Shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, a Savior who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. Luke 2:8-11
My words…
At this time of the year, Jesus, the world is envisioning You as a baby, tightly wrapped and cuddled. There were no excited family members around to welcome You. Just two young parents and some barn animals. (Until an angel rustled up some shepherds.) The angel proclaimed a heavenly birth announcement that would bring joy not only to Mary and Joseph, but for all the people.
Then I began to ponder how Your birth is great joy for me. Just me.
At Your birth, my Hope was born.
My path to salvation was lit.
My search for wisdom began.
My friendship with You was kindled.
My favorite prophesies were fulfilled.
My cares were no longer born by me alone.
The depth of my pride was revealed.
And oh yes, Satan’s confidence was shaken, which is great joy for me.
In other words, my whole existence was enhanced. My reason for living illuminated. All because of a baby. But not just any baby. You, Jesus. My good news of great joy.
For Your faithful love is before my eyes, and I live by Your truth. Psalm 26:3
My words…
In a world where Satan, the Father of Lies, has a stranglehold on human creation, it is difficult to identify the truth when I hear it. But this I know: You, Lord, speak truthfully; you say what is right. (Isaiah 45:19). You, Jesus, are the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6). And Your Spirit is the One who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. (1 John 5:6) All Your promises are true; all Your instructions are right. The entirety of Your word is truth. (Psalm 119:160) I don’t have to wonder if I am being bamboozled. I don’t fear I am being led down the wrong path. What a spirit-refreshing comfort this is!
I, by nature, distrust nearly everything I hear and am suspicious of most of what I see around me. I know. It’s not a good look. But when I experience firsthand the damage caused by liars, hackers, and con-artists, I grow cynical of society in general. If a girl scout were to come to my door selling cookies, she better be wearing her uniform to prove she is what she says she is. I want to see badges! I don’t want to be tricked into believing something that is not true. Especially if it costs me my money or my time. Why? Because it makes me feel foolish. And I don’t like that. I admit. It’s a pride issue.
Cue Holy Spirit.
I confess. As my mother would say, I am the pot calling the kettle black. Have I lied to others? Yes. Have I deceived others into thinking something is true when it’s not? Yep. Have I embellished the truth to make it sound more exciting than it actually is? I have. So, I was the one to make someone else feel foolish. Hmmm. Will You forgive me? I know You will because You say You will. And You only speak truth.
Thank You for sharing Your truth with me because it’s the only source of real truth I have. In a dark world where I don’t know what to believe, Your truth is the light along my path.
Would it be so bad if I bought cookies from a girl who is not what she claims to be? After all, I come away with cookies. And she is brought before Your throne when I pray for her as she walks away.
We urge you, brothers and sisters, to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1 Thessalonians 4:
Like one who grabs a stray dog by the ears is someone who rushes into a quarrel not their own. Proverbs 26:17
My words…
It always amazes me how Your words, written millennia ago, remain applicable today. Just as there were those wearing loincloths, animal skins, and togas butting their noses into other people’s business and causing a ruckus, so it goes today. A different look, but the same outlook. Paul through the Holy Spirit, writes it should be my ambition and that of every follower of Jesus to live a quiet life and mind our own beeswax. I shouldn’t step onto the path of someone else’s journey, point a finger and incite a quarrel. It’s dangerous behavior, and it may come back to bite me like a stray dog pulled by the ear.
Weighty wisdom. Lightly followed.
As You are painfully aware, Lord, there’s never been a time in history where so much information has been shared between so many people. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing because it’s plastered all over the World Wild Web. When I view someone caught on video, rushing into a quarrel, pointing a finger, shouting unwanted opinions, I know there’s an invisible, mangy, snarling canine in their grip. If they could see it, they would be forced to re-think their actions—quickly.
Then I turn my eyes on me. I’m not one to rush, point, and shout. It’s too physically draining. I wouldn’t spend the energy. But what about in my mind and spirit? I rush in to silently criticize and analyze how I would do things differently. In essence, I think I know more than they do about their situation. What hubris! It’s a pride issue for those who do it vocally, and it’s a pride issue for me. I grab the dog by the ear. I ask for Your forgiveness. I know I will receive it. Then I need to steer clear of the stray dog.
I wonder what it would feel like to live in a place where everyone lived a quiet life, minded their own business, worked with their hands, and won the respect of outsiders. A lot fewer dog bites. That’s for sure.
The voice of the Lord is above the waters. The God of all glory thunders—the Lord above vast waters, the voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in splendor. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young, wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the woodland bare. In His temple, all cry, “Glory!”
My words…
Praise to You, God of heaven and earth: You are not a silent God. You have a voice, and You use it! You spoke to Moses from a bush on fire and from above the mercy seat. Ezekiel heard Your voice like a rush of mighty water. You spoke pleasing words to Jesus at His baptism in the presence of the apostles. When You use Your voice, in whatever form You choose, Your glory fills the earth. You do not hold it back in the heavens for only the angels to hear. Oh, no! You thunder!
