Friday, December 17, 2010

Praise for the Small Things





“Let them praise the name of the Lord;

for his name alone is excellent;

his glory is above the earth and heaven.”

Psalm 148:13 (KJV)

Our capacity to praise God comes from deep inside our hearts. We all have something for which to praise Him. The smallest or most insignificant thing in our lives deserves our giving thanks for it.

We have times when we have to look for the silver lining. We sometimes have to ask God to bring something good out of a situation that seems bleak. No matter how small the kindness He does for us. We should give Him praise.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Simeon’s Prayer




“‘Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared

in the sight of all the people, a light to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’”

Luke 2:29-32 (NIV)

Simeon, a man filled with the Holy Spirit, saw God’s son and praised God. The Holy Spirit had disclosed Simeon would see the Lord’s Child before he died. Stirred by the Holy Spirit, Simeon entered temple courts and saw the ultimate promise of God.

How would we have acted if the Holy Spirit had told us we would see God incarnate before we left this earth? Would we feel honored or would we think we were being tricked?

For me, it would depend on where I stood with God. If I wasn’t living for Him, I would be scared. But then, I might not be told this because I wasn’t doing what pleased the Lord God. If I was in His will, I would feel honored and very blessed to be told this great news.

I don’t believe I would have told anyone else because they might think I was boasting. I would keep it between God, the Holy Spirit and myself.

Monday, December 13, 2010

What If I Had Been There?





“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,

and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths

and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”

Luke 2:6-7 (NIV)





I often wonder what my life would have been like had I lived in another era. This is what I think of when I think of my life at the time of Jesus’ birth.



If I had been in Bethlehem at the time Jesus was born, would I have paid Him honor? Would I have noticed the star shining so bright? Would my family have gotten the last room available?

Would my husband have been the innkeeper who offered the weary travelers the cave behind the inn?

Would my husband and our son have been among the shepherds that heard the angel’s announcement?

Or would my family have been one of those who were unable to find any place to sleep except the in doorways, in the yards, or along the city streets?

On the other hand, would my family have disbelieved what they saw and heard and ignored the event? Would we have shrugged our shoulders and said, “Oh, well “? Or would we have visited out of curiosity and then said things to discourage our neighbors from worshipping the newborn King?

Or might my family have happened upon the shepherds and listened to their story of the angel, the angel chorus, and about finding the baby born a Savior?

Whoever was in Bethlehem on that night so long ago was very much a part of God’s plan.

God Alone

  Jesus and the children at our church's prayer walk.          I will both lie down in peace and sleep;  For You alone, O LORD make ...