HOLIDAY REPOST
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
What a glorious time of year this is… Advent. The definition of advent is the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.
In the Christian calendar, Advent is the period of four Sundays and weeks before Christmas. It means the coming of Jesus in the world. Isaiah the prophet gives descriptive words of the Messiah, King Jesus:
Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God
Everlasting Father
Prince of Peace
Take a moment and read slowly over the description of the One who was prophesied to come, Jesus. Everything we need or will ever need is in Him. Do you need wisdom? He is your Counselor. Do you need strength to face a difficult situation? He is strong and mighty and can face it with you, giving you peace and hope. Do you need something in your life to be lasting? Have you had relationships that did not last? Or have you put your hope in something or someone thinking this would last forever and it ended? He is everlasting. He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Are you anxious? He is your Peace.
Friends, when Jesus arrived, He came with all you will ever need. Life is transient, fleeting, and sometimes downright anxiety-producing. Life’s circumstances shift like the grains of sand on the beach. We need an anchor and His name is Jesus.
For to us a child was born and the government was, is, and will be on his shoulders forever. We cannot put our hope in any government to solve our problems. We put our hope in Jesus who is in charge of the government. He is not only in charge of the government of our country, but He has governmental jurisdiction over our lives. As I type this last sentence, I can feel a great sense of peace. Way too often I find myself thinking I am in charge. Just writing this down reminds me that I am not in charge. He is. The jurisdiction over all things in heaven and earth is in His control.
For to us a child is born. He came to us. Did you know that this is the only religion where God comes down to us? Jesus reached down to us, born in humility, yet King of Kings. He lived His life only to die for us, humbly submitting to the Father in obedience.
So today the word that rests on my heart is humility. What does this mean to us as we live our lives for Christ? Scripture teaches us that God gives grace to the humble. He finds His resting place in a humble heart. I have an observation to make. It appears to me that humility is underrated. Has it gone out of style? Take a look at Facebook or other social media channels and we see a world saying: “Look at me”. Please don’t get me wrong. Social media sharing can be fun and I enjoy seeing what is going on in other people’s lives. But since I am already knee-deep in alligators stepping on toes…..
I would like to see in my own life less of me and more of Jesus. I would like to see me reaching out to others in ways that are challenging, out of my comfort zone, and freely giving to other’s needs, not trying to only meet my needs.
For unto us a child is born. What impact has His birth made on you this Advent season? Would you join me and consider ways to give without anyone knowing– sort of like a secret Santa? I believe that this past year has taught us that what was seemingly important, now seems insignificant.
I for one am looking forward to the new year. I am hopeful that my heart has been stretched to enable Jesus to have more space to move in my life in ways that I never dreamed. I am hopeful that I am more willing to give to others, expecting nothing in return. I probably won’t post that on Facebook. But I will post pictures of my family. I think it’s ok to brag in that department.
Blessing and love to each of you who read these blogs and my daily devotional. I consider it a privilege that you allow me to come into your home and that you are using these tools to draw you near to Jesus.
