Christmas is a wonderful time and we enjoy it every year. But if we didn’t know the true meaning of Christmas, our joy would be as temporary as the tree we have put up. When the holidays are over, the tree is taken away and the gifts are soon forgotten. So are the special greetings of the season. Luke 2:11 says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Praise God that the good tidings of great joy because of that first Christmas remain with us always. Remember as you unwrap all the brightly colored packages that Jesus is our real gift. God bless you!
Slow Down and Listen
Busyness, also known as the rat race, the daily grind, the vicious cycle. We all get caught up in it, especially at this time of the year. It’s called the Christmas Rush. In spite of all the craziness going on around us we need the “Christmas Hush:” quiet, contemplative time spent with the Lord. Habakkuk 2:20 says, “But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.” Let’s try to turn off our electronic noise and instead open our bibles and listen to the soft, quiet voice of our Lord. God bless you!
Where is Your Hope?
When the lotto recently reached a billion dollars, people lined up. Why? Hope! In times like these, everyone is looking for it, but the chance of winning is one in d of millions, a very small percentage. But the chances of finding real hope is 100 percent found in Jesus Christ. Romans 15:12 says “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” Let’s remember to put our hope in Him and share it with everyone we meet.
Maintain Your Walls
Walls protect us from enemies, but they also protect us from ourselves. Hadrian’s Wall protected the island of England and The Great Wall of China protected them from foreign invaders. Proverbs 25:28 says “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” If walls are not maintained they fall into ruin. Just like actual walls, we have a wall called self-control. It can keep us from making ungodly decisions. Self control, like walls, must be maintained by prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit; after all, self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. God bless you today as you maintain your wall!
Faith Defined
How do you define faith? An unknown author from the Holocaust wrote “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining, I believe in love even when I cannot feel it, and I believe in God even when he is silent.” Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” We cannot see God, but we can have faith that He sees us and He loves us. What is the measure of our faith? Matthew 17-20 tells us “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Let’s all try to increase our faith and trust in Him daily. God bless you!
Spiritual Infections
There are many types of infections that we encounter every day: flu, sinus. Bronchitis, Covid. But did you know we have to be wary of spiritual infections? Hebrews 12:14-15 says “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and therefore any man be defiled.” If bitterness can be spread like an infection, so can traits like joy and affirmation. These and other positive traits might be considered a vaccine against spiritual infections. The Bible might be considered the needle. Have you received a shot of scripture today? God bless you!
You’re On His Mind
Jesus has had us on his mind from the beginning of time. He has always wanted the best for us and wants us to be unified in our worshipful attitudes. He wants the attitude of our hearts focused on God. With the exception of one, all the apostles were unified in their faith and prayers. Jesus, when praying to his Father, said in John 17:11 “And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” In John 17:20-21 he also said, Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou has sent me.” It is comforting to know that we have always been on the mind of Jesus and that He wants us to be unified in Him. God bless you all!
Hope for the Lonely
Many people struggle with some form of depression. It may be a small issue or an overwhelming one, but to the one going through a tough time it carries with it a sense of loneliness. Deuteronomy 31:8 says “And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” Even if you feel alone, God is always there to listen and help. God bless you today!
Feed Your Faith
Max Lucado, a well-known Christian author, said “Feed your fears and your faith will starve. Feed your faith and your fears will.” We are living in uncertain times, prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes and it’s easy to become concerned about the future. Philippians 4:6-7 says: Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Today, let’s give our worries to Him and He will take care of the rest. God bless you!
What is your Object?
Every English sentence has parts. A noun (object), verb, adjective, etc. Without the object the sentence would be incomplete. Our faith in God is like that. The object is our God and our faith in him. we don’t simply have faith, we have faith in someone (the object). For us, there is only one object deserving our faith, the living God. Anything else is insubstantial, unreal, even deceptive. 1 Peter 1:21 says “Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” I hope today that we make God our object of praise, devotion, and faith. God bless you!
