore. In case you aren’t aware, Christian bookstores are few these days. I
chatted with the owner and showed her my books, with hope of a possible
connection in the future. On our last stop, I browsed a Barnes & Noble,
found a few stocking stuffers, and discovered they only do author events every
six months or so. Some might say I didn’t have success promoting my books, but
I made connections.
On the drive, Tim and I noticed a semi on the highway with the
word JOURNEY imprinted on the side. That got me to thinking. Who travels on my
journeys with me? On our trip, Tim and Rosie (she loves to ride) were in the
Jeep with me, and the Holy Spirit buckled up and rode shotgun. The Holy Spirit
led us to Belong Bookstore at the exact time the owner stood behind the
counter. Due to illness, she isn’t there often. I’m thankful for the
opportunity to meet her and talk about my books, and I call that success.
In Genesis, Abraham asked his head servant to travel back to
Abraham’s homeland to find his son, Isaac, a wife. Concerned he might fail, the
servant turns to the One who brings him hope. He asked the Lord to grant
success on the journey. I love the servant took God on the journey with him, and
if you read the rest of the story, he found Isaac a wife, the beautiful Rebekah.
When I travel through this life, I want God with me. The
Holy Spirit dwells with me day and night, and I know on my journeys, He stays by
my side.
Who goes with you on your journey? Have you asked God to
join you?