I love thunder. The louder, the better. Crack the sky! Shake the foundations! Let the world know You are up there, and You control everything. I like the fact that it’s loud. It gets my attention. It reminds my spirit to bow before the God of thunder. You don’t use vocal cords. (As an aside, I marvel that each of us has a unique set of vocal cords so we may embody a voice solely our own. No one else sounds exactly like I do. Thank You for that.) You use the power of Your magnificent creation to remind us You are alive and well. You are working and watching. You are Power. Fire, hail, wind, floods, storms are at Your disposal. You don’t need words to get Your point across. You have Your own creation language.
The Apostle John wrote, “A time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice.” (John 5:28) I wait in anticipation. But others do not. I pray they will be transformed by the renewing of their minds and hearts to long for the day when Your voice will fill both heaven and earth, and they will kneel, along with me, in worship.
Hmmm, as I’m writing this, a storm has rolled in, and a crack of thunder nearly made my heart stop. It’s awfully nice when You show up. Your timing is perfect.
You killed the source of life whom God raised from the dead. Acts 3:15
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that had been created. Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it. John 1:1-5
My words…
Does it overwhelm my soul when I ponder that I can trace the source of my life back to the very beginning? Yes. It does. Am I speechless with gratitude every time I am reminded that You, Jesus, are the source of my life? Yes. I am.
One time I tried to make corn salsa from memory. I hadn’t made it in a while, but I trusted in my experience as a cook (first mistake) that it would come to me as I arranged and added the ingredients (second mistake). It was inedible. As I was smashing the concoction into my garbage disposal, I realized I had to go back to the source (the recipe) to get it right because left on my own, I was lost.
If I didn’t know the true source of my life, I would be inedible corn salsa. I must discern my every thought and action and ask myself, “Is this consistent with the source of my life?” Otherwise, my thoughts, actions, and intentions get waylaid, and I end up lost.
And who is that source? You, Jesus.
There are those who think their source is their parents or their ancestors. They don’t realize it goes back much farther than that. Back to the very beginning when You, the Word, created them. Some believe their source is wealth or status. And there are those who feel they don’t have a source at all. They don’t belong anywhere. And it is for these souls I pray today. You know them by name. You know what they need. You have a plan for them. Work Your will in their lives, leading Your followers to show them the way to You, especially if I am that follower.
Jesus, you are the map, the recipe, the guidebook, the owner’s manual—the One I reference when I need to get things right. And you’re never wrong.
I will bring disaster on the world, and their own iniquity, on the wicked. I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant and humiliate the insolence of tyrants. Isaiah 13:11
Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! Lamentations 3:22-23
Love never ends. But as for prophesies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 1 Corinthians 13:8
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. Revelation 21:4
My words…
You decide what ends and what endures. A big job for a big God; one compelled by love. I praise You for that. This task requires limitless wisdom. No one else is qualified. You know this, which is why You take it on.
I hate it when good things end. When I finish the final chapter of a really good book, I’m sad. When I turn the page and there is an epilogue, yay! Even a little more makes me smile. Vacations, holidays, reunions—the enjoyment always ceases, and I long for more. And that is exactly what You have planned for my future. The good things never end; they are eternal. Your mercy and faithful love exist long after the last chapter of my earthly life. Some good things will cease to exist in the way I know them: prophesies, languages, and knowledge. They will, however, transcend into their eternal versions and become perfected: fulfilled prophesy, heavenly language, complete knowledge. I’m eager to speak Your heavenly language!
I have a list of things I long to come to an end. I thought about placing snakes at the top, but then I had a rethink. My top two match Your list: wickedness and pride. Does Satan hold one in each hand? Does he juggle them and laugh? His reign over Death and Hades has come to an end already. Jesus, You snatched away the keys from his hand. Unless he is a fool, he knows his “days” are numbered. My death and its associated pain and grief will ultimately lead to no death, no pain, no grief. Hallelujah.
You have marked a day on Your calendar, a day no one else knows, when You will judge what ends and what endures. A burden? A pleasure? A victory!
God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things. 1 John 3:20
Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to Him, went out and said to them, “Who is it you are looking for?” John 18:3-4
My words…
To my God, the One who knows all things: No one exists in a higher place than You, so You have full reign over all You see, and You see all. Your knowledge and understanding fill the universe while the most expansive space of knowledge held by anyone or any group is but a pinprick. How exciting for all who believe in You!
Having lived as long as I have, I know a great many things. Not to boast, but I have an impressive book of knowledge as to how to run a household. But I have no idea how my phone works. Electricity baffles me. I could never get the hang of parallel parking. I do not possess an innate sense of direction. My Christmas cactus blooms in March. Why? I could go on and on, but here’s the amazing thing: I don’t know all the things I don’t know – but You do.
You know everything. Everything! I could dwell on that truth the rest of my life and come away with only a headache. You know everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen. In heaven and on earth. You know every thought of every person who has existed, exists now, and will exist. And their motives. In short, You created all, so You know all. So easy to write.
This got me thinking. If you know all, then there are no surprises. Personally, I like surprises. (Well, good surprises.) So, is this something I experience that You do not? Hmmm.
