HIS GIFT



Good morning! God is good all the time and all the time God is good! How can it get any better than that?

You know, I have heard more than one pastor say that when they preach, they are preaching to the congregation but are also preaching to themselves. I have to confess something to you. Yesterday I talked about how plans don't always go as we think they should. And if they don't, how we react can be positive or negative. Well, I blew it yesterday twice. Once I was driving and I was trying to make a few phone calls using the voice activation so I didn't have to punch in the numbers. The call wouldn't go through to the person's number it was supposed to. It kept doing that when I called 2 different people. It upset me so much that I wanted to throw my phone. I did yell at it. A lot of good that did! And then later in the day something else happened and I got upset. I did ask God to forgive me. I felt so bad. I didn't react the way I should have. 
We don't mean to react these negative ways. Sometimes it just happens. And here I thought that I was doing better than that. So, now I will try a lot harder to react in a better way, to trust God, and be flexible.

I have my Christmas music playing as I prepare this blog this morning. I didn't turn the lights on though. My husband is home working in his workshop. He went out at 7 AM at 30*. I am sure it is freezing until he gets the heat going. But he is used to that because he paints in houses in the winter with no heat every year. He carries his kerosene blower heater and heats up the house.

I pray that your plans and preparations are going well as we get closer to Jesus's birthday. I plan to bake a birthday cake for Jesus to share with my grandchildren. Everyone can have some but it will be a special cake to celebrate with them. Are you preparing for this special birthday or are you just going through the commercial motions of Christmas? Please put your focus on Jesus. He is the Reason for the Season. Other sayings are: Wise Men Still Seek Him, Keep Christ in Christmas, Jesus is the Heart of Christmas. They are all true. I am sure there may be more but these are the ones that I can think of now. May Jesus fill you with His love and presence this Christmas. May you think of your family and the presents under the tree as blessings from God. Because they are! I mentioned another day that it is better to give than to receive. And so it is! Jesus gave His all for us!

 So, give the blessing of Jesus to others. Tell them about Him this Christmas and what He has done in your life. And if you don't know Jesus, today is the day of salvation. We don't know what tomorrow holds or the next day or the next. Jesus holds the key to the rest of our lives. He is our only hope. In this day and age, He is coming back soon. Are you ready for that? Do you know where you are going when you draw your last breath?

The following essay is from the introduction of Mel Lawrenz’s daily Bible Gateway devotional Christmas Joy:
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’” — Luke 2:10-11
A bit of joy will do. But “great joy”? Is it almost too much to hope for? Where did all the Christmas joy go? How did things get so complicated? So rushed? So squeezed and cluttered? It doesn’t have to be that way. We can choose to step aside, step into a quieter moment, and read angel’s words that came on that night that changed the world.
Real joy is never something that originates from within, it has to come to us from without. Trying to find joy by getting it out of yourself is like believing a river can flow uphill. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why so many have a hard time finding joy at Christmas. Bite into a Christmas cookie, and you might enjoy it. Open a shiny package and you might enjoy what you find inside. But joy itself—in its true and pure form—is so much more than enjoyment. Joy is the startling realization that God really has claimed territory in this world. He’s taken back what belongs to him. And then joy is a thirst that doesn’t want to be quenched; a hunger that knows it will go on and on. It’s a good thing, to never get enough of God.
This Christmas CAN be different.

If you haven't already, will you trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior so that Christmas CAN be different? If you do know Jesus already, then do what you can to make this be a Christmas filled with "great joy".

I am praying for you. Jesus loves you lots and bunches and wants to give the gift of Himself today.

Have a blessed one!

Les







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Choosing Jesus Every Day: Don't Be Lazy

...to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:2b-3 Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Greetings And to us all! I have not written here in 5 months. Forgive me! Life is so busy these days. My husband, Bert, and I thought retirement would be less busy and more, well retired. But that is okay! I believe we are following the path that God wants us on at this time of our lives and that He knows best. So, praise be to our God and Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, for His great guidance! My devotion this morning was very interesting. Bert and I have had this conversation many times when he was still working full time and pastoring. We discussed the fact that our house needs attention. A house will fall if it is not taken care of. And, of course, he was work...
Read more

VICTORY

Image
Saturday Good morning to you! The beach is waiting. I can't wait to get away. To rest. To regenerate. To be revived. And sometimes we just need to get away from our daily routine in order to do that. Get away from the phone and stuff like that. Unfortunately, with cell phones, these days we don't get away from the calls. It never fails that we go on vacation and always someone calls about my husband's work, either a person that works for him or someone wanting to get work done. But in all reality that is good. It means that the business is not dead. Praise the Lord for that! The beach does so much for me. I have the best time and the most relaxing time at the beach. I guess it is in my blood. I was born at the beach (a town at the beach). I lived near the beach for about 15 of my growing up years. My grandparents built a house in Malibu, CA overlooking the ocean when I was a kid. (When I find the picture I will post it.) So, I feel like I belong there and I...
Read more

DROUGHT

Image
  Good morning to you! Has it been raining where you are? It rained pretty good last night here. We need it. Actually we will take it all just so we aren't in the drought category. I saw on the weather yesterday that a lot of the country is in a severe drought.  Are you in a severe drought spiritually? I hope not but if you are, here are some scriptures that might help. Look to the LORD and his  strength; seek his face always. 1 Chronicles 16:11 The LORD is my strength and  my song; he has become my salvation.  He is my God, and I will praise him,  my father's God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2 So do not fear, for I am with you;  do not be dismayed, for I am your  God. I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.   Isaiah 41:10 Do you not know? Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the  Creator of the ends of the e...
Read more