The Question

Genesis 18 Is anything too hard for the Lord?

A child from a dead womb. A messiah that is raised on the third day. An apostle who walks on water. A world spoken into existence. A promise made and a long time in the making.

By the thought of God, you were created. At His command the world continues to see sunrise, rain and flowers. It is by His power that breath flows in and out of our lungs.

And knowing all of this, I still worry. I get frightened and stressed. I feel scared or alone. Do I really believe that it is His pleasure to give me the kingdom? Or do I, like Sarah, hear the promises of the Lord and laugh. Is there still a place in my heart that doubts the One who gave everything for me?

How many times have I stepped out into my own meager strength when I grew weary of waiting on the Lord? Why not now, Lord? Why not me, Lord? I am getting too old. Time is passing me by. How long, O Lord, must I wait for you?

The truth is, I think, that He waits for me. To grow up. To trust. To believe. To love. And because I refuse to wait for Him, to trust Him, I find myself frustrated with His timing. Not realizing or accepting that the lack is always in me. He lacks nothing. His will is perfect. His timing is excellent. All of His ways are righteous.

So again today I say....Father, forgive my impatience to see the fulfillment of promises made. Forgive my frustration.

Psalm 23 The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.

You are more than I can imagine. More than I expect. More than I deserve. Teach me, again and again, to receive from You my bread.....daily.

The Glory

Ezekiel 43 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of His coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory...And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

It is frightening to me how easily we forget.

Do you still have the passion for the Lord that you once had? In the beginning? When everything was new? When He was new? Does He have the ability to take your breath and bring you to your knees? Does He stir in your heart and your entire being feels carried away with His majesty?

This is what I think of when I hear "child like faith". Ever see a small child with a look of rapture on their face? A new toy? A cartoon? Looking at their mom and dad coming to pick them up at daycare?

Revelation 1 Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a Son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around His chest. The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead.

Awaken in us all the overwhelming power of Your presence. Capture us, like children, with who You are. Stir us up in remembrance of what You have rescued us from. From death. From hell. From ourselves. Oh Lord speak! Oh Lord rise and blow through our lives like a hurricane. Holy. Righteous. Majestic in power and might. Love like a raging fire that consumes us in our tracks. Show Yourself strong.

Without Him we are dead. He brings the light. He provides the shelter. He is water and air and joy and all things wonderful. Can you hear Him calling to you? Come to Me all who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest. I will give you of Myself and you will never want again.

Father, remind me and never let me forget, the wonder of You.

The Rising

Malachi 4 But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

I will never forget the first time I saw a decubitus ulcer in my hospital clinicals. The patient was a truck driver who had suffered a massive stroke and was not expected to survive so he had been left lying on his back for the better part of three weeks. As his condition started to improve physical therapy had been ordered for him and the first time he was turned over in bed he was found to have a wound on his sacral area or lower back. The first day I saw it, I could have put my foot in it. Easily. You could actually see his spinal column. It took over a year to heal.

Did you know that these types of wounds begin in the deeper tissues of the body and that by the time the skin is reddened on the outside, the inside is already starting to decay?

We bear a striking resemblance to this principle as well. At least, I did.

I was, for all intent and purposes, dead. Gaping wounds in my flesh. Rotting on the inside long before you would notice the outward effects. Like my patient, I needed so much care to repair my neglected and broken flesh. But all of the antibiotics and physical therapy in the world could not have repaired me. I needed to be redeemed. I needed a Savior.

But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace,and with His stripes we are healed...and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

And therein lies the goodness and mercy of Christ. He doesn't just heal our wounds...He bears them in His own flesh. He became my brokenness. He became my good. Taking my weakness on His own shoulders and bearing the rotting decay that was my soul in His own body. Wonderful. Merciful. Savior.

Revelation 3 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.

Once again I am amazed at depth of Your love for Your people. You are more than we can imagine; more than we can contain; more than we deserve. You are higher and deeper and love stronger than any wind and longer than can be measured with time. You are the Only good and righteous God and we fall on our faces in worship to our King. Thank You for bearing in Your body, our shame. Thank You for clothing us in Your righteousness and keeping us safe in the palm of Your hand.

The Mind

Genesis 13 Then Abram said to Lot, Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt...So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

Normally I try to stay away from the mall. It's crowded. It's noisy. It' s expensive. But mostly it makes me very unhappy. I see all of the things that I do not have. No leather sofa. No Coach purse. No i phone. No expensive food processor. Suddenly strange feelings start to fill my heart. What could I do to attain these treasures? And without realizing it, my body begins to follow a pathway paved in my mind. A yellow brick road to the destination of dreams. I would be happy if I had this...achieved this....owned this.....looked like this. I would be more efficient, savvy, beautiful. I would become like....Lot.

Like us, Lot was given free will and with that he followed the beautiful things that his eyes could see and moved his tent right up the edge of a well watered and wicked city and, if you know the rest of the story, it isn't long before Lot has firmly established himself within the city of Sodom itself. It is such a short journey from the eye to the mind to the hands and feet.

