Tag: Elizabeth

They Were the Talk of the Hill Country! Faithful God comes Through

nofearlindaLeave a comment

I love the account of John’s birth and naming. What a joyous scene with the family and neighbors gathered sharing in the circumcision and revelation that the son’s name would be John. Nobody in your family is named John they said but Elizabeth and Zachariah insisted which signaled the release of Zachariah’s tongue! He could now speak!

Luke 1:57-66 “ Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

The attribute I chose for this portion of our Christmas Story is faithful. God was faithful to keep His promises to both Elizabeth and Zechariah. God knows and loves each of us, and He will do all that He has promised. He has a plan to restore us to himself and we know God is true to His own plan. He is always faithful to forgive and uphold us no matter the circumstances. His plan brought His Son Jesus to save and restore us. Hebrews 10:23 is one of my favorite verses about God’s faithfulness, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” We know we can trust in God’s faithfulness. He keeps His promises.

The angel Gabriel had told Zechariah that he would not speak until the child was born and named. How does this event affect your belief in the faithfulness of God? Scripture says the people there were fearful, as in awe of God and His power to keep Zechariah from speaking until that moment and restoring his voice. They were the literal talk of the town as all who heard about it would have marveled that the faithfulness and power of Almighty God. They knew that the hand of God was upon John and wondered what he would accomplish for God. (We are fortunate to know the rest of the story as it unfolds for us in scripture.) Zechariah and Elizabeth were profoundly moved, marveling at God’s hand upon them and the blessed responsibility to raise John as the angel had ordered.

How have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life? Have you seen His provision, guidance, assistance in times of trouble or forgiveness? Deuteronomy 7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,” God is eternal and His faithfulness does not end. Lamentations 3:23-24 is a good verse to claim for God’s faithfulness. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Know that faithfulness is a part of God’s character and He will always be faithful. The same cannot be said of us, in 2 Timothy 2:13 “if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” Praise God even in our moments of faithlessness, like Zechariah in front of Gabriel, God remained faithful to him. He will do the same for each of us!

Linda

Invisible, Yet Present!

nofearlindaLeave a comment

The events that take place next warm my heart. Mary decides to leave right away and travel to her cousin Elizabeth’s house, in the Judean hills. There could be various possible reasons for Mary’s decision: the angel had told her that Elizabeth was expecting and Mary, knowing her cousin was older, may have thought she could be of help, she may not have wanted to stay around Nazareth as her pregnancy would become known and she would be a source of gossip and ridicule or she knew Elizabeth to be a godly woman and was seeking support and wisdom. Whatever the reason, immediately upon being greeted by Mary, this takes place.

Luke 1:39-45 and 56 “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her! verse 56 ”Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Scripture tells us an important fact about John in Luke 1:15b “and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.” So when Mary arrives and Elizabeth greets her, the baby, John, leaps in her womb. His spirit recognizes the Holy Spirit within Jesus. The meeting produces joy for the mother’s to be and their babies. The attribute I have chosen for today is Invisible. God is with us each and every moment of every day, and yet we do not feel or see Him. God is Spirit and we cannot see spirit. Just as we cannot see or feel sound waves, energy or atoms, we know they exist. God did make himself visible to us in His Son Jesus. In this story, we have the time before Jesus is born and and see and feel through the events the presence of our Invisible God. His Holy Spirit indwelled both John and Jesus! John reacted to the presence of Jesus and the joy was immediately transmitted to Elizabeth and Mary as joy.

I’m sure being together both women would felt more supported about their part of God’s plan. I would imagine that Mary’s presence was of great help and comfort to Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s wisdom, faithfulness and compassion would have helped Mary as she grew in her pregnancy. The timing of staying 3 months would mean that Mary stayed until John was born and named. When she returned home she would have been about 4 months pregnant and through the first possibly difficult months.

