IT’s A FACT!

Galatians 4:1-7

When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman. Galatians 4:4

I was a child when I first heard that December 25 may not be the actual date of our Savior’s birth. I remember wondering how we could really celebrate His birthday if we don’t know the day He was born. As time went on, however, I came to realize that the precise date is not the important thing. It’s the fact of the incarnation that counts.

“When the fullness of the time had come” — whether December 25, January 6, April 20, or whatever the date — the Savior was born. That’s what is so meaningful to us. No one who is willing to consider the evidence can deny the truth that “the Word became flesha nd dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

Yes, God’s Son really did enter this world at a certain point in human history. There’s no question about it. He did come! He did live! He did die! He did arise from the dead! The exact date is incidental, but the fact that He came to earth means everything, for “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

How fitting, then, that we pause at this season to praise God for the marvelous gift of His love! Let’s thank Him today that there was born “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). It’s a fact! —rwd

Long ago a Child came down to a little sleepy town and upon that Christmas morn Christ the heavenly King was born. —freeman

Christ was born on earth below that we might be born from heaven above.

NATURE’s GOD

Psalm 147

He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes; He casts out His hail like morsels. Psalm 147:16-17

It’s important for all those who profess faith in Christ to nourish their spiritual lives. This is accomplished by reading the Bible, by praying, by fellowshiping with other believers, and by worshiping the Lord. But there’s another way of learning about God that we often forget — observing the wonders of nature.

The psalmist often expressed amazement and wonder as he saw God in the everyday occurrences of nature. A good example of this is in Psalm 147. Verses 7 through 11 tell us that the God who causes the rain to fall and the grass to grow to provide food for birds and beasts is not pleased when man relies on his own strength or on the strength of his animals. Instead, the Lord delights in those who hope and trust in Him. Then in verses 12 through 18, the psalmist reiterated that the Lord of all creation takes responsibility for His children’s protection, blessing, peace, and provisions by controlling the snow, the frost, the hail, the icy winds, and the warm breezes.

As we nourish our souls on God’s Word, let’s also observe His ways in nature. Whenever possible, we should go outside and see and feel and smell what’s there, and look up to nature’s God in adoration and gratitude. —hvl

Wind and water, light and sod speak so faithfully of God; may we give to Him our praise for the goodness He displays. —anon

Nature is a glove on the hand on God. —fb meyer

GOD’s LITTLE BLESSINGS

Psalm 36:5-10

How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Psalm 36:7

Our family was  at Disney World a few years ago when God handed us one of His little blessings. Disney World is a huge place — 107 acres huge, to be exact. You could walk around for days without seeing someone you know. My wife and I decided to do our own thing while our children sought out the really cool stuff. We parted at 9 a.m. and were planning a rendezvous around 6 p.m.

At about 2 p.m., my wife and I got a craving for tacos. We looked at our map and made our way to a Spanish-sounding place for Mexican food. We had just sat down with our food when we heard, “Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad.” Our three amigos had, at the same time, a hankering for a wet burrito.

Ten minutes after they joined us, a violent summer storm ripped through the park with whipping winds, heavy rain and loud thunder. My wife commented, “I’d be a wreck if the kids weren’t with us during this!” It seemed that God had orchestrated our meeting.

Ever notice those blessings from Him? Ever spend time thanking Him for His concern and care? Consider how remarkable it is that the One who created the universe cares enough to intervene in your life. “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!” —dave branon

Thank You, God, that You’re our Father, Shepherd, Guardian, Guide, and Stay; how we praise You for the blessings You bestow on us each day! —sper

Belonging to God brings boundless blessings.

IN THE CLOUDS

Psalm 68:1-6, 33-35

Extol Him who rides on the clouds. Psalm 68:4

From early history, man has dreamed of flight. With the invention of the hot-air balloon, he first soared aloft in 1783.

The invention of the gasoline engine and the development of aero-dynamic theory made the airplane possible. Pioneer flights were made in primitive planes constructed of canvas and wood. These gave way to more and more powerful aircraft. Now we have the SST and the 777. And the space shuttle is rocketed into orbit by 7 million pounds of thrust.

