- Psalm 51:7 NASB
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. - Psalm 147:16-18 NASB
He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes.
He casts forth His ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His cold?
He sends forth His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow. - Psalm 148:7-8 NASB
Praise the Lord from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word - Proverbs 25:13 NASB
Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters. - Proverbs 31:21 NASB
She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet. - Isaiah 1:18 NASB
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool. - Isaiah 55:10-11 NASB
For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not return there without watering the earth
And making it bear and sprout,
And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. - Lamentations 4:7 NASB
Her consecrated ones were purer than snow,
They were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than corals,
Their polishing was like lapis lazuli. - Daniel 7:9 NASB
“I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;
His vesture was like white snow
And the hair of His head like pure wool.
His throne was ablaze with flames,
Its wheels were a burning fire. - Revelation 1:14 NASB
His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
Why we’re not done celebrating yet
I’m slipping ornaments and lights into Rubbermaid containers and packing the Christmas village into Styrofoam and cardboard this week.
On the kitchen table, though, I place the three wise men from our nativity scene.
Tonight, the wise men take center stage.
My middle daughter announced a few years ago that we should celebrate Three Kings’ Day on January 6th.
This was important. Necessary even.
She instructed us:
- We must leave our Christmas decorations up until then.
- We must have a special dinner with a kingly treat.
I tried to ignore the pleading at first and then made futile attempts to explain that since by January 6th we are already immersed in the insane schedule we call everyday life, perhaps we could skip Three Kings’ Day.
But no.
So, knowing how this girl-of-mine treasures traditions and because I love her, I Googled it and Pinterest-searched and asked on Facebook how to make this happen.
I read about traditional dishes like “pickled cabbage leaves stuffed with grouts drizzled with water and sauerkraut juice, ” “broccoli accompanied by crostini with chicken liver pate” and “stuffed ravioli with rich duck or rabbit ragu.”
I’m not loving this holiday.
But a friend speaks truth to me. It’s not about the menu. It’s about the family time and the celebration.
So, I let my daughter plan the feast and she chooses what is simple and fun and a family favorite.
I see the simplicity of this. It’s a family dinner with a special dessert and three wise men finally arriving in Bethlehem to worship the new King. Nothing difficult or fancy.
It’s not about effort; its about celebrating those who abandoned everything to seek truth–to seek Christ.
I read in my Internet research that it’s not just the celebration of “three kings,” but the rejoicing in the Epiphany, the humanity of Christ, God in flesh. It’s the reminder that He’s not a cold and impersonal deity too far out of reach to care about the passions of my day-to-day heart.
He is God come near.
God bent low.
God of compassion, who knows what it’s like to be hungry, tired, hurt, broken, sad, joyful, loved, and hated.
And I marvel at the magnitude of this, that when God’s infant Son cried out in a hay-filled manger, right there at the beginning of the salvation story, God sent the birth announcements to the whole world.
Not just to the Bethlehem natives. Not to the religious elite or the most righteous among them. Not even just to Jewish shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.
For God so loved the world….
The whole world.
He sent a Messiah to the Jewish nation, but then announced redemption for us all with a star that Gentile sages could see and follow to find their Savior, as well.
These men, these watchers-of-the-sky, not so much kings as bookworms, as astronomers, as students and sages, they remind me to pursue the presence of Christ.
How hard it must have been to explain to wives, to family, to employers, to friends, to the people in their hometown that they needed to journey far in pursuit of a newborn King.
Sometimes I’ve imagined them following a star without really knowing why, without knowing what it could mean or where it would take them. Yet, when they arrived in Jerusalem, they pestered Herod with questions:
“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matthew 2:2).
Everyone else continued on with life as usual, but they were willing to rock their entire lives in radical pursuit of the Messiah. It was so clear to them. So simple.
See the star.
Follow it.
Find the Savior.
Worship Him.
Reality so often complicates the simple. Life gets busy. Radical seems too hard. Maybe the journey will cost too much. Perhaps I forget along the way whatever it was I was seeking to begin with.
Or maybe I’m too busy and distracted to seek at all.
But I’m reminded today that God comes near and the wise seek Him.
Tonight I celebrate these magi who pursued the presence of Christ with wild abandon and focused determination, and I celebrate the God who promised this:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV).