Invisible God made himself known to the Israelites in the Old Testament. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and spoke to him. God led the way as they crosses the desert using a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to show His presence. Paul wrote in Romans 1:20 “ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” We can see evidence of God through His creation and wonder at it. God assures us in Deuteronomy 31:6 that even though we cannot see Him, He is there! “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.” Thankfully, God saw fit to give us more, something tangible we could depend upon and see. Colossians 1:15 “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Hebrews 1:3a “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.” We have proof that Jesus lived and was seen by others, died for our sins and ascended back into heaven. Jesus was visible proof of our invisible God! Praise God for His provision of Jesus.

Today as you go about your day, see where you can see our invisible God at work. He is there with you just as He was with Mary and Elizabeth.

Linda

Waiting with Anticipation

nofearlinda1 Comment

Today we see Zechariah returned home, Elizabeth becoming with child and the fulfillment of God’s promises to them. Luke 1:23-25  “When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

God had granted Elizabeth the desire of her heart- a child. Being older, she was careful with her health and stayed in seclusion. Scholars are not sure why she did this but it allowed her time to honor God, worship him and revel in the miracle God had brought into her life. Her life had been one filled with disgrace due to barreness. I can’t even imagine the joy that possessed her with her pregnancy and the loss of her shame. She undoubtedly looked forward to the child and what God would do in and through him.

The attribute that I chose for today is Righteous. God is right in all He does. He has always been right and always will be right. His Words and actions are right. God’s timing for Elizabeth and Zechariah to have a child that would be the forerunner to Jesus was fixed by Him. So that it would be a special child of great significance, it needed to be long awaited and desired. God knew the love and devotion that John would receive from Elizabeth and Zechariah as their longed for child. He would need all the love and nurturing that they could give. I don’t know about you but when I wait for something a long time, it seems all the more precious. I cherish what I waited for and praise God over the rightness of His timing in my life.

During this waiting time, Zechariah could not speak. That would have added anticipation to their wait as they knew God had something special for both of them when the child arrived. I’m sure that Zechariah’s waiting time turned his doubt to belief that resulted in praise when the child arrived.

Do you doubt the rightness of God’s plan for your life? I know we all have times like Zechariah that we question God. The verse I claim when doubting the rightness and timing of God’s plan is 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.” I know that God keeps His promises and has plans that are for my good and His glory. God’s plans are perfect and right. Remember He is righteous and we can trust in Him always. Psalm 116:5 “The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” God’s rightness, grace and compassion are without limit. How fortunate are we to be a child of His!

Linda

A Walk of Trusting God

nofearlindaLeave a comment

We begin our Christmas journey with the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah as given in Luke 1:5-6.  “In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.”

Often we do not see the reason for our suffering. Elizabeth suffered socially and mentally with the burden of childlessness. It was thought that this was a curse from God as the ability to have children was a gift from God. Anyone who was barren was considered flawed and looked down upon. However, this did not diminish or change her character and both she and Zechariah were observant Jews and loved the Lord. Elizabeth did not know why she did not have children but as we will see, God had a plan and a purpose for them to fulfill. God is Omniscient. He knows all our circumstances, he is never surprised and there is no where in the spiritual or physical world that God is not. God knew about Elizabeth and Zechariah’s desire to have a child and their grief over being childless. However, they did not let their sorrow or grief turn to bitterness and kept faith in God and His plan for their lives.

I can relate to this story in so many ways. I, myself, waited 14 years for the arrival of my daughter. She arrived on December 1 to a family that was filled with anticipation, joy and thankfulness. Her name is also Elizabeth, after our grandmothers, and she is a constant joy in my life. Like Elizabeth and Hannah, I had prayed for a child and that did not happen naturally. God led us to an adoption agency that brought our daughter from Korea. I had prayed and claimed, as I’m sure Hannah and Elizabeth did too, Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God in His omniscience knew the child He had for us, but I had to walk believing in Him and trust Him for the future. I had to trust in His plans whether there was a child or not in my future. When scriptures tells us Elizabeth walked with God and was observant, I translate that to mean she believed and walked with God no matter what the future held.