The ancient Hebrews knew nothing of the mechanics of flight, but they had a keen awareness of God’s awesome power. They had seen it in their miraculous exodus from slavery in Egypt, in God’s provision and guidance through the desert, and in His protection as they fought for the Promised Land.

When David was looking for a way to describe that power, he said that the Lord “rides on the heaven of heavens” (Psalm 68:33). And he recognized that it is God who “gives strength and power to His people” (verse 35).

The thundering engines that shake the ground at takeoff remind me of the immense power of God. The next time you see a jet soar across the sky, give praise to our God, whose “strength is in the clouds” (verse 34). —dce

O tell of His might, O sing of His grace, whose robe is the light, whose canopy space; His chariots of wrath the deep thunder clouds form, and dark is His path on the wings of the storm. —grant

The God who holds the universe is the God who’s holding you!

THE WRONG GOD

1 Timothy 6

Command those who are rich in this present age not. . .to trust in uncertain riches. 1 Tmothy 6:17

A missionary had been witnessing faithfully to a certain who was an idol worshiper. One day the man placed a small statue and a silver coin on the table in front of the missionary. Then he took two slips of paper and wrote something on each. On the note by the idol he wrote the words heathen god. On the sheet next to the silver coin he wrote the words Christian god.

From what that man had observed in the lives of some people from so called Christian nations, he had concluded that money was the main object of their adoration and the source of their confidence.

Many people today choose to worship the god of money. They make it the object of their trust, love, and service. But how foolish! Jesus warned, “How hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:24).

Who or what is the object of your worship? The psalmist advised, “Put your trust in the Lord” (Psalm 4:5). Moses commanded, “You shall love the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:5), and Joshua told his people, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

Be sure that your confidence is not in the wrong god. Place your trust in Christ. —rwd

True joy comes from loving Jesus not from things that we amass; he alone brings joy and gladness, peace and love that really last. —pasch

Never let gold become your god!

THE HEART OF THE MATTER

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

How often are we guilty of leaving God out of our decision-making? Sometimes when we’re faced with a choice, the right answer may seem obvious to us and those around us. But if we fail to ask the Lord to help us get to the heart of the matter, we might jump to a wrong conclusion.

That’s what Samuel did when he set out to anoint Israel’s next king. When he saw Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son, Samuel was sure he had his man. Wrong! In fact, God chose the least likely of Jesse’s son’s, the youthful David. He was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), but Samuel saw only the outward appearance.

Including God in decision-making is a vital principle for churches too. When seeking a new pastor or someone to lead a church ministry, we’re tempted to look only at externals. We’re concerned with such things as speaking skills, friendliness, and ability to inspire—and we should be. But if we haven’t asked God to get us pasts appearances to the heart, we haven’t looked deep enough. We can’t read hearts, but the Lord can. He knows when someone is closely following Him.

As you make your decisions today, be sure to include God. —dce

Not mine—not mine the choice, in things both great and small, be Thou my Guide, my Strength, my Wisdom, and my ALL. —bonar

If you don’t want to end in failure, be sure to begin with God.

ALL DAY LONG

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5

Father in Heaven,

Thank you for the promise and hope of Your word. Thank you that You can be counted on to guide me through my day. Today I need to walk in the hope that only You can give. My way is unclear, my path sometimes feels like it twists and turns in confusing and busy ways as I wind my way along my journey.

Show me Your ways, Lord. Show me how You would walk in these places. Teach me Your paths of grace and mercy and integrity and love. Help me to grasp Your ways so I can walk securely in them even in insecure places. I need Your perspective today.

Guide me in Your truth, Lord. With out Your Word active in my heart and mind I cannot know Your truth. Help me to make time to read my Bible. Help me to take time to think on it and let it penetrate my heart. Lord, Your Word will guide me as a beacon and a light. I need Your word to guide me. Forgive me when I have left it on the shelf or have simply grabbed a verse and run off for the day, quickly forgetting what I read.

Thank you that You promise to guide me and teach me as I let Your truth impact my heart and my mind.

Oh Lord, You are my Savior, my rescuer and my redeemer. You alone are the One who restores and renews my spirit and brings meaning to my life. You bless me. May my heart overflow with thanksgiving to You for Your hand in my life.