Originally posted January 6, 2014
Bible Verses and a Prayer for a New Year
- Psalm 33:3 NIV
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy. - Psalm 40:3 NIV
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the Lord
and put their trust in him. - Psalm 65:11 NIV
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance. - Psalm 96:1 NIV
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth. - Psalm 98:1 NIV
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him. - Psalm 144:9 NIV
I will sing a new song to you, my God;
on the ten-stringed lyre I will make music to you, - Psalm 149:1 NIV
Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people. - Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens: - Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. - Isaiah 42:9 NIV
See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.” - Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. - Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. - Ezekiel 11:19 NIV
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. - Zephaniah 3:5 NIV
The Lord within her is righteous;
he does no wrong.
Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,
and every new day he does not fail,
yet the unrighteous know no shame. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! - Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. - Philippians 3:13-14 NIV
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Colossians 3:9-10 NIV
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. - 1 Peter 1:3 NIV
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, - Revelation 21:5 NIV
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Christmas Bible Verses and a Prayer
Every Christmas Eve, my dad read us the Christmas story, Luke chapters 1 and 2, from the big golden family Bible in the original King James. I still hear his voice…I still hear the words.
If you’d like to read the full Christmas story, you can find two famous passages in the Gospels: Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1-2.
Here, though, are 20 of my favorite Christmas Bible verses from the Old and New Testaments, reminding us of the Savior, the season, the gift…
- Isaiah 7:14 NIV
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. - Isaiah 9:2 ESV
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone. - Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV
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.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this. - Isaiah 11:1-5 NIV
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist. - Micah 5:2 NIV
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.” - Matthew 1:21 NIV
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. - Matthew 1:23 NIV
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). -
Luke 1:30-31 NIV
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. - Luke 1:37 ESV
For nothing will be impossible with God.
- Luke 1:45 NIV
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! -
Luke 2:10-14 NIV
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” - John 1:14 ESV
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. -
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.
- 2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! - Galatians 4:4-5 NIV
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. - Philippians 2:5-7 ESV
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. - Colossians 1:15-20 ESV
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by[a] him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. - 1 Timothy 1:15-16 ESV
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. - Titus 3:4-5 NLT
But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. - 1 John 4:9 ESV
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
This is How Close God Chooses to Come
In December of 2008, I was directing the church Christmas cantata while pregnant.
I was early pregnant. That means we still kept it secret and my clothing still kind of fit so no one could look at me and tell yet.
We had wrapped up the first ultrasound picture and planned to give it to our parents for Christmas that year.
Early pregnant also meant I was sick pregnant.
So, before I walked on the stage to direct the choir that night, my husband prayed for me and then gave me some practical advice, “If you need to throw up, just leave the stage and I’ll take over for you until you can come back.”
That’s love for you, right there.
Of course, since no one else knew I was pregnant, it might have looked more than a little odd to see the music director flee from the stage right in the middle of a song. We would have had some explaining to do.
I popped a peppermint that night and managed to get through the entire choral program without exiting the stage for a frantic run to the nearest bathroom. That meant we could keep the news about the baby safely secret until Christmas just as we had planned.
And I loved those secret days. There’s something intimate and joyful about tucking good news away and savoring it before sharing it.
This Christmas, it’s Mary on my mind as a I remember back to those Christmases I spent holding a newborn baby myself or preparing to share the good news about a baby to come.
I remember Mary who so willingly sacrificed her plans and agenda to submit to God’s will.
Mary who trusted God.
Mary who worshiped and declared “He has done great things!”
Mary who gave thanks.
Mary who “treasured these things in her heart.”
And Mary, who carried God Himself, the Messiah and Savior, within.
Maybe she had her own bouts with nausea, but she also had this closeness to God, the very closest a human being could ever get to the divine—to carry Him within.
But this is the beauty of Christmas for all of us, because Jesus came to earth to be reachable and touchable by us, as well.
God came near, not just next to us or before us—but to be within us.
Scripture tells us that we as Christians carry Christ in us to a world that needs Him so.
Paul asked the Corinthian church:
Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? ( 2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)
And to the Galatians, he said:
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20 ESV)
To the Colossians, Paul declared that this was a great mystery:
To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27 ESV).
This is how close God chooses to come.
There are days, maybe especially during seasons when we run about at a frantic life-pace, when God feels so distant, so far, so unreachable.
But I remember Mary. And I remember how Christ came within her. And how He comes to be within us.
That’s the joy of Christmas: How God broke through barriers and distance and the law and sin and death. He overcame all of that to be with us and to be within us.
