Day 355 – On the 21st Day of Christmas – We must learn to run to Jesus.

Luke 2:16, “They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was a baby, lying in the manger.”

The shepherds wasted no time in going to see Jesus. Different translations said they hurried or came with haste. No matter the translation, the shepherds were ready to see Jesus the promised Messiah and they weren’t going to wait around for others to tell them or ask others if it was a good idea, they were going to run straight to Him.

Everyday we have an opportunity to run straight into the arms of our loving Savior, the one who gave His life for us. There are decisions to be made, comfort needed, peace required, and miracles desired. And the only one we should be running to is Jesus.

One day, each one of us will have another opportunity to physically run into His arms, do you think we will wait on that day to ask for directions? Don’t wait today either! RUN to Jesus, He is the author and perfecter of your Faith, and He is waiting for you!

Day 354 – On the 20th Day of Christmas – We must continue to Seek the Lord.

Luke 2:15 “When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

In this Season we see all the glistening lights, all the brightly decorated Christmas trees, the fun Christmas sweaters and shirts, the cookies full of icing, and the presents piled high. All of theses should be pointing us to the Lord, not just to remember Him, but to Seek Him. Truly seek His every will, His divine Peace, His love for others, everything He desires of us.

We should see all the signs of the season and be drawn closer to Him, deeper in His Word, more faithful in Prayer, and more active in putting His word into action.

After the Angels told the shepherds of the great news of Our Savior being born, they didn’t continue on in the same way, they didn’t go back out to the fields to watch their sheep, they set out to see the baby, the Messiah. We too should see all the signs of the season, lay down our own selfish desires, and go seek the Lord.

Day 353 – On the 19th Day of Christmas – There’s an army of angels from heaven watching over you and declaring you Peace.

Luke 2:13-14 “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

God has this vast army that guards the heavens, but He also assigns them to watch over you and me. They are following God’s every command. They are fulfilling His every desire. And one things for sure, for all of us, His desire is Peace.

This Peace, “A” Peace, that transcends all understanding, that covers us in times of confusion and times of unrest. It’s that reassurance that everything is just as He planned, just as it should be. He has His heavenly host out guarding us from all kinds of evil, watching over us day and night. Marking our steps, reaching out their hands, covering our hurts, helping us through. They are declaring that we live in Peace, and it takes a lot of Forgiveness, Grace, and Mercy to do this.

But He has given us this, through His Son, and we should see it, especially now, at the celebration of His birth. Jesus, the giver of Forgiveness, Grace and Mercy. We can take our cue from Him. Do you? Do you need this Peace? Think about it, is there someone you need to forgive? He forgave you. Your Heavenly Angel is encouraging you, ‘you can do this’ they say, ‘Jesus has supplied all you need.’ Go, Seek Peace from the Lord, and watch as the Heavenly Host sings To His Glory. It will be as though the Heavens open wide and the Earth declares His Name! “Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men! The Savior has Arrived.”

Day 352 – On the 18th Day of Christmas – We will recognize the Lord.

Luke 2:12 “And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Sometimes things aren’t as we think they should be. No one seems to be who they say they are, and we may wonder, is the Lord even among us. The world can be such a dark place, but we will always recognize the Lord. He is the good that we see, He is the rainbow that you needed to see, He is in that billboard that speaks directly to you, He is the Word of God that pierces your heart. The Lord may seem covered by the worries of the world, the darkness that casts shadows on the path, but when we pull all of that away and strip the layers off, He is hidden right there in our hearts. And we WILL recognize Him!

Jeremiah 24:7 “I will give them hearts that recognize me as the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me wholeheartedly.”

As you look for the Lord this Christmas, hidden under the headlines, shopping bags, long lines, and frustrated drivers, remember, He’s been hidden in your heart, He’s wrapped in the warmth of the Holy Spirit. Be still, you will recognize Him, and find what you’ve really been looking for.

Day 351 – On the 17th Day of Christmas – The Messiah is BORN.

Luke 2:11 “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”

Every time a baby is born, it truly is HUGE news! But no greater child has or will ever be born than our Savior and LORD, Jesus Christ.

I can almost see the shepherds as they get this news. Spinning around and around, questioning the Angel, “But where, when, how….can we see Him…why have you told us?” It was the biggest and best birth announcement ever!

A sweet baby boy, lay in a manger, no crib for a bed.

“And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6b

What wonderful news! News that will eventually travel the Globe and fill the earth. Our Messiah has been born. Through His Life we will be saved. Thank you God for this baby, Emmanuel, God with Us!

Day 350 – On the 16th Day of Christmas – We have the assurance of Christ to not be afraid, but have Hope in great news.

Luke 2:10 “but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”

Here were the shepherds out in the field minding their own business when an angel appears to them, this wasn’t an angel in human form, but one with great magnitude and bright lights. No wonder they were afraid, they didn’t know what was to come. However, the angel said “Do not be Afraid for I bring you some really good news.” And the news they brought would be long awaited, wonderful news!