One of (if not the most) poignant example of Your omniscience is Your foreknowledge of the crucifixion. From the beginning of time, You (Father, Son, and Spirit) knew when it would happen and how. You knew how to structure each minute leading up to it. Jesus, You knew the pain and humiliation You would have to endure. Each lash, cut, and bruise. You knew the weight of sin You would carry and how it would tear at the nail holes. Nothing surprised You. You knew it had to be done. And You walked right into it. Willingly. Every speck of gratitude within me I offer to You.
Your omniscience is just one aspect of Your power. Your love is another. You wouldn’t have knowingly gone to Your death if You didn’t love me with Your powerful love. Amazing but not surprising.
Lord, reveal to me the end of my life and the number of my days. Let me know how short-lived I am. You, indeed, have made my days short in length, and my lifespan as nothing in Your sight. Yes, every mortal man is only a vapor. Psalm 39:4-5
My words…
With You, Lord, I may approach You with any number of ramblings, questions, complaints, musings, revelations, doubts, and requests. It is not lost on me that this is astonishing to say the least. I, a simple, undeserving soul, have unlimited access to the Ancient of Days, the One who thunders in the heavens, the Creator of the ends of the earth, the only true God. I know this because David knew it. And David wrote it.
Like in this Psalm. He is not asking of you the date of his death as if he could mark it on his calendar. His heart was too much like yours to make such a foolish request. I think he was having one of those introspective days when he looked back on his life and considered what was to come. I’ve had those days myself. Memories of my childhood pop into my mind when I hear an old song. Images of my wedding day and the births of my children scroll across my eyes like a diorama. I hear peels of laughter as one jumps into a pool while another sings a silly song about Pop-Tarts. I reflect on the innumerable words I have heard from teachers and have read in books, humorous conversations with friends, embraces with those who were hurting, and alone time with You. Cleaning toilets, baking cookies, teaching grammar, making mistakes, sleeping in, watching baseball—a lifetime of doing, thinking, and resting. I’ve already lived a full life, and I’m not done. And yet, it’s all a vapor. Poof, I’m here. Poof, I’m gone. My wee life is just one of gazillions that have been and will be on this blue marble. But I don’t mind because it marks a place in Your infinity that is wholly me. A pin prick on the timeline of earth, but it’s my pin prick. You created me for that space so I may live and laugh and love. I am so grateful. I pray I have been and will continue to be a pleasing aroma to You and not a stinging smoke.
Mary took a pound of fragrant oil—pure and expensive nard—anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped His feet with her hair. So the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas Iscariot said, “Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor? Jesus answered, “Leave her alone; she has kept it for the day of My burial.” John 12:3-7
Whoever gives a cup of water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple—I assure you: He will never lose his reward. Matthew 10:42
My words…
My Bible is filled with heart-wrenching, mind-bending, tear-duct-emptying words intended to lead me to know You better. (Thank You for that.) Some of my favorite words are the ones where You take an imperfect earthly perception and send it through a heavenly masher. Out pops a divinely perfect truth. A Holy Trinity perception. Amazing! Here’s an example: In the Kingdom of God, what is spent and what is wasted is determined by You in a perfect way, a higher way. So different from how we do things in the world. In Your kingdom, a missionary’s embrace of a person wet from baptism is as valuable as a million-dollar pledge to a church building project. A divinely inspired word of encouragement is as precious as a well-stocked food bank. A cup of cold water given in Your name is as expensive as Mary’s nard. Anything spent on You is an investment yielding an eternal reward.
Mary performed an act of pure worship that cost her a year’s wages. Perfume spent but not wasted. On his way to teach, the Apostle Paul endured a day and night on the open sea. Physical health spent but not wasted. I used up the better part of two days creating a Bible bingo game for my class of 4–6-year-olds. They were more interested in the plastic square markers than they were in learning the all-important Bible facts. Time spent but not wasted? Not sure about that one, I must say.
I love to read the story of Mary’s sacrifice of perfume and her expression of adoration while drying Your feet with her hair. That must have felt…heavenly. You are so worthy of such an act.
I praise You and thank You for allowing me the honor of worshipping You in any form and Your loving acceptance of it. You waste none of it.
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. Isaiah 1:18
My words…
In truth, I don’t like to think about blood. I instinctively recoil when I see blood oozing from my skin (or anyone else’s). I prefer my blood stay inside my veins, so I don’t have to see it; therefore, I don’t have to think about it. But blood is mentioned in my Bible a lot! And I think this means I need to pay attention to blood. Especially Your blood, Jesus. I need to think long and hard about it.
You created blood to be the life-source of my body. If too much of it leaks out, I die. When Your blood leaked out, You died, but it did something that no one else’s shed blood had ever done. It cleansed. Your blood is a cleansing agent—a detergent for my sins. So, when I stand before You, I am clothed in garments whiter than snow, as is every believer. That is wonder-working powerful blood.
I am glad I do not have to stand in Your presence wearing my sin. It’s slimy and putrid and gross and crimson, not befitting the radiant throne room of the Ancient of Days. And because I now live in the South, my sins aren’t white as snow. They’re white as cotton.
