All I Want for Christmas
.
1 John 2:16,17 NASB
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
Romans 8:14-19 NLT
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family - calling him "Father, dear Father." For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children. And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.
Did you get what you had hoped for this Christmas? I am blessed to say I had a marvelous Christmas this year. I had my family with me; we had our annual Christmas Eve open house, went to the late service at church and stayed up much, much too late talking and enjoying being together. Christmas day we opened gifts, hung out, hung out some more and ultimately spent the day moving from couch to chair, to another couch, another chair, upstairs, downstairs . . . well, I think you get the point. It was relaxing and very enjoyable. Christmas night we drove around to look at all the Christmas lights – a Moss family tradition. Richmond is apparently in the top ten cities in the country for their tacky light display—and we could certainly understand why!
What is the point? How do my Christmas weekend and Christmas day experiences relate to these passages? This year my husband and I found ourselves wanting to do more for the less fortunate in the area and make Christmas less about us and our family. While we are far from wealthy we feel abundantly blessed in our lives. We are already thinking of next year, and what we can do to make Christmas meaningful for others who don’t have the blessing of family and love, peace and joy for Christmas.
What these verses tell us is that as God’s children, we already have everything—and more—we could ever want or need. We ‘re also reminded that the treasures of this world are fleeting and will last only until we go to the grave. The accumulation of worldly wealth doesn’t mean anything in God’s eyes. What is in our hearts and souls are what are important to Him. What we do with our wealth – financial, spiritual or otherwise – is how we are judged by the One who is the source or everything we have.
As God’s adopted children, we are saved from this world and its sin and shame. We rejoice in the one final and ultimate sacrifice that saved us. Yesterday we celebrated the birth of a tiny baby who slept in a manger trough 2000 years ago. The gift of his life and ultimate death on the Cross is one that never fades, breaks or wears out. I already had everything I wanted for Christmas. The gifts and time with my family were a bonus.
My prayer today is that you remember no matter what you got (or not!) for Christmas, you were already given the greatest gift of all. And that you share that gift with everyone you know.
Mary
Labels: Christmas, gift, Holy Spirit, present, wealth
Augustus Decreed A Census by Jon Walker
I can 't think of a better commentary on the "Christmas spirit" that we should carry with us all year long. This is a devotional by Jon Walker that he shared on 12/13/07. (Reprinted by permission)
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. … All returned to their own towns to register for this census. (Luke 2:1, 3 NLT)
Can you believe it's almost Christmas? Praise God for the gift of his Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ, who was born as a baby in Bethlehem!
As we read about the birth of Christ, can you see how God used circumstances to guide his Holy plan and how he uses circumstances to speak to us even now?
Jesus was born in Bethlehem because God decreed it so. His birth in Bethlehem was foretold by the ancient prophets. But what would compel Joseph and Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem, especially late in a pregnancy?
How would they – just as human as you and I, and still looking through the glass darkly – know they were to go to Bethlehem for Jesus to be born?
In Luke 2, we see God used a bureaucratic announcement made by a secular authority to guide Joseph and Mary. Augustus said the population should be counted, and that meant everyone was required to return to the “ancestral home.” Joseph was a descendant of King David, so he headed toward David’s ancient home – Bethlehem. (Luke 2:4-5)
What does this mean?
· God knows you – You were born at the right place and at the right time. God was not surprised by your birth, the circumstances of your birth, or where you were born. He spoke you into your mother’s womb, and he knows you by name.
· You’re free to see – Knowing that God is working through your circumstances, you are free to take your eyes off the circumstances and to look around and look above. Peter took his eyes off the circumstances and walked across the water toward Jesus; only when he looked back at his circumstances did he begin to sink!
· You can be active; not passive in circumstances – Instead of saying, “Why me, God?”, you can ask, “What’s up, God?” God is working all things out. Look for where he is at work.
· Christmas question – How would you view the circumstances of this Christmas season differently if you were certain God was working in your circumstances? “For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
Labels: Christmas, circumstances, God, hope, plans
