"Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Luke 1:24-25
I wonder why Elizabeth hid herself for 5 months when she first became pregnant? I'm thinking maybe it was because she wanted people to really believe her word when she told them that she was at last going to bear a child. After all the years of hoping and at times sharing with her friends the possibility that she was pregnant when she was late for her period, maybe Elizabeth did not want to be scoffed or laughed at because of the impossibility of the pregnancy naturally speaking, or because of the false hope she shared in the past. Perhaps she wanted to have the proof to reveal the truth to everyone around her.
How can this relate to us? When people around us know of an area in our life that is broken, barren or difficult they may laugh or scoff at the idea of the miraculous actually taking place in that situation. Humanity naturally puts God in a box, the box of its own way of thinking and believing. It's funny how we perceive and face the difficulties of life; we'll carry hardships alone and resign ourself to bear the entire weight of them rather than believing that we can go beyond them. Faith goes beyond our limitations. Faith sees beyond our present situations. Faith sees God and that God is able, able to do far beyond what we could ever imagine. So, when he speaks, am I hearing? When he moves, am I seeing his hand at work in my life? Even when darkness surrounds my soul, do I believe his hand is still holding me, his presence still guiding me? That is faith; believing that he's there and still in control no matter what I can or cannot see. And he will lead me into a wonderful place beyond what I could every imagine or think as I simply put my trust in him!
So today I will choose to stay hidden for awhile with the knowledge that I am bearing a treasure of faith, I have new life growing inside of me and can be assured that this new life in time will be seen and be a testimony to God's faithfulness and grace! Amen!
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Wrap It Up!
It's Christmas Day, 2019 and I have joy in my heart today at finding a new perspective of God's heart!
When wrapping up gifts for Christmas there are many different styles, effort and time that goes into wrapping a gift. Some people cannot be bothered to put much into wrapping a gift that will wow the receiver. Others go all out and try to put the most elaborate wrapping paper and bows or ribbons around the gift they are giving. Some even go to the next level and discover some eclectic or highly fashionable way to wrap a gift.
When God the Father sent the gift of his salvation to us, he chose to wrap his gift in the most unlikely wrapping we'd ever think of - human flesh, and that of a new born baby! How clever was that!?
Whenever I've held one of my own children or grandchildren in my arms as a newborn I would feel like I never wanted that precious moment to end. I was totally mesmorized and in love with that new born child each and every time! There's just something so cleansing, so refreshing and awe-inspiring about the face of a new born child! I wonder what God the Father felt when he beheld his only son wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger? I imagine his heart swelled with pure joy! In fact, he held a celebration in heaven right away and he sent angels to share the birth announcement to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night! His Son was to become the gift of salvation to all mankind - God's heart's desire was at last coming to pass!
But his gift wrap was so unlikely, so unassuming, so easily missed. He did not send Jesus to the city as a prince in beautiful robes riding on a majestic horse with a royal entourage behind him. No, his Son was born to a poor teenage virgin named Mary and with her fiancee Joseph by her side, Jesus was born in a barn, wrapped in simple cloths, was laid in a feeding trough, and visited by some simple shepherds.
Jesus came for the least, the humble, the broken, the needy, the sinful. And anyone can recieve God's wondrous gift who has faith in Jesus' name!
Today will we be caught up in the moment of this most wondrous gift, the awesome sight of this new born babe of Bethlehem or will we distracted with the tinsel and gold?
When wrapping up gifts for Christmas there are many different styles, effort and time that goes into wrapping a gift. Some people cannot be bothered to put much into wrapping a gift that will wow the receiver. Others go all out and try to put the most elaborate wrapping paper and bows or ribbons around the gift they are giving. Some even go to the next level and discover some eclectic or highly fashionable way to wrap a gift.
When God the Father sent the gift of his salvation to us, he chose to wrap his gift in the most unlikely wrapping we'd ever think of - human flesh, and that of a new born baby! How clever was that!?
Whenever I've held one of my own children or grandchildren in my arms as a newborn I would feel like I never wanted that precious moment to end. I was totally mesmorized and in love with that new born child each and every time! There's just something so cleansing, so refreshing and awe-inspiring about the face of a new born child! I wonder what God the Father felt when he beheld his only son wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger? I imagine his heart swelled with pure joy! In fact, he held a celebration in heaven right away and he sent angels to share the birth announcement to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night! His Son was to become the gift of salvation to all mankind - God's heart's desire was at last coming to pass!
But his gift wrap was so unlikely, so unassuming, so easily missed. He did not send Jesus to the city as a prince in beautiful robes riding on a majestic horse with a royal entourage behind him. No, his Son was born to a poor teenage virgin named Mary and with her fiancee Joseph by her side, Jesus was born in a barn, wrapped in simple cloths, was laid in a feeding trough, and visited by some simple shepherds.
Jesus came for the least, the humble, the broken, the needy, the sinful. And anyone can recieve God's wondrous gift who has faith in Jesus' name!
Today will we be caught up in the moment of this most wondrous gift, the awesome sight of this new born babe of Bethlehem or will we distracted with the tinsel and gold?
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