How about you? Are you walking with God trusting Him for your future. I claim Jeremiah 29:11 and hold onto God’s goodness. “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 has plans for me and you, they will always be for our good and His glory. We may not see it today but we have to trust Him and know in His Omniscience His way is good.

As we see this story unfold, the of God’s goodness for Elizabeth and Zechariah is beyond their wildest imagining. The blessings will be multiplied and their trust in God magnified. May it be so with all of us!

Linda

Advent Day 11, Living Each Day for Him

nofearlindaLeave a comment

Today’s scripture is from Luke 1:5-17. Since I talked about Zachariah and his trouble with the angel in Advent Day 10, I want to focus on Luke 1:5-11 today. There is much we can learn about life, living and hope from Zachariah and Elizabeth.

“ During the rule of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest assigned service in the regiment of Abijah. His name was Zachariah. His wife was descended from the daughters of Aaron. Her name was Elizabeth. Together they lived honorably before God, careful in keeping to the ways of the commandments and enjoying a clear conscience before God. But they were childless because Elizabeth could never conceive, and now they were quite old. It so happened that as Zachariah was carrying out his priestly duties before God, working the shift assigned to his regiment, it came his one turn in life to enter the sanctuary of God and burn incense. The congregation was gathered and praying outside the Temple at the hour of the incense offering.” 

To me there are several key words in this passage that tell us a lot about Zachariah and Elizabeth. They were both descendants of Aaron, and therefore in the priestly line. Zachariah worked in the temple when it was his time to serve, and he did as he was assigned. They were godly people who lived lives that were pleasing to God and kept His commandments. They were advanced in years and childless. In those days if you were childless you were looked down upon and it was considered shameful. Because scripture points out they were upstanding and blameless before God we know this was not due to sin on their part. God was getting ready to do a miraculous work in their lives at a time when conceiving a child would have been thought impossible and could only be attributed to God.

If your family, friends and neighbors were to scrutinize your life- work, actions, words- would they consider you godly? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers that they were to be the light of the world. Matthew 5:14-15 ““You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Are you letting your light shine for Jesus? Do others see Jesus in your kindness, love and compassion? What impossible situations are you living through right now that need you to trust and rely upon Jesus so others can see your faith in action?

As you consider Zachariah and Elizabeth, think how they must have seemed to those around them to be consider blameless and upright. Ask Jesus to empower you through His Holy Spirit to shine His light to those around you today. Make it a habit to spread love and joy to others and live each day for Him.

Linda

Thankfulness, After the Long Wait

nofearlindaLeave a comment

The angel spoke to Zachariah and told him, much to his disbelief, that he and Elizabeth would have a child who would be used mightily by God. What of Elizabeth’s response? Did she say, “Oh, No, that can’t be as I’m well advanced in years?” “What do you mean I’m going to have a child, after all this time? Are you kidding?” Remembering that she was described as a godly woman who sought to serve the Lord, let’s consider her reply. Luke 1:23-25.

23 When Zechariah’s week of service in the Temple was over, he returned home. 24 Soon afterward his wife, Elizabeth, became pregnant and went into seclusion for five months. 25 “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children.”

Elizabeth was accepting of God’s gift of a child and filled with thankfulness. She deemed God’s actions toward her, causing her to be with child, as an act of great kindness. Here we see that the stigma of not being able to have a child had been a burden and a cause for great sorrow in her life. Instead of questioning the why’s of her situation, she accepted it gracefully and gave thanks. Because of her age the 5 months in seclusion were probably precautionary incase of miscarriage and to keep tongues from wagging on her behalf.

Think about your own life. How have you reacted to a long awaited person, place or event in your life? Do you say, “Well finally!” or Do you accept the timing and move forward? We see grace from Elizabeth. She accepted the favor and kindness from the Lord and used the opportunity to give thanks and glory to God. Does this resonate with you? Is your first response one of gratitude. Paul wrote to the Corinthians about gratitude for Jesus. 2 Corinthians 4:15 speaks to us about why we need to respond with gratitude for God’s hand in our lives. “All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.” Our gratitude is pleasing to Him and brings Him glory.