Max Lucado says there’s even more to this promise:
“Christ grew in Mary until he had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem, and every day you live will be a Christmas. You, like Mary, will deliver Christ into the world” (In the Manger, Max Lucado).
May we pause this season to ponder anew the promise of Christ within.
What a gift that He is with us everywhere we go, that He is near and He is reachable.
But also this: What a joy to deliver Christ to those around us, to share Him with others through word and deed.
Bible Verses on Joy #Advent
- 1 Chronicles 16:27 ESV
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his place. - Nehemiah 8:10 ESV
Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” - Psalm 4:7 ESV
You have put more joy in my heart
than they have when their grain and wine abound. - Psalm 16:11 NIV
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand. - Psalm 21:6 ESV
For you make him most blessed forever;[a]
you make him glad with the joy of your presence. - Psalm 30:5 ESV
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning. - Psalm 47:1 ESV
Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy! - Psalm 51:12 ESV
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. - Psalm 71:23 ESV
My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed. - Psalm 94:19 NIV
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy. - Psalm 100:1 ESV
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! - Psalm 105:43 ESV
So he brought his people out with joy,
his chosen ones with singing. - Psalm 119:111 NIV
Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart. - Psalm 126:5 ESV
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy! - Proverbs 10:28 ESV
The hope of the righteous brings joy,
but the expectation of the wicked will perish. - Proverbs 15:23 ESV
To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and a word in season, how good it is! - Proverbs 17:22 ESV
A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. - Isaiah 9:3 ESV
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil. - Isaiah 12:6 ESV
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your[a] midst is the Holy One of Israel.” - Isaiah 29:19 ESV
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. - Isaiah 35:10 ESV
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. - Isaiah 55:12 ESV
For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. - John 16:22 ESV
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. - John 16:24 NIV
Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. - Romans 12:12 NIV
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. - Romans 14:17 ESV
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. - Romans 15:13 ESV
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. - Galatians 5:22-23 NIV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. - Colossians 1:11 ESV
being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV
Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - Philemon 1:7 ESV
For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you. - 1 Peter 1:8 ESV
Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, - Jude 1:24 ESV
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy
How preschoolers help me understand Christmas
I am cutting out flannel board figures today and pulling out my Jesus Storybook Bible. I am choosing simple carols that repeat….a lot. Like Angels We Have Heard on High (Glo-ooooo-ooooo-oooooo-ria) and Go Tell It on a Mountain.
And Jingle Bells. That’s a carol, right?
Today, I head into a sanctuary of preschoolers to present a Christmas program for them and I want to cut through all that they hear about Christmas—Santa and reindeer and cookies and presents and colorful lights and an elf with a crazy nightlife.
I want to get one message out loud and clear, though, through all that noise:
Jesus.
I know preschoolers. I’ve had my fair share. Just last year, my own four-year-old quizzed me all season long:
She asked me: Why?
Why was the serpent bad in that garden?
Why did Eve give the fruit to Adam, too?
Why did God choose Mary to be Jesus’ mom?
Why did the people shout to kill Jesus when He didn’t do anything wrong?
Why did they slam that crown of thorns down on Jesus’ head and why did they lash His back again and again and again?
Why did He die on that wooden cross?
Why did the women put burial spices on His body and why did they wrap Jesus in those cloths?
Why did Jesus walk on out of that grave?
I tried to break it all down, this Gospel, and explain it in a way she could understand.
I tried to keep it simple.
But I stumbled and tripped, and got tangled up in complicated explanations.
Start, stop, start over. That’s how it went.
In the minivan, at the dinner table, as we turned the pages of her children’s Bible, as she held my hand and walked out the door, she asked. “Why.”
Over and over we walk through the Gospel, letting it sink down deep into her heart and mind.
We adults tend to complicate this Good News, fumbling to unwrap the beautiful simplicity with our overgrown paws.
Wasn’t that part of the trouble for the Pharisees, too? They piled on laws, rules, legalism and judgment, tripping people up with their obstacle-ridden path to redemption. They took something simple and made it so difficult.In the same way, we can tangle the Christmas story in details and asides, but God unravels the mess and says it clear:
This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:18
In the Women of Christmas, Liz Curtis Higgs writes, “He summarized the main characters and their plight in a single sentence.”
That’s what we need. We need our God to free us from complicated explanations and tricky religious routines.
Because when salvation gets complicated, we lose sight of grace. It becomes about us instead of all about Him.
