Streams in the Desert.....

 Streams in the Desert

He went out to relax in the field in the early evening. Then he looked up and saw that there were camels approaching.—Gen 24:63

We should be better Christians if we were more alone; we should do more if we attempted less, and spent more time in retirement, and quiet waiting upon God. The world is too much with us; we are afflicted with the idea that we are doing nothing unless we are fussily running to and fro; we do not believe in “the calm retreat, the silent shade.” As a people, we are of a very practical turn of mind; “we believe,” as someone has said, “in having all our irons in the fire, and consider the time not spent between the anvil and the fire as lost, or much the same as lost.” Yet no time is more profitably spent than that which is set apart for quiet musing, for talking with God, for looking up to Heaven. We cannot have too many of these open spaces in life, hours in which the soul is left accessible to any sweet thought or influence it may please God to send.

“Reverie,” it has been said, “is the Sunday of the mind.” Let us often in these days give our mind a “Sunday,” in which it will do no manner of work but simply lie still, and look upward, and spread itself out before the Lord like Gideon’s fleece, to be soaked and moistened with the dews of Heaven. Let there be intervals when we shall do nothing, think nothing, plan nothing, but just lay ourselves on the green lap of nature and “rest awhile.”

Time so spent is not lost time. The fisherman cannot be said to be losing time when he is mending his nets, nor the mower when he takes a few minutes to sharpen his scythe at the top of the ridge. City men cannot do better than follow the example of Isaac, and, as often as they can, get away from the fret and fever of life into fields. Wearied with the heat and din, the noise and bustle, communion with nature is very grateful; it will have a calming, healing influence. A walk through the fields, a saunter by the seashore or across the daisy-sprinkled meadows, will purge your life from sordidness, and make the heart beat with new joy and hope.

“The little cares that fretted me,
I lost them yesterday,
… Out in the fields with God.”

Chistmas Eve

BELLS ACROSS THE SNOW

O Christmas, merry Christmas,
Is it really come again,
With its memories and greetings,
With its joy and with its pain!
There’s a minor in the carol
And a shadow in the light,
And a spray of cypress twining
With the holly wreath tonight.
And the hush is never broken
By laughter light and low,
As we listen in the starlight
To the “bells across the snow.”

O Christmas, merry Christmas,
’Tis not so very long
Since other voices blended
With the carol and the song!
If we could but hear them singing,
As they are singing now,
If we could but see the radiance
Of the crown on each dear brow,
There would be no sigh to smother,
No hidden tear to flow,
As we listen in the starlight
To the “bells across the snow.”

O Christmas, merry Christmas,
This never more can be;
We cannot bring again the days
Of our unshadowed glee,
But Christmas, happy Christmas,
Sweet herald of good will,
With holy songs of glory
Brings holy gladness still.
For peace and hope may brighten,
And patient love may glow,
As we listen in the starlight
To the “bells across the snow.”
—Frances Ridley Havergal

Clean Feet, Clean Heart..... Dr. Charles Stanley

 Clean Feet, Clean Heart

Dr. Charles Stanley

John 13:3-15

Israel can be a dusty place, and sandaled feet get filthy walking to and fro. In ancient times, a person entering a home removed his sandals and cleaned his feet. Or if the homeowners were wealthy, servants would do the washing. This distasteful but necessary task fell to the worker of lowest position in the household.

Imagine the disciples' surprise when the Son of God put Himself in the role of a lowly servant and knelt to wash their feet. The need for such a service was great, as they had been traveling for some time. But not one of them offered to do it.

Jesus did more than fill a need; He offered an object lesson. As He explained, "I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you" (John 13:15 nlt). Some churches have incorrectly interpreted this as a command to make foot washing an ordinance. But it's possible to clean someone else's skin without contemplating the significance of Christ's actions.

In fact, the act itself is not the main point; attitude is what counts. Jesus desires that we be willing to humble ourselves to serve others. He is looking for men and women who will ignore pride, position, and power in order to do whatever must be done, wherever it needs doing, and for whoever requires assistance.

Jesus performed His greatest and most humble acts of service within 24 hours of each other. He washed dirty feet using two hands that would be pierced by nails in less than a day. The message here is that every task God gives us is important to His kingdom.

‘Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas ..... AMY CARROLL

 ‘Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas

AMY CARROLL 

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.” Luke 2:4-5 (NIV) 

I have the perfect, dreamy Christmas pictured in my heart and head.