All the news we get here on earth isn’t always great, and the people that have to deliver it aren’t always angels. If we depend upon earthly news to get us through the minute, day, month, and year, we will definitely struggle along through the days of life. Instead, we need to rest assured in the good news given to the shepherds, for we are like the common shepherd, and we have received the greatest news ever. Every Christmas we are reminded of that news and that most wonderful gift. There is no need to be afraid of what news will come from the doctor, on tv, from the bank, or from the lawyer or judge. We need to focus on the news from the angel and the assurance of Hope that we now have in Christ!

Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”

Seek the News this Christmas that will bring Hope to your Heart and Keep that Gift stored there until He arrives again.

Day 349 – On the 15th Day of Christmas – The Radiance of the Lord’s Glory will surround those who humbly obey Him.

Luke 2:8-9 “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,”

Shepherds, the lowest of the lowly, out in the field doing their job, became the first to be visited after Jesus birth. It wasn’t the perfume seller, the clothing designer, the king or any of his family, it was those who were humbly obedient to the Lord. And when they were visited by the Lord’s Angel the Lord’s Glory shined all around them.

Think about the lowly Christmas tree without its lights. It’s nothing special just growing there in a tree farm or possibly on a mountainside somewhere. The leaves may be evergreen, but never ever perfect. Always a hole here or there, but just right for that BIG ornament. When the lights and ornaments get added and the star gets placed on the top, it becomes transformed from its humble beginnings into something beyond beautiful. It shines with all the Glory of the light it was given, more than any little light should be able to shine.

We are like the shepherds and the Christmas tree, when we humbly go about our days, staying obedient to the Lord. It is in these moments that His Glory will shine from us. However, when we focus on seeking Fame, Fortune and the beauty of the World, sadly, only darkness will find us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.”

In all humility, Shine for Christ this Christmas.

Day 347 – On the 13th Day of Christmas – God does everything in His perfect timing.

Luke 2:6 “And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born.”

Everything is done in God’s perfect timing. We may not be able to comprehend the reason why, but we can’t deny His timing.

Mary probably wanted her mother to be near or at least her relative Elizabeth, but instead, her baby would be born away from everyone. But God knew who He wanted to be there (the humble shepherds) and that it was time to bring this Amazing Miracle into this World.

Galatians 4:4 “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.”

God’s timing is perfect, exactly when we need it, even though we may think we know better. We must wait, be patient, and trust His Sovereignty. For when the right time comes He will work everything out!

Ephesians 1:10 “And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.”

What are you waiting on or what do you think came to soon or at the wrong time? Trust In Him and His timing, in the end you will see the miracle that He had planned.

Day 348 – On the 14th Day of Christmas – We aren’t meant to be comfortable.

Luke 2:7 “She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”

Of all the places for a King to be born, He was born into the most humble, uncomfortable feeding trough around. Mary had just had a long hard road to travel on and when she gets to the place she’s going to, I know she was hoping to find a comfortable bed to lie her head on, kick up her feet, and deliver the Son of God, the King of Kings, but instead there was no room for them anywhere and a nice inn keeper gave her space in his stable where the animals were. This, by no means, was comfortable.

Jesus wasn’t born into comfort, he was born in a stable, wrapped with pieces of cloth that they could scrounge up, and placed in a feeding trough. But the comfortless birth didn’t change who He was, it only made Him more human.

God doesn’t call us to be comfortable, He calls us to stand out when we’re uncomfortable. Our life should be marked with growth and growth comes in the fire, in the heat, and the hard times. He should be our only comfort, the one we seek, the one we follow, the one we praise when we’re at our weakest point. If Jesus could be born in a manger, we should choose joy in every uncomfortable moment, day, week, or year we find ourself in. He is our example, He is our comfort, He is our reason to keep moving forward in the hard times, to Glorify His name.

2 Corinthians 4:8-10, 16-17 “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!”

Day 346 – On the 12th Day of Christmas – This road we travel may be long and hard, but once we get where we’re going it’s completely worth it.

Luke 2:4-5 “And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.”

Mary, while pregnant, and Joseph had 70 miles to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem probably on the back of a donkey (our modern day suburban). The road wasn’t paved or clean, instead dusty, rocky, and overgrown.

Poor Mary didn’t have it easy, yet she was ready for the road ahead. Mary knew when she got to where she was going she would have the Son of God.

Our own road ahead is much like Mary’s, far from easy. If we focus on the end result we can gain strength for the journey. We can’t let the bumps in the road stop us from continuing on the path God has laid out for us. We must forge ahead with joy in our heart and peace in our mind on the road marked out for us. We have a great promise of Heaven waiting up ahead. What a glorious day it will be when we meet our Savior face to face.

Don’t let someone or something deter you from seeking our Savior, He’s the only one that can help smooth out your road and He’s the reason to keep on keeping on!

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”