I love Christmas and the wonder you see on your children’s faces, the joy the season brings, and the hope given to others in smiles and gifts.  However, as I get older I remember those that are not with me anymore at Christmas that have passed on.  That is when the full message of the hope of Christmas hits me.  Jesus came so that we might have life with Him forever.  Jesus spoke lovingly to Martha after her brother Lazarus had died.  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;  and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26  Galatians 4:4-5 adds yet another purpose to Christmas.   ^“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.”  Not only did Christ come to save us but He came to bring us into relationship with God.  Because of Christ we are adopted into God’s family.  What a privileged position we have for eternity.  We can walk in relationship to God, being adopted as His child, and look forward to eternity with Him.  We who believe are blessed indeed.

Do you need some extra hope today?  It is not man made, cannot be bought or sold, it only comes from Jesus.  Grab hold of it today in faith.  End this Christmas season with hope and begin anew in the new year.  Jesus transforms lives- let Him in and He will work a miracle in your life.  He will be with you 24/7 and give you hope for now throughout eternity.

Living with Hope in Jesus,

Linda

What have you learned this Advent season?  I learned a great deal about Mary, Joseph and God’s expectations that I walk each day by faith knowing He will provide.  I pray that you will embrace the miracles of Christmas and cling to Jesus as you begin a new year.

May you have a blessed day with friends and family, or by yourself, celebrating the birth of our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Linda

God knew Herod and what he was capable of doing to His Son.  ^“When they (the Magi) had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”  So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt,  where he stayed until the death of Herod.”  Matthew 2:13-15a   God let Joseph and Mary know the imminent danger that Herod posed, and they listened and quickly obeyed.  Herod was a vicious, ruthless ruler.  Matthew 2:16 describes his angry vindictive actions. “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”   Mary and Joseph stayed in Egypt until the Lord brought them out and settled them in Nazareth.  “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt  and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.   So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.   But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,  and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.” Matthew 2:19-23a

The flight to Egypt, return to Israel and settling in Nazareth were all prophesied in the Old Testament and Matthew added them into the story. (Matthew 2:15b, 18, 23b)  Thinking of all the hundreds of years that passed before they came to pass exactly as God said they would show God’s sovereignty and omniscience as He guides Mary and Joseph with His Son from danger to safety.  An angel physically appeared to Joseph two times and in a dream once guiding them away from those that would seek to kill them.  I can only imagine the relief that Mary and Joseph felt upon finally arriving in Nazareth.  They would have stories of protection, hope and awe to share with Jesus as he grew up.  I love the conclusion Luke adds in Luke 2:40 “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.”

Throughout the month of December we have seen Mary and Joseph’s obedience and love for God.  We have witnessed their response to situations beyond their control.  We have seen those around them supporting and encouraging them as they walked with God.  We have seen those who would do them and their baby harm, and how God intervened to protect them.  There is a lesson for us in this story today.  God knows the future and He has a plan for you and me.  I cling to Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  God wants what is best for us just as He wanted what was best for His Son.  He is a loving, omniscient God who desires to care for us.  Our part- believe and trust – then He will execute His plan and bring it to completion.  “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

I’m trusting and believing God for His plan in my life.  What about you?  Prayerfully consider all that God has done and will do as you answer this all important question.

Linda

Let’s continue with the story of the Wise men’s journey to find Jesus.   “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.  On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”  Matthew 2:9-12 
There are several things about this portion of scripture that I find fascinating.   We don’t know what the Wise men thought of Herod and his request for them to report back to him.  But, they did what God asked when He warned them in a dream not to return.  They feared God more than anything the evil king could do to them and they sought to protect the child.  That does not surprise me as they came hundreds of miles seeking to worship the Messiah and were seeking to know and worship God.  Next, the Bible does not say their were three Magi  but Wise men.  What we do know is that they brought three gifts fit for a king.  Gold and frankincense and myrrh which were substances used in perfumes and was costly to produce and came from exotic parts of North Africa, Arabia and India.   All of these would suggest offering substances to be used in worship.  The ancient Israelites used both frankincense and myrrh in their offering services.  lastly, the thing I found most humbling is that they followed the star for months, and when it stopped over the house where Jesus and his mother were, they showed no hesitation at going inside.  They knew they had arrived and proceeded to worship the child before them.  Their confidence in God’s leading is amazing.  They trusted God to lead them to the right place.