I will put my hope in you today, all day long. Remind me by Your Holy Spirit to look to You to guide me. Call me into Your quiet presence to think on Your truths and may I not be distracted. This is the oxygen of my soul. Thank you that You  give the hope and help and peace I need today. Thank you that You never cease to call me to Yourself. Help me to respond afresh to Your presence in my life. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.

THE BLESSINGS OF OUR INADEQUACY

“For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God” 2 Corinthians 2:15-17

Most of us assume that feelings of inadequacy are enemies to be subdued rather than friends to be employed. In some cases, however, these feelings can prepare us for our greatest accomplishments. That is what the apostle Paul found when he set out to preach the Gospel to all creation. In spite of his great learning and varied gifts, Paul acknowledged that he was not sufficient of himself to minister for the Lord. By taking that attitude, he was able to step out beyond his own personal limits and tap into supernatural power.

Many times, we fail to take this extra step because we too easily surrender to our inadequacies. We may use our limitations as an excuse for not taking on difficult assignments – all too frequently we say, “I can’t do this,” or “I don’t want that responsibility” when faced with God’s call to serve. Know that the Lord will not accept such excuses because He has given the Holy Spirit to empower us for any task He assigns.

If we fail to claim this supernatural power, then we run the risk of multiplied failure. First of all, we miss out on the joy, peace, and contentment derived from stepping out in faith to answer God’s “impossible” call and watching His enablement. In addition, our hesitancy may deprive other people of the benefits of our service.

Perhaps you feel that you do not have a lot to offer. But never underestimate the impact of one person who has learned how to depend upon the adequacy of Almighty God.

How can our imperfect inadequacy still be used for God’s perfect glory?

WHEN WE COMMIT

Proverbs 3:5-10

“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him to help you do it and He will” Psalm 37:5

Janet remained after the student meeting for counsel.

“How can I commit everything I do to the Lord?” she inquired. “What is involved in a total commitment?”

I explained that mere words can be superficial and shallow, and even insulting to God. It is the commitment of our intellects, our emotions and our wills to do the will of God in every situation with the faith that we can, as promised, trust Him to help us do whatever He calls us to do.

Sometimes I wonder if we really know the meaning of the word commitment. Paraphrasing an anonymous source:

We sing “Sweet Hour of Prayer” and are content with five or ten minutes a day. We sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” and wait to be drafted into His service. We sing “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” and don’t use the one we have.

We sing “I Love to Tell the Story” but never witness to the love of Christ personally. We sing “We’re Marching to Zion” but fail to march to worship or Sunday school. We sing “Cast Thy Burden on the Lord” and worry ourselves into a nervous breakdown.

We sing “The Whole Wide World for Jesus” and never invite our next-door neighbor to consider the claims of Christ. We sing “O Day of Rest and Gladness” and wear ourselves out traveling or cutting grass or playing golf on Sunday. We sing “Throw Out the Lifeline” and content ourselves with throwing out a fishing line.

Consistency is a wonderful word for the believer in Christ. Add to that the word commitmentand you have a rare combination of supernatural enablements that result in a triumphant, fruitful life.

Today I will commit everything I do to the Lord and trust Him to help me do what He calls me to do. Since He has called me to be His witness, I will trust Him to enable me to share His love and forgiveness through Christ with someone else today.

EXPERIENCING GOD’s BEST

“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” Luke 12:32

Everything we do in life requires a decision. Some have said that even when we refuse to make a decision, we have decided what we will or will not do. The same is true when it comes to experiencing God’s best for our lives.

Jesus taught us that it was God’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom of God. This means that all we could ever hope or want is ours to enjoy. Of course, there are guidelines to be followed.

For example, God will never give us things that lead to self – indulgence and greed. On the other hand, there are many Christians living in spiritual poverty because they have never learned to enjoy the goodness of God’s blessing.

This in no way solely focuses on financial wealth, though God may choose to bless many in this area. Nor does it mean that we should feel guilty when God does bless us in some area of material value. God’s blessings are not limited to any one category. They are endless, and it is our responsibility to enjoy them when they come.

Therefore, instead of denying the gifts He sends your way, ask the Lord to help you correctly handle them so that He will be glorified in your life. Jesus taught us that God gives good things to His children. Therefore, never refuse His gifts when they come because each one is wrapped in eternal love for you.

What has God blessed you with lately that you can use for His glory?