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
God’s Good, Pleasing and Perfect Will
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Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.
1 Corinthians 2:12
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.
One of the first prayers many young children learn is the Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done. On Earth as it is in Heaven.” The Bible tells us this is the prayer Jesus taught the disciples when they asked him how they should pray. This model follows the instructions of these two verses. I guess I should say, once this prayer was introduced, the disciples preached based upon the prayer.
Thy Kingdom Come: God’s Kingdom – Heaven – Not this world. Thy Will Be Done: God’s will – not man’s, not what we think or want – what God wants for us. That’s how we are to live: in accordance with God’s will for us. In order to live in accordance with God’s will, though we need to know what it is! That can be tricky, because so often in our lives we are required to take the lead, to be in charge, to make a snap decision. Life is so fast-paced in our world today that we could be run over and left behind if we’re not on top of our game.
But God has a better way. He has amazing, unimaginable plans for abundance and blessings in store for us. He desperately wants to pour them out into our lives. We risk missing out on God’s will for our lives when we charge ahead, thinking with our heads rather than our hearts and our souls. If we never allow time for God to reveal his plans for us, we will trample right over them. God wants to renew our minds to His way of thinking and living. He’s not going to force it though; he waits for us to be open to His will.
That’s a lot of responsibility. That places the burden on us. Perhaps that’s why so often we just don’t “go there.” We feel so burdened and weighed down by the cares of this world that we just can’t or won’t take responsibility for one more thing. No matter how wonderful the end result could be, we just don’t have the energy to do one more thing in our lives.
What I repeatedly re-discover is that if I just stop for a few minutes and clear my mind of all the cares of this world I can begin to see the vision God has of me in my mind’s eye. When I go for a walk, or sit quietly reflecting on God’s word or reading scripture, my mind begins to be renewed. God reveals himself to us when we are fully open to Him and fully engaged in discovering His will.
When we set ourselves apart we have taken the first step in the transformation process. Getting in that habit will increase the likelihood that our decisions will be based on God’s will for our lives, not man’s.
My prayer today is that you have the opportunity to renew your mind so you can test and approve God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for your life. And that you make it a habit to spend time with God each day.
Mary
Labels: bible, future, God's will, heaven, Jesus, plans, scripture
