How "Merrry" is your Christmas?

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14

Do you find the preceived requirements of the Christmas season producing a nagging anxiety in you? More than one of my friends has share with me recently that they look forward to Christmas being over. Although this attitude may plague all of us at some point during this time of year, we really need to refocus our hearts and minds on what our true purpose should be just now. When we remember that we should be celebrating the coming of God to earth as a tiny helpless baby who would just a few years later die for us, then delight should pour into every day of this time of year. God has planned just exactly what we need to get done during this coming week. If we find ourselves stressed out, then either we are doing more than He planned, or we have lost the focus of Christmas. Reread what the angel told the shepherds on the beautiful night of Jesus’ birth. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” May our lives be full of glory to God and the peace and goodwill toward men will follow.

Ladies, please note that our Bible Study books for January are do to arrive this coming week. I’ll plan to have then available next Sunday. We will be studying 1 and 2 Peter—Courage in Times of Trouble. Our classes will resume on January 14th. I’m sure looking forward to this study.

Merry Christmas!!!!

A Happy Giving of Thanks

Although every day of our lives thankfulness should shine from our souls, this week a special emphasis on this blessed quality in our lives brings us renewed awareness of God’s unchanging goodness to us. Take a few minutes to meditate on these quotes from King David, Spurgeon,  Alexander MacLaren, and the apostle Paul.

Psalm 71:17-18  “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again;...”

“Every hour, yea, every moment has brought a favor upon its wings. Look downward and give thanks, for you are saved from hell; look on the right hand and give thanks, for you are enriched with gracious gifts; look on the left hand and give thanks, for you are shielded from deadly ills; look above you and give thanks, for heaven awaits you.” Spurgeon

“Remember to give thanks always for all things. Whether you like the packing-case or not, you may be sure that the contents are the very best that God could send you.” Alexander MacLaren

Philippians 4:6  “...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

May we all recognize God’s blessings more fully and faithfully thank Him from full hearts. We are blessed this Thanksgiving.

Psalm 100:1-5 “A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”’

A Beautiful Overview of Psalm 23 (No worries)

Last week as we completed our study on living a worry-free life with an overview of Psalm 23, Jo Cudney shared a beautiful quote from Don Baker’s book The Way of the Shepherd.

“The house of the Lord” in Psalm 23 is the same location Jesus speaks of in John 14 when He says, “I go to prepare a place for you.” It’s the same place John describes in the Revelation when he says,

And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God….(Revelation 21:10,11).

Heaven is a place on God’s map.  It’s beyond the regions of all fancy.  It’s within the realm of the actual, the local. 

It’s not made of air.

It doesn’t float around in some ethereal dream world.

It’s not a Disneyland.

It’s real, and --in contrast with earth--it’s stable, secure, permanent and eternal.

It had been prepared for us as our very own residence for eternity.

  There’ll be no “want” there,

    no forced rests,

      no polluted water holes,

       no preying predators,

        no “valleys” of fear or danger,

         no search for food

          no need for a rod or a staff,and

            no cause for healing.

Heaven  means different things to different people. We long for it for different reasons. It’s a place, a real place, but it has different attractions.

   To the poor it means wealth.

   To the imprisoned it means freedom.

   To the persecuted it means relief.

   To the lonely it means friends.

   To the dying it means life.

   To all of us--imperfect ones--it’s the promise of perfection.  We shall be like Jesus.

 The frustration of failure, the agony of guilt, and the reality of sin will no longer exist. We will be free.

   We will be home.

   Our Shepherd will be there.

   We will finally have the opportunity to thank Him for the good trip and for the safe arrival.

   We will ”dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

   And then we’ll all say it together,

                  “WE’RE HOME.”

 Quoted from “The Way of the Shepherd” by Don Baker.

Our Good Shepherd continues to watch over everything in our lives for our benefit and His glory. No Covid 19 shutdown can change that fact. May our hearts be full of thanksgiving every day because of His great care for the details of our lives.