What a mess we are on our own. Paul tells us:
Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. (Titus 3:3 NLT).
That’s what we are without God.
“But…”
Paul writes that one three-letter word of hope and freedom for all of us chained to sin.
But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7 NLT)
We bring mess.
He brings mercy.
It’s as simple as that.
All of those “Why’s” preschoolers ask and all of the “why’s” I ask myself when life seems complicated and confusing find their answer here: “because of his mercy.”
And Christmas, oh how we can tangle it right up with confusion and busyness, but here is the clear and simple truth:
It was at Christmas that God gave us a Savior we didn’t deserve and a sacrifice we didn’t merit.
Why did God send a Savior?
Why did He come as a baby?
Why did He take that crown of thorns, endure that lashing of the whip, die there on that cross?
Why did He walk out of that tomb, alive anew?
Because of His mercy.
Yes, because of His grace.
Originally published 12/17/2014
#AnywhereFaith and Christmas
Today, I plunked down $0.88 for a new address book.
Then, I laid its 13-year-old, well-worn predecessor to rest.
It was time.
In that old address book, I have crossed out. I have drawn arrows. I have swirled over old addresses and entered in new. I have stuffed envelopes with corrected info into the pages.
This year during ‘Operation Christmas Cards,’ I flipped through that edited mess. Seven more family members moved this year to new homes in new places.
Most of these are happy moves: The new-job, new-marriage, new-baby kind of celebration.
Others are moves of in-between, of change, of loss and sadness and finding new hope for the future.
Since I have an intense dislike, maybe even horror, of writing in pencil, though, I can’t just erase and start afresh at each new life event.
That’s when I realized the truth. It wasn’t time for more corrections. It was time for a completely fresh shart.
It was time to move on.
And it strikes me right at that moment as I fill in the blank pages A-Z, surrounded by Christmas decorations and Christmas cards, that Christmas itself is about moving.
God began that progress, journeying to us:
God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9 HCSB).
He makes the first move. He steps into the void we can’t breach, the abyss of sin we can’t possibly cross, and He leaves the glory of heaven for our sake.
Jesus isn’t the only One who moved that first Christmas, though.
“The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth” (Luke 1:26).
Mary and Joseph loaded up the donkey and trekked slowly “from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the City of David, which is called Bethlehem” (Luke 2:4 HCSB).
The angels arrived on the hillside to announce the Savior’s birth to shepherds and then “left them and returned to heaven” (Luke 2:15 HCSB).
Then, those shepherds in their excitement said, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened” (Luke 2:15 HCSB).
Days later, a man named Simeon was guided by the Spirit and went straight to a GOd-appointed place: “he entered the temple complex” (Luke 2:27 HCSB).
Wise men from the east searched the night sky and could no longer remain at home, complacent, apathetic, mildly interested but not engaged when they saw the mysterious star.
NO, THEY MOVED.
They committed to the journey, packing camels, loading supplies, asking questions.
They must have left so much behind: Family, possessions, homes, a culture they knew and friends they loved. Maybe they left position and power in the dust in order to arrive in a foreign land as strangers and outsiders searching for a King they couldn’t describe whose name they didn’t know.
Where were they going? They did not know. When would their journey end? They could not say.
Just like Abram long before, the Magi left their homes to travel to an unknown destination for an uncertain amount of time.
Friends must have called them crazy. Family might have questioned their sanity.
Yet, they kept moving because a star “led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was ” (Matthew 2:9 HCSB).
CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE FAITH OF MOVEMENT, ABOUT FAITH IN ACTION.
It’s going anywhere god calls you to go.
NO STANDING STILL. NO REMAINING THE SAME. NO STUBBORNLY REFUSING TO LEAVE THE OLD IN PURSUIT OF GOD’S WORK ANEW.
In a season steeped in tradition, God shows us that He can do the surprising and unexpected. He is at work. He is in motion.
Christmas is angels and shepherds, sages and a teenage girl, the righteous and the ordinary, all abandoning their plans, agendas, comfort, and homes, leaving it all behind so they would not miss what God was doing.
ARE WE SO WILLING TO MOVE?
When God calls, when He is active, when He is at work and He comes to us, will we also go to Him?
I’ve finished filling this new address book now and for a while at least everything is settled and set.