What about you?  Do you trust God to lead you?  Do you proceed with conviction even when things get a bit uncomfortable?  What do you bring to Jesus?  He tells us that our redemption is a free gift from God.  We can’t buy it or earn it.  So what can we bring to Jesus this Christmas?  Scripture gives us direction on this.  “And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8   We can offer God our actions motivated by justice, love and mercy with humility.  Pray for strength to walk with Him daily as He desires.

Walking in trust and love,

Linda

My own manger scene includes the 3 Wise men but that is not Biblical.  The Wise men did not appear in Bethlehem for about 2 years after Jesus was born.  They began their journey when the Star appeared at the time of Jesus’ birth.  It would have taken them 1-2 years to study the star, see it’s movements and then decide to follow it from the east, probably Babylon or Persia.   Having said that, I still have the Wise men with my manger scene as they came to worship the Christ child, the one who was born King of the Jews.

Our story opens with their arrival at the court of King Herod in Jerusalem.   “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi  from the east came to Jerusalem  and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”   When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.  When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.  “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.   He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”  Matthew 2:1-8

King Herod was crafty and wanted to know when and where the child was born.  That way if the Magi or Wise men failed to locate this new ‘King’ he could find him and do away with him.  Herod was famous for being ruthless and had already killed his wife and several sons to keep his throne.  He was lavish and extravagant in character and did not want anyone else to share the glory of his throne.

The Wise men or Magi were seekers.  They were willing to go out in search of truth and came to Jerusalem, the capital of Judaism.  They were Gentiles and reasoned who would know better when their king was to be born.  Herod’s wise men studied scripture and knew of the prophesy given 700 years before by the prophet Micah about where the Messiah was to be born. (Micah 5:2)  Seeking answers the Wise men came because they knew the God of the Universe reveals himself through His creation.  The star had meaning and would lead them to an important discovery.

What do you know about God?  Do you seek Him like the Wise men did?  Jesus said,  “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Luke 11:9-10  The Wise men did not know exactly who or what they would find but trusted the Star to lead them.  Trust in Jesus and He will lead you to God the Father and eternal life with Him.   Hebrews 11:6 puts our seeking this way, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”   Seek Him today, He will be found.

Seeking Jesus brings great reward,

Linda

Yesterday we read about Simeon, the prophet at the temple that recognized baby Jesus as the long awaited Messiah.  He had praises to God for allowing him to see His plan of redemption come to earth.  Then Simeon turned to Mary and Joseph and gave them words of encouragement and dread.  “The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,  so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:33-35   He revealed that Jesus would be a catalyst for faith and disbelief.  He would open their hearts and see into their souls.  To Mary personally, he revealed that she would suffer great sorrow, have her heart pierced.  It is thought that this refers to her being present at Jesus’ crucifixion and seeing her son mistreated and dying.  Joseph was believed to have died earlier so he was not present at the end of Jesus’ life explaining why he was not named in this prophecy.

God is so good and cares for us.  Right on the heels of this startling news they meet Anna an old lady who lived at the temple and each day fasted and worshiped God.  Listen to her words of encouragement.  “Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.” Luke 2:38    She immediately reminded Mary and Joseph that this child would be the redeemer of all Israel.

This trip to the temple to carry out their obligation under the law, verse 22, brought them a reality check- their son was to be the savior of all mankind, loved and hated by many. He was to be one who could see into a person’s heart and would bring Mary great sorrow.  All that would be a lot to take in but was confirmation that they were part of something bigger that would be of great good to mankind-redemption.  The cost would be well worth the gain.  Jesus put it this way,  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30   When God calls us to do something, and He had called Mary and Joseph to be the earthly mother and father of our Lord, He also equips.  He gives us what we need so that the yoke of discipleship- being linked to Him- is light as He walks with us.  We have His promise in Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Look for encouragement from God today.  He knows what you need and will provide you with just the right stuff to keep you going and working for Him in your life.  Are you feeling discouraged and feel the burden of life is too much?  Ask God for some encouragement today.  He will provide just what you need.

Faith is day by day living without fear,

Linda