What do we learn about God from Elizabeth’s story? God is compassionate and desires to bless us. His timing is not our timing and we need to trust Him. God wanted this specific child, John, to be born to Zachariah and Elizabeth at just this time prior to His own son’s arrival. He wanted a godly couple who would love and care for this special child, and He chose the timing of his arrival. Zachariah and Elizabeth were blessed as they waited upon the Lord in their lives and when the timing was right, God gave them a child. Here we can see the reason for God’s timing but that is not always the case. As we go through life and experience God’s timing, we grow in faith and learn to trust Him more.

Linda

P.S. Like Elizabeth, I waited 14 years for the arrival of my Elizabeth. God’s timing was perfect for her to enter our lives. As I look back, I see that had she arrived earlier we would have struggled mightily. God knew when it was just the perfect time for us to have a child. It helped me to grow in faith and see His timing as a blessing.

Who can you help? Mary is our example

nofearlindaLeave a comment

Advent is a time when we need to show our faith to others and then tell them about Jesus by our actions. It is the perfect time for churches, religious groups and civic organizations help those in need due to poverty, hunger, unemployment and come alongside those who are suffering from broken relationships. Christians seek to show the love of Christ to others with deeds and not just with words. This year, 2022, has been particularly difficult as our nation has struggled to come out from under the global pandemic that has hit us hard economically, physically and mentally. The conditions have improved over 2021, but there are still a great number of people who are sick, out of work or lonely. I have an 80 year old friend that faithfully works at her church’s food bank sorting and filling bags of food for the hungry. Hunger and shortages still exist. Many of those seeking help have never had to ask before as they had always been self-sufficiently employed.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is eliz-and-mary.jpg

One verse in our Christmas story brought this to mind. Luke 1:56 speaks of Mary staying with Elizabeth for about 3 months then going home to Nazareth. “Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.” Scripture said that the angel appeared to Mary when Elizabeth was in her sixth month, “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,” Luke 1:26 Doing the math, it would seem that young Mary who was only just pregnant came to visit Elizabeth when Elizabeth was six months along. She stayed with Elizabeth in the last months of her pregnancy before John was born, when Zechariah was not able to talk (Luke 1:20), and she was probably a great comfort and blessing to this aged mother and father to be. We are not told in scripture that Mary was present when John was born, but I would imagine Mary stayed until John was born and then returned home. By helping Elizabeth and Zechariah, Mary was also blessed and comforted as she shared this time with them.

In this one verse God shows us how we are to be supportive of each other and stay the distance. My friend could go and help out occasionally at the food bank but she has made it a priority to give of herself 3 days a week. Many I know, prior to Covid, went regularly to nursing homes to share, sing and pray with residents or visit those in hospitals. Another friend had a brother that had a severe accident and the family ministered to him and nursed him back to health after being released from the hospital. Ministering to those in need shows godly character as we give, are compassionate, merciful and kind. It also opens the door for us to speak of our motivation for doing acts of kindness, Jesus.

As we seek to cope with our own fears after this pandemic, try to find a way to meet someone’s needs this week. It could be a phone call, text, card or letter to a friend you know is lonely or sick. Maybe you can make cookies or bread to leave on their doorstep. Know that things done serving others motivated by our love for Jesus pleases God. Jesus told us in John 13:34-35 ““A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Let the world see your love for Jesus through your actions of service towards one another this season and into the New Year.

Linda

Shared Joy!

nofearlindaLeave a comment

When was the last time you shared a joyous moment with a friend or relative? I hope it has not been too long as those are moments to be cherished. My sister and brother-in-law just celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversary! At dinner, we asked them to share their favorite trips, funny stories about their children, things growing up that impacted them, etc. It was a wonderful time of sharing. In today’s verses we see the joyous reunion of Elizabeth and Mary as they meet for the first time since they both were visited by the Holy Spirit’s power in a special way. Elizabeth in now 6 months into her pregnancy and Mary’s has just begun. We see Elizabeth’s joy at realizing her baby recognizes the mother of the Lord. This causes Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaim the coming of the Lord.

