We Are NOT Alone

Christmas is a reminder that you are loved.

"'Behold, the virgin shall be with Child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,'" which is translated, 'God with us.'" ~Matthew 1:23

We are not alone anymore. God is here with us. Christ was born.

God, in human flesh, removed the distance between God and man.

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in town from top to bottom..." ~Matthew 27:50-51

His death made a way for us to come to God. There is no veil. No human mediator needed.

No need to fear!

Can I be a Shepherd?

Of all the characters in the Christmas story, I have to say I would have wanted to be a shepherd.

They were there, doing their thing. Minding their own business. Working hard. Not expecting anybody to do for them. Pulling their own weight.

Then, out of the clear blue sky (literally), God comes and seeks them out! Perhaps they were searching for Him (raising the temple lambs), but maybe they weren't.

He was gracious and chose to tell them of His plan of redemption.

They went and searched to see how God had fulfilled His promise. They took Him at His word.

They didn't get caught up in logistics of what to do with their sheep, or how to find this Baby. They went. They believed.

When they found Jesus, they didn't resume their lives as normal. First, they made sure that EVERYONE knew about this. Everyone needed to hear how God had fulfilled His promise!

Then, they went back to work. But they didn't go back the same.

"Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." 

There wasn't anything special about the shepherds. They were not doing anything extraordinary. They were people living their lives. But, when they heard the message and saw His faithfulness, they were forever changed.

~Luke 2:8-20

Immediately

Waves crashing. Thunder rolling. People shouting. Wind blowing. Lightning flickering. Fear.

Peter did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He cried out to Jesus. And immediately Jesus answered

"...when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased." (Matthew 14:29-31)

 

He didn't leave Peter hanging. He doesn't leave you hanging either.

 

Then, the question. Not out of mockery. There is almost amazement and bewilderment in His question.

 

"Why did you doubt?"

 

He is faithful. He proves it.

 

Jesus knew what His disciples needed.

 

"Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away." (verse 22)

 

He didn't let them live in fear.

 

"And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, 'It is a ghost!' And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, 'Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.'"  (verses 25-27)

 

Why do we fear and doubt? He is there. He is faithful. He knows what we need. He catches us.

 

Fix your gaze on Him.

 

 

Examined, Tested, and Qualified

Sometimes I just have to stop and ask myself what I am doing. I get so caught up in life that I lose sight of what I am doing and who I am... or Who I belong to.

When I lose sight of my Savior, I begin to sink....

I begin to doubt....

I believe the lies....

I hear the voices telling me I am not good enough....
I don't know what I am doing....

Nobody cares....

THEN -- He comes to me and reminds me of the Truth.

I am His. And that's enough.

 

I am redeemed!

 

I am cherished!

 

I am not disqualified.

"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.
Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?
—unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified."
~ II Corinthians 13:5-6

Faith & Action

faith: noun: the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

Faith demands action.

The heroes of faith are listed because of action they took. (Hebrews 11)

James tells us that faith without works is literally useless. (James 2:14-26)

Peter tells us to add to our faith. (II Peter 1:5-7)

Works are not equal to faith. Works enhance faith. Therefore, faith can be existent (useless, though it be), without any outward action.

"Do you not see that faith was working together with his works and by works faith was made perfect?" ~James 2:22

Is my faith on a shelf? 

Where is your faith? Will you show me by your works? Where will your faith take you?

faith: verb: life lived out in absolute trust

OCD

It seems that there is a new fascination with "being OCD." Obsessive Compulsive. It has become a title of honor to be labeled as being a little over the top in the area of having things just right. People are striving to be perfectionists, even if it is just in one little area of their lives.

This should not come as a surprise. Aren't we all created with a little piece of us that desires perfection?

Don't we all desire the world to be just as it was created to be?

I am so thankful that we don't have to fight to be perfect alone. We have power. As Christ works to perfect us, we can see His work in the world. It is a never ending project. But, one that the Father never gives up on.

That kind of takes some of the pressure of life off, doesn't it?

He is faithful. He is able. He is perfect.

On all counts
Confident until that
Day

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6,NKJV)

Lonely

Aloneness is not the same as loneliness.

A person who is alone has no one around.

A person who is lonely is not paying attention to those around.

I am never alone. Even when people are all gone. I have One who is with me always. He never leaves me nor forsakes me.  Yet, I feel lonely because I choose to not look for Him. I miss His movement in the clouds. I miss His smile in a child's laughter. I miss His hug in the wind. I miss His love letter in the spring flowers. I miss His caring gaze in the little daily things.

Look.

He is there.

Peace in the Pause

Peace in the storms of life is so often what we desire. But, what about peace in the pauses? What about having contentment in those moments when God is not speaking or moving mountains? 

As Christians (and humans), our natural response when we are hurting or in trouble is to run to God. It is like a child running to a parent when he/she skins his/her knee. It is an innate response.

God promises in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never leave us. This means He is with us ALL the time. That is a somewhat frightening thought, and a very comforting thought. God is always there, loving us and caring for us. He is ready to help and forgive when we ask.

Psalm 23:4 reminds us that the Lord is there to help in hard times. His rod and staff are a comfort to us when we are in trouble. They remind us that He is there and He still cares for us. But think about it, verse 2 of the same chapter says that He is our shepherd even in the quiet pastures and by the still waters.

Life can be very tedious. Living day-to-day. Going to work. Making dinner. Cleaning the house. Even reading our Bible and going to church. Could it be that we forget to stop and really spend time with the One we are praising and "living for"? 

When there is no immediate distress or thorn in the flesh, we get comfortable. We forget that we are not the ones making things run smoothly. Then the irritation that life is not hopping begins. The little dictator in all of us comes out and tries to run the show and make plans. We forget to trust Him, and Him alone in times of pause. 

These moments of pause may be times when He is threading delicate threads through our lives to be seen later. He has a purpose.  In His time, He will push the play button. Until then, trust that He is in complete control of the situation. 

Redeemed and Cherished!

Ruth in the Bible was a Moabitess. She was not of God's chosen people, the children of Israel. However, she became King David's great-grandmother, and, eventually, was placed in the line of Jesus Himself. God used her faith and diligence to work in the history of His people.

She was nobody, and He redeemed her.

She was disdained, and He brought her to a place of respect.

From dirt poor to honored, Ruth's story reminds me of what simple faith and obedience can do in the hands of a great God.

Her story is one of redemption and value.

So is mine.

What about your story?

Glimpses of His Glory

Sometimes (or all the time), I find myself so wrapped up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life that I forget to breathe. It is like I am so busy living that I forget to focus on life. 

What if I stopped?

Everyday my Redeemer is showing me glimpses of His glory. Am I looking for them? These quick and beautiful glimpses are hidden by my to-do lists and errands. The dirty dishes in the sink and the floor that needs to be vacuumed distract me from the show of splendor He is giving me. The business documents and articles that I must complete act as high-rise buildings, blocking my view of the glorious sunset. 

The challenge for every living person is to stop. Just to breathe. Spend moments with Him. In a society that expects immediate results and service on demand, this is a challenge. Take on the challenge. Stop. Look. Listen. You may be surprised by what He shows you.