Last year, I blogged each day from December 1 to Christmas to help me focus on the meaning and promises of Christmas. I found that keeping my eyes on the meaning and purpose of the season enhanced my joy, anticipation and appreciation at Jesus’ arrival. So I decided to try this again, but this time focusing on the people, symbols and feelings that are associated with Christmas.
Today’s word is joy. Christmas is a time of joy both spiritually and physically. The coming of a child is always cause for celebration. Isaiah 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The promised messiah, savior, deliverer was cause for great joy.
May this season bring you joy-smiles, warmness of heart, a bubbling of emotions of great happiness and well as inner peace and joy at the long awaited arrival of our Lord and Savior. Look for joy today both to give and to receive. Open your eyes to see others as a source of joy and not irritation or anger but as a gift from God. Joy has to be practiced and used to become an integral part of our being. Let it begin today….
Blessings of joy,
Linda
P.S. I hope you will forgive my use of the Christmas tree today. Seeing it brought joy to my grandson’s eyes as we looked at this huge tree.
I love that some people have the habit of sending cards. In this day and age people are prone to text, email or phone with their messages. However, there is still something special about receiving a hand written card or note. It’s message is more than just the words contained in the card but one of ‘I spent time remembering you today’.
I received a Thanksgiving note this week with the following scripture. John 1:16 “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” Does this verse describe your life? Do you see one blessing after another that you in no way deserved or earned? As you gather with family and friends tomorrow, take a moment to remember God’s infinite grace to you. His grace in giving you salvation through His son, Jesus, eternal life, hope, joy, peace, patience, kindness, the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide you and His Word to light your life’s pathway are a few examples of God’s grace and favor that He gives to us as believers.
Have a blessed time of Thanksgiving. Praise be to God for He showers us with so many blessings.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure pressed down, shaken together and running over; will be poured into your lap, For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38
Does this describe your heart? Are you generous? God promises if we give generously, it will be returned to us in greater measure. Have you experienced this in your life? If not try to be generous towards others today, see what happens.
Paul wrote to Timothy encouraging him in ministry about the benefits of being generous. “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1Timothy 6:18-19
Do you have an authentic life that is truly life? Life apart from Christ is not really living. Seek him and he will be found.
Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction , faithful in prayer.”
Does this describe you? Are you more despairing about the future, restless in times of trouble or prayer-less? Let this day be a new beginning and place your hope in the Lord, seek patience and pray. Expect results. God is faithful and He will make us triumphant.
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
Waiting in hard times is difficult but David encourages us to wait upon the LORD and not get pulled into worry. He tells us to keep our focus on God. How wise he was!
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are some pictures of the beaches and cemetery at Normandy. This was place of great sacrifice during World War II. Thank you to each Veteran on this Veteran’s Day for your service and the sacrifice of all those who have died to preserve our freedoms. I am most grateful.
In John 15:13 Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends”. (NIV) These brave men and women paid the ultimate price and they did not even know me. I am humbled by their patriotism and sacrifice on my behalf.
I decided to look up the definition of patience and discovered it means to be able to bear or endure pain or trouble without complaining or losing self-control and also the ability to wait calmly for something desired. Both of these aspects of patience are found in scripture, and we are encouraged to develop this attribute in our lives. Is this easy, NO! I am consoled that both Paul and David also struggled with God’s desire for them and those around them to be patient. Psalm 37:7 begins “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…. Psalm 40:1-2 says “I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Paul wrote to the Corinthians about developing patience in their suffering. 2 Corinthians 1:6 “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.” Both David and Paul speak of the virtue of waiting and developing what Paul calls patient endurance in life to be able to endure hardship and suffering as we wait for God’s timing in the events of our lives. They also proclaim God’s faithfulness to us as we wait. David put it so eloquently “He heard my cry and lifted me out of the mud and mire”. God rewards our patience and knows exactly what we need and when we need it.
In Galatians, Paul tells us that patience is a fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:22). That means it is a resulting characteristic that the Holy Spirit develops within us as we love and seek to please Jesus in our lives. James tells us this gift of patience will help us to stand firm and endure as we wait for the Lord Jesus to return. (James 5:7-8) Revelation speaks of patient endurance and faithfulness that will be needed by the saints. (Rev. 13:10)
After reflecting on these verses, it is no wonder that God desires that we develop patience. He sees it as a necessary attribute needed to live a life pleasing to Jesus in the midst of the turmoil we find in the circumstance of our lives. God knows that developing patience and patient endurance will bring great joy to our lives and a calmness as we trust in Him. Romans 12:12 puts it this way “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Do you fret and worry over things in your life or do you find hope and joy in watching and waiting for the Lord? Are you faithful in prayer for strength and endurance as God works to refine and develop your character?
PATIENCE is easy to say but hard to do. I am claiming Psalm 37:5 more and more these days. I find great strength and comfort in it. “Commit your way to the LORD, trust in Him and He will act.” With patience I need to work on commitment and trust then He will bring the action and results.
Blessings as you develop patience in your life,
Linda
One must patiently wait to see Old Faithful erupt. It is a sight worth patiently waiting for!!
Hebrews 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
This is a convicting verse. I ask myself, do others see Christ when I am around? Do my actions make for peace with others so they can see Jesus in me? Definite food for thought today!