 “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” Luke 1:39-45

One of the things I cherish about this encounter is that it shows normal people engaging each other in normal ways. What is unusual about this encounter is the intervention of the Holy Spirit in their midst. We engage with people all the time, but have you stopped to think that you being indwelt by the Holy Spirit through your faith in Jesus bring the Holy Spirit with you into each encounter. As with Elizabeth and Mary, we need to let the joy of the Lord be with us in conversations and actions as we meet and greet others in our daily lives. God’s power within us has the power to effect and influence others for His good.

What words of praise do you give out? Ours will not be words of prophesy but can give life changing words of encouragement and hope. God has us where we are for His purpose, and we need to take opportunities to speak of Him as often as we can. You can speak words of hope by being a friend, listening with an open mind and heart, praying for the other person even as you speak with them. Look for the God opportunities today and share your joy!

Linda

What is your response? Praise or Disbelief?

nofearlindaLeave a comment

Today’s scripture focuses on Elizabeth and her reaction to the happenings in their lives. Luke 1:23-25 “When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Elizabeth saw what had happened to her husband Zechariah because of his unbelief when given the news about their coming child. Zechariah’s sudden muteness was proof of God’s power in a tangible way. Even though she had a reason to doubt that she could conceive and carry a child, as she was old, she responded with faith. Granted she had a bit more information than her husband as she learned about the angel’s message and saw first hand Zechariah’s inability to talk, she still chose to choose faith in the impossible rather than doubt. What about you? Do you seek to disbelieve when the evidence is right before you that God performed a miracle? Do you deny the resurrection because you were not there to see it yourself? Do you disbelieve that Jonah was swallowed by a big fish and was inside the fish for 3 days? Do you disbelieve that miracles of Elijah and Elisha and discount them as untrue? The Bible is filled with miracles given by God to bless his people and increase their faith. To enjoy and experience the miracles of God one must believe!

Let’s look at Elizabeth’s words in response to her pregnancy. She spent time in seclusion to care for the child that was growing inside her. She was protective of this miracle of life that God had given her. She counted it a blessing as God had removed her barrenness and favored her. Being barren was considered a disgrace in her time and caused by God. Elizabeth was glowing as she gave God all the credit and praise for the miracle of life He had given to her. She did not question God’s timing- like why did I have to wait so long? Why did this happen in my old age? No, she praised God and thanked Him for His favor. What about you? Are you one who is quick to thank God? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Like Elizabeth, our first words need to be ones of thanks.

Think about what is happening around you right now. What do you have to be thankful for and what miracles has God provided in your life? As you reflect on your life with thanksgiving, you will see in a fresh or new way the beauty and praise in Elizabeth’s words and actions.

Linda

How Do You Prepare for the Unexpected?

nofearlindaLeave a comment

Regardless of our age, God is the God of the unexpected. He is constantly surprising me with His provision, His help in times of need, His grace and the way God resolves problems in unexpected ways. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is truly one of great surprise. Elizabeth and Zechariah were old and she was beyond child bearing age. She had tried for years to have children but was unable to conceive. She did not let her barrenness grow into bitterness because scripture tells us they were righteous in the sight of God. They held Him and His ways in highest regard and loved serving Him. Zechariah was not prepared for the message the angel came to deliver as we will see tomorrow.

 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. Luke 1:5-11

What does this small portion of Jesus’ story show us about God? God uses ordinary people like you and me to do His work. In 2 Corinthians 6:7-8 Paul talks about working for God. “We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are not always well received as Paul admits but God has a purpose and work for each one of us. Following God leads to righteous behavior and contentment even in difficult times. 1 Timothy 6:6-7 reminds us of this truth, “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.”

As you ponder this godly couple today, think about your commitment to God. Are you filled with faith regardless of the circumstances? Are you letting the root of bitterness grow when you don’t seem to get your way? Are you ready for God to surprise you this season? Open your heart to Him as His story, truths and love unfold for us this Christmas.

Linda