So maybe it is true, that old children's song...O be careful little eyes what you see.

The mind is a powerful motivator and is well trained to follow instruction. If I tell my mind to move my hand, it will. Just by conscious thought alone. It can process millions of pieces of data instantaneously. So it stands to reason that the things I covet with my eyes are transferred to my brain and it begins to form a plan to give to me those desires. Amazing. And in some cases, like Lot's, catastrophic.

I, like all people, love beautiful things. So does our heavenly Father. We only have to look at nature to see God's love of beauty. The problem with us is that in this fallen state in which we live, we lack self control and have a skewed idea of beauty, at times. So maybe the story of Lot can teach me this....maybe there is something to the saying, You are what you eat. Or you become what you covet.

Father I find a principle in my life...The more I am with you, the more like you I become. The opposite is also true. Remind me that my eyes are the windows into my mind. Remind me to set my eyes and my mind on You and that by doing that I will never find my tent pitched in Sodom.

The Stage

Luke 2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was great with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn Son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger for there was no room for them at the inn.

Going home for Christmas. A tradition started by the first family. For the first Christmas. Back to the region of his family's birth.

Every detail of Christ's life was planned ahead of time. All persons playing their roles. From Caesar Augustus to Judas. From Mary to Caiphas. From Peter to Pilate. All prophecy must be fulfilled. No coincidence. No incidentals. Every detail planned for. It was too important to leave anything to chance. One time to get it right. For we have a God who is in the details.

Going home for Christmas can be very stressful. Family dynamics. Travel expenses. Long lines. Long waits in traffic. Crying children. Cold weathers. Stressful.

So this year I plan to keep it simple. And I will remember Mary and be comforted. For I do not bear her burdens. She was young. Heavily pregnant. Traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem was a long journey. Not only is she carrying a child but the burden of carrying the Christ child. And how many people believe that virgins conceive? A new husband. And no place to stay. Giving birth in a stable. Stressful.

So just a thought....If you are traveling home for Christmas...Remember Mary and her struggles and be comforted. Also know this. We have a God who is in the details. He sees you. He knows you. And your stresses. Everything that was planned so carefully on that first Christmas... it was all for you. And me. So that we could celebrate this Christmas and remember the struggle that it took to bring us here. And to get us home. For Christmas. For eternity. With our family. In heaven.

Will you make room for Him this Christmas? Will you remember what was done for your soul?

The Man

Matthew 1 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son; and they shall call His name Immanuel, which means God with us. When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a Son. And he called His name Jesus.

Why did God choose Joseph? He was not needed for conception. Why not just let Mary raise Jesus alone?

Maybe it was because boys need a father, even a stepfather.

So little is known about Joseph. But what we do know is impressive. He was an honorable man. He took a wife and kept her a virgin until after the delivery of the Child, to fulfill God's word. He was a man of faith. An angel spoke to Him in a dream and he believed and trusted God, even when it seemed impossible. He was a man of integrity. Standing up for what is right even when others do not believe you. He was a protector. Taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt to protect their lives.

Joseph may not have participated in the conception of his Son, but he obviously played a huge role in the life of Jesus; even teaching Him his trade. Joseph fades from the story and gives the Son of God His rightful place. He must increase and I must decrease.

If you are a father, especially a stepfather, look to Joseph for instruction. Be honorable. Be a man of faith. Be a man of integrity. Be a protector. Raise a Godly child, even if they are not really yours.

Father, thank you for godly men, for our heads of house. Men who stand in the gap for their families. Men who look to you for wisdom and instruction. For all those who live a life of integrity and protect their families from harm. I love you Lord and today I am grateful that you call Yourself, Father. Be a father to all of the ones, like me, who have no earthly father. Be near Lord Jesus. I love the thought of Jesus in the manger, Jesus the teacher, Jesus the friend but today Lord I am grateful to call you Father.

The Power

Luke 1 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgins name was Mary. And he came to her and said, Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!...And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord will give Him the throne of His father, David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. And Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin? And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore the Child to be born will be called Holy-the Son of God.

Mary must have been an extraordinary lady to be chosen to bear and raise the Christ.

You have found favor with God.

The same Holy Spirit that caused a virgin to conceive the Christ child, lives in every believer. The same power that raised the man, Jesus Christ, from the dead resides in your heart. It is that power that enables us to do "all things".

God has favored us all with His presence. Is He speaking to you? Is He calling to you? To the impossible? The unbelievable? A thought so high and a dream so big that unless He gets involved it will never happen? Then relax. God makes a way for anything that is His will.

A virgin conceives. The dead are raised. A heart is changed. As the world looks on and rejoices.

Do not be afraid...You have found favor with God...How can this be? The Holy Spirit will come upon you...the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

That power lies within you. If you are His. Be of good cheer. Rejoice. Live with abandon. In Him.

Be of good cheer, little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom!!!

Lord, I love you. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us. You are sooo good and we are amazed. To You, Father. All that we have. All that we are. See us Lord and be pleased.