Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created
and is supreme over all creation,
for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities
in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
And now, dear brothers and sisters,
one final thing.
Fix your thoughts on what is true,
and honorable,
and right,
and pure,
and lovely,
and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent
and worthy of praise.
In the last days, the mountain of the LORD’s house
will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
For the LORD is the one who shaped the mountains,
stirs up the winds,
and reveals his thoughts to mankind.
He turns the light of dawn into darkness
and treads on the heights of the earth.
The LORD God of Heaven’s Armies is his name!
It is the LORD who created the stars,
the Pleiades and Orion.
He turns darkness into morning
and day into night.
He draws up water from the oceans
and pours it down as rain on the land.
The LORD is his name!
The Savior—
yes, the Messiah, the Lord—
has been born today in Bethlehem,
the city of David!
Preparing for Christmas two years ago, I took Faith and Abram to a local discount store and let them choose presents for their Mom and Day.
On our drive there I asked, “Do you think Mom and Day would rather have books or toys?” The happy loud answer from the backseat was “Toys!” That particular year, Mom received a bath ball that turned into a dinosaur and Day got a toy ukulele.
This year I asked the same question and Faith told me that she and Abe had already discussed it (her words). She said they thought Mom would like a statue and a book about statues and Day would like a race car and book about the same. They weren’t able to find those exact items, but did choose some other things that reflected they’re growing up—except for one item. Abe saw a plastic bat and ball and was positive that Day would LOVE it. About five minutes after putting it in our basket, he confided that he KNEW if he asked Day if HE could have it, Day would give it to him. Made me giggle all over inside.
They always wrap these gifts themselves. This year they used the wrapping paper cutter and thoughtfully chose different papers for each gift. Their packages are extra securely taped—some with 12 inch pieces. Abe remarked several times that he wasn’t a very good wrapper, but he didn’t give up; and Faith asked for some advice on getting the ends neatly tucked. Now the gifts, chosen with careful deliberation and debate, then wrapped with love by four and seven year old fingers, are laid out and waiting for Christmas morning. Mom and Day won’t be looking for perfection in either the gifts or the wrappings, instead they’ll celebrate the love they represent.
I wonder if that’s how God sees what we bring to him. I wonder if he loves us all the more when we don’t know how or what to do—so we just do our best. Then, when our finished product is less than perfect, and we know we’re not very good wrappers and we didn’t know how to fold the corners neatly, we can still rest in Him because we know that He knows and remembers.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby,
guarding their flocks of sheep.
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them,
and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.
They were terrified,
but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said.
“I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.
The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—
has been born today in Bethlehem,
the city of David!”
Breaks in life come in the most unexpected ways and times. Abram Michael Davis moved from understudy to lead role when the original Joseph decided he’d rather be a cow in the 4 year old’s Christmas pageant. In normal times, Mama Jan would have been in attentive attendance with camera clutched firmly in hand; but in these Pandemic days, a substitute picture will have to do.
As always, God calls us to be ready in and out of season.
Preach the word of God.
Be prepared,
whether the time is favorable or not…
2 Timothy 4:2
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Luke 1:46-55
