I may be behind, but I will not let my slacking discourage me enough to give up on my journey to savor Christ for 12 days. This movie is a great reminder that the battle isn't lost... It just needs an encouraging blanket of God's truth to turn it around!
I intended the 12 days Of Christmas to really help us drive this fact into our hearts and minds daily... And yes, the last couple of days have really fought my heart's desire to do that. The seasonal craziness really sucked me into busyness, commercialism and materialism in a most subtle way. And it's half of that busyness isn't even bad... Like being with my sweet cousins and family.
But the biggest problem is being busy and spending no time in front of the Father's throne.
Yet we have Hope.
Thus I am not letting my heart be condemned... For God is greater than my heart (1 John 3:20). Instead, let us both embrace the truth from this lesson and get our hearts prepared for good news and the approaching day. And let's look some gifts of the season given from above.
For God's greatest gifts bring us greatest joy.
One of those gifts is John.
Why John? Let's look at Luke 1:14-17-
"14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
15 for he will be GREAT before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.
16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,
17 and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."
Great because he didn't drink wine or lived in the desert....? No. Great because of the message he brought.
Another: His calling. Example: Mary.
Luke 2:30-33, 38--
"30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.
38 And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her."
Mary was given a great mission and great faith with little details... And she had great joy (Luke 2:46-55). AND it was not by looking at herself for that task before her, but her faith in the holy and faithful God. What a wonderful reminder of hope!
Lastly, God has given us His Christ. Luke 2:39-44--
"39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,
40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy."
Your joy comes from Christ. It does not have to be intellectual or rehearsed... It comes in permitting the Spirit to work in your heart, rejoicing at this news of his coming... Christmas day. In Christ.
'Our joy is in the messengers of peace and great tidings, the purpose He gives us and who we are in Christ.' --Jeff Hodgson.
I hope this encourages you in your busy schedule this week! Have joy, be encouraged, take hope and enjoy His charity :)
Blessings! Xoxoxo
'With songs of joy I speak of Thee, for I know not how to cease',
Kati Thornbury
-- Jeremiah 20:9--