Snow is on the ground outside. There are icicles hanging from the trees and gutters, and everything’s glimmering and new. The inside of my house is sparkling too — from the lights on my tree to the grout in my upstairs bathroom. In my mind’s eye, my entire extended family is there, Insta-ready and glowing with cheer.

Delicious fragrances swirl around the happy scene. There’s the scent of the evergreen tree and tantalizing aromas of turkey and pumpkin pies floating from my kitchen (just about as likely as snow at my southeastern house … ahem).

And all feels like happiness. Nobody’s mad at each other. Every single gift is thoughtfully chosen and met with delight upon opening. No gift receipts needed this year!

Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?

Here’s the painful truth, though. My family has never had a Christmas as perfect as the one I’ve just described, and we likely never will. Even so, we’ve had wonderful Christmases that I’ve ruined with unrealistic expectations.

If any Christmas should have been perfect, surely it would have been the first one, but even that advent was marred by the disappointments of humanity.

Luke shares the details in the build-up to the long-awaited Messiah’s birth in Luke 2:4-7, “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.”

Even though Mary was singular in her faithfulness to God, surely she carried some of the expectations of all mothers-in-waiting. We expect family in the waiting room, a warm, clean place to deliver and a beautifully appointed crib in which to lay our precious new baby.

Mary had none of those things, yet she seemed unruffled by any unmet expectations that she encountered. Instead, verse 19 tells us, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

In circumstances that could have seemed like a nightmare to a pregnant woman — a not-yet husband by her side, delivery on the road, strips of cloth instead of onesies, hay instead of soft sheets — Mary chose to see it all as a treasure. She reset her expectations, watching for God and seeing the beauty in His work.

It’s hard to keep expectations in check at Christmas time. But this year, the infamous year of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to check our expectations at the holiday door.

Christmas 2020 may not live up to our usual holiday expectations, but truthfully, the choice is ours. We’ll experience a nightmare or a dreamy Christmas depending upon the expectations we embrace.

Instead of using that old picture of perfect in our mind and heart as the standard, let’s measure this Christmas’ beauty with the:

• Pleasure of God’s presence.
• Happiness in the company of family and friends (even if their shining faces are on our computer screen instead of in the room).
• Twinkle of calming lights.
• Joy of groceries or a meal delivered to your door.

2020 may not end with your ultimate dream Christmas, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare either. Choose to see God’s treasures by resetting your expectations today.

Lord, I know this Christmas is going to be different than those in the past. Help me to employ a new measure of perfection that allows me to see You in every moment. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
John 1:4-5, “In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (NIV)

When God Interrupts Your Plans..... by Lynette Kittle

 When God Interrupts Your Plans

by Lynette Kittle

“This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.”— Matthew 1:18

Have you ever had God interrupt your plans? Not just small ones but big ones, like whom you’ll marry, where you’ll live, work, or go to school?

Maybe at the time, you recognized it was God’s hand in your life, intervening and changing your situation? Or possibly when it was taking place, you didn’t have a clue.

Mary the mother of Jesus was living a quiet life engaged to Joseph, when God interrupted her plans by sending the angel Gabriel to deliver a message to her (Luke 1:26-27).

“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28)

It seemed like such a wonderful kind of message, yet Luke 1:29 describes her reaction, “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

Mary was deeply concerned, “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end’” (Luke 1:30-33).

Sill Mary asked how this could be since she was a virgin, to which, “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the  Son of God (Luke 1:36).

His words removed her doubt and revealed her heart as she answered, “’I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38).

How does your heart respond when God interrupts your plans with a life-shaking event?

At first, like Mary, do you also feel greatly troubled? As she questioned God at how these things could possibly occur in her life, do you question Him, too? Do you, as Mary did, need reassurance of His presence in the midst of it?

If so, God reassures you in Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

If your plans have been disrupted, instead of turning to fear, choose to trust God, believing He will help you.

A Revealed Savior..... by Katherine Britton

 A Revealed Savior

by Katherine Britton

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." - Jeremiah 29:13

I wish I could ask the Magi what it was like after they returned to their homeland. After watching the skies for years, journeying for weeks, and seeing Jesus with their own eyes, how did they return to the life they once knew? Did they ever hear about the rest of Jesus's life? Did they realize the Jew who was killed on the tree was the same child to whom they offered gifts befitting a king? Did they understand that his birth was a precursor to a far greater event? 