Yet, I’m hushed with expectancy. I’m at the feet of Christ with anticipation. I’m asking the question and I’m silent, breathlessly waiting for the answer He gives:
“God, what are you doing and how can I be there? I don’t want to miss it by refusing to move when you move. Lead me this Christmas.”
Originally published 12/11/2015
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Bible Verses when you need God’s Light
- Psalm 27:1 ESV
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 119:105 ESV
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:130 ESV
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple. - Ecclesiastes 2:13 ESV
Then I saw that there is more gain in wisdom than in folly, as there is more gain in light than in darkness. - Isaiah 60:1 ESV
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. - Matthew 4:16 ESV
the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has dawned.” - Matthew 5:14 ESV
You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. - Matthew 5:16 ESV
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that[a] they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. - Luke 11:34-35 ESV
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. - John 1:5 ESV
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. - John 8:12 ESV
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 9:5 ESV
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. - John 12:35
So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer.Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. - Romans 13:12 ESV
The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. - 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 ESV
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. - Ephesians 5:13-14 ESV
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.” - James 1:7 ESV
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. - 1 Peter 2:9 ESV
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. - 1 John 1:7 ESV
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. - Revelation 21:23 ESV
And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.
The perfect gift
My youngest daughter scanned the book fair shelves with care, looking intently for one particular book in a whole wide sea of books.
She wasn’t shopping for herself, though.
Our kids draw names for Christmas every year and each one excitedly plans out what gifts to give to their “chosen” sibling.
So, my youngest girl was shopping for her oldest sister, and she was doing it with great intentionality.
A few days previously, we had all come looking through the book fair goodies to see what was there and what we might like. That’s when she watched as her big sister, Victoria, made a huge pile of Christmas book requests.
Then, we took pictures of every single book Victoria asked for so we’d remember.
Now, here we were on present-buying day, with a seven-year-old looking for one book in particular from her sister’s epically long list.
She felt exultant when she found that perfect gift for her sister.
But I felt deeply sad.
Because her older sisters did not know and did not see how much attention she paid to the wishlist, how hard she looked for the right present, and how excited she was to finally find it so she could make her sister happy.
In fact, they didn’t trust her.
I’d heard them whispering with disappointment when they found out she was buying for one of them.
Finally, my older daughter confessed the day before that she just knew she’d get a rotten gift this year since her younger sister was picking it out. Why couldn’t someone else be buying for her this year, someone who would pick a good gift?
These older sisters cruelly discounted her without giving her a chance. They judged her gift without ever even opening it.
They did not believe any gift she could give them would be good.
Still, whether it’s deserved or not, on Christmas morning, a seven-year-old girl is going to give her oldest sister a wrapped gift that she picked out herself. And it will be a good gift, a perfect gift. It will be a gift of grace.
I might even cry a little.
After all, we also have a way of doubting our own Good Giver at times.
James tells us:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 ESV
The book of Matthew also says:
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11 ESV
God gives us good and perfect gifts. Not only that. He doesn’t give begrudgingly or out of obligation. He loves to bless us. It brings Him joy.
I don’t always feel that. Sometimes I feel like I’m begging for scraps of blessing from beneath a heavenly table. Don’t forget me, God! I’m here, too!
God’s heart isn’t to ignore us or bless everyone around us and give us the leftovers of his favor and attention.
We just don’t always see or recognize or take the time to be grateful for the gifts He gives.
Christmas reminds us that God gives perfect gifts to His children, even if they are unexpected or packaged in disguise.
Jesus Christ, the “indescribable gift,” came in humble wrappings. It wasn’t fancy packages, ribbons or bows that caught the attention of the shepherds or touched Mary’s heart (2 Corinthians 9:15).
It was God giving Himself.
And while many expected a Messiah to have worldly position and power, God’s plan overthrew expectations. He came low.
Isn’t this the most precious part of this gift? That Jesus came down to us, He came to be accessible and within reach.
He was the gift no one fully expected, but all of us truly needed.
Max Lucado wrote:
There was not a hint of one person who was afraid to draw near him. There were those who mocked him, were envious of him, and misunderstood him. There were those who revered him. But no one considered him too holy or too divine to touch. There was not one person who was reluctant to approach him for fear of being rejected (In the Manger)
Maybe we’re doubting God as a giver this year. We wonder about His timing. We wonder about His plans for us.
We may question His heart and struggle to feel loved.
But God gave us a Good Gift and God still gives us good gifts.
We can trust Him.
Heather C. King - Room to Breathe 