We don't know much with certainty about these men. They brought three gifts—gold, incense, and myrrh—but there may have been dozens of Magi who went on that journey. These wise men were certainly Gentiles, probably from Persia. They acted as something close to astrologer-priests in their homeland, we think, marking the movements of the heavens to find out its impact on man. Judging by their gifts and their titles, their status and wealth came close to royalty. 

Now consider what we definitely know about them: these Magi considered it worth their time, efforts, riches, and worship to come worship at a Bethlehem house. 

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh." - Matthew 2:10-11

These pagans searched for the Messiah as no one else did. Their adventure is an extraordinary tale of God's grace mixed with man's hunger, as they followed the star God set up in the heavens with single-minded devotion. They were on a search for God, who had given them the signs to find him. I think these men, who knew so much less than I do about the Messiah, sought him harder than I ever have.

Consider Matthew Henry's commentary on what transpired:

"They might have said, ‘If such a prince be born, we shall hear of him shortly in our own country, and it will be time enough then to pay our homage to him.' But so impatient were they to be better acquainted with him, that they took a long journey on purpose to enquire after him. Note, Those who truly desire to know Christ, and find him, will not regard pains or perils in seeking after him."

Personally, I don't think the Magi were ever the same after their encounter in the Bethlehem house. They invested themselves to finding the King of the Jews, and he revealed himself to them. I think all other stars must have paled in comparison.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Like the psalmist sings, the "heavens declare the glory of God" (Psalms 8) to each one of us. Those signs are God calling us to seek him with our whole heart, so he can reveal himself to us more and more. This Christmas season, I want to follow the Magi's example. I want to find the mystery of the Gospel so incredible that I pursue it with all my heart, and all my strength, and all my soul. I pray this mystery captivates your heart this Christmas!

Further Reading: 

Matthew 2

A Prayer for the True Light of Christmas ..... By Tim Chester

 A Prayer for the True Light of Christmas

By Tim Chester

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” - John 1:10-11

If this were a world of light, it would be easy to see the truth about Jesus. But this is a world in darkness, into which Jesus steps as the true light (v 9). Verses 10-11 remind us of why we need light—because we live in darkness.

This means that to “see” God’s kingdom—to understand its nature and welcome its coming—you need to be able to see in the dark. For that, you need help—you need the Spirit of God to make you a new person with new insight. Jesus says you need to be born again (John 3:3-8).

 Jesus offers eternal life to rebellious subjects. But we prefer darkness and death to life in the light. We don’t want to admit we need the King on the cross, dying for our sins. As a result, the cross looks like the epitome of shame to us rather than the epitome of glory. We call darkness light, and light darkness. We don’t recognize the light that has come to us.

Only the Spirit of God can open our eyes to the true light. Only the Spirit of God can enable us to recognize and receive the truth of these words with joy:“ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world”. 

Meditate

He was in the world,
and though the world was made through him, 
the world did not recognize him.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife 
The world has suffered long; 
Beneath the angel strain have rolled 
Two thousand years of wrong;

And man, at war with man, hears not 
The love-song which they bring; 
O hush the noise, ye men of strife 
And hear the angels sing.

(It Came Upon the Midnight Clear) 

Prayer

Eternal God,
the light of the minds that know you,
the joy of the hearts that love you,
and the strength of the wills that serve you:

grant us so to know you that we may truly love you, 
so to love you that we may truly serve you, whose service is perfect freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Christmas Proves Your Value..... By Rick Warren

 Christmas Proves Your Value

By Rick Warren

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)

Some people believe it’s insulting to say someone is spiritually “lost.” But it’s not. It’s actually a great compliment to be called spiritually lost. 

There’s a difference between losing something and misplacing something. If you misplace something, it means it wasn’t important to you. But if you lose it, it’s valuable enough for you to try to find it. You misplace a bobby pin; you lose your glasses.

People are only lost because they’re worth finding. Think of it this way: The value of a masterpiece doesn’t go down when it’s lost; it goes up.

When you aren’t connected to God, you’re lost in many ways. You lose your direction, God’s protection, your potential, your happiness, and your future home in heaven—just to name a few. But there’s one thing you don’t lose: your value.

You’re so valuable that, on the very first Christmas, God paid the price of his Son to find you. The most famous verse in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NIV).

You matter so much to God that he underwent a rescue mission to find you. He came to Earth as a little baby so that one day he could die on a wooden cross for your sin. 

The Christmas story reveals your value. God loved you enough that, when you were lost, God sent his very best—Jesus—to get you back.

Never forget: You matter to God.