Day 345 – On the 11th Day of Christmas – Sometimes God calls us to go home.

Luke 2:4 “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.”

In the busyness of the Christmas season we jump from office party to office party, from shopping to shopping and a little more shopping, to social event to church event to school event, but we tend to neglect the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the season with our own family. With all the going and doing we are training our children that this is what Christmas is all about.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m the worst of the worst with this, I love all the going and doing. But sometimes I hear God saying, “Sit. Be still. Stay home. Show your children and your husband the same love I gave the world by being present like the Gift of My Son at Christmas.”

See the reason for the season is to be grateful for the Savior being born for us, and if you dig a little deeper, it’s to also recognize and worship the Lord through the same gift He gave us, LOVE. The best way to show this love to our families isn’t by being on the go, running from one place to the next, but by being Home, physically, spiritually, and mentally.

Why not set a aside certain days this Christmas Season just for your family, read the Story of Christmas, have a conversation, watch a Christmas movie together, and just enjoy each other at home.

Day 344 – On the 10th Day of Christmas – Jesus was born into the World but He wasn’t of the World.

Luke 2:1-2 “At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.”

At the time of Jesus’ birth the world was still turning and the government still working. People had to follow the rules and function within an imperfect world. There’s no difference today!

We as Christians can’t expect the world around us to be perfect, instead we must live in the world perfectly…in Christ’s will. We must love, be humble, bring His good news wherever we go. We may be in the world but not be part of the world as Christians, however, it is still turning around us.

Don’t let the world bring you down, instead bring Joy to the world as Christ did also.

John 17:13, 16-18 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.”

Go…live in the world…filling it with Joy….just don’t let the world live in you.

Day 343 – On the 9th Day of Christmas – God always gives us another option.

Matthew 1:19-21, 24 “Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.”

Going through life, with all the decisions that have to be made, I’ve learned that there’s always another option. With some decisions, when you make them there’s an easy fix, but with others there can be life altering consequences.

When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant he thought he had 2 choices, divorce her quietly or have her stoned, but God came to him in his sleep, and gave him another option, marry her. This option would be risky, but Joseph trusted God and decided to follow through with this decision. Aren’t we all grateful he did!

In life, we all come to a crossroad, where only 2 options or sometimes even 1 seems appropriate for the situation we are in, but we need to look to God for His wisdom and to find the option He is giving us. Sometimes God’s options are in the most unlikely of places, but are the greatest option of all.

Day 342 – On the 8th day of Christmas – We must prepare ourselves for the path ahead.

Luke 1:80 “John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.”

It was prophesied that John the Baptist would be the one to prepare the way for the Lord to come, but for him to be ready for his ministry he had to remove himself from all distractions. John would go into the wilderness for years to grow in the scriptures and his walk with the Lord. It wasn’t an overnight transformation, or a cram for a test kind of study time. This was years of studying the Word with deep prayer and meditation that would prepare him for the ministry he had been called to do.

It’s really the same for you and me. The path God calls us on isn’t always going to be easy, but we’ve always got to be ready. It isn’t going to help us if we just hang on to our proclamation of being saved, we need to be studying the word, praying daily, laying aside our time for His time. We all have daily duties at home, at work and even possibly at school, but we first need to set aside a daily time to get in our wilderness and grow in the Lord.

Luke 9:23 “Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

This is my battle cry, this is where I find my wilderness, in laying aside my desires for Him I arise before the mice, and prepare for the day ahead.

Where is your wilderness? Where will you set aside the time to Prepare the way for the Lord.

Day 341 – On the 7th Day of Christmas – We are to encourage one another in the way of the Lord.

Luke 1:59-66 “When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father. But Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John!” “What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.” So they used gestures to ask the baby’s father what he wanted to name him. He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is John.” Instantly Zechariah could speak again, and he began praising God. Awe fell upon the whole neighborhood, and the news of what had happened spread throughout the Judean hills. Everyone who heard about it reflected on these events and asked, “What will this child turn out to be?” For the hand of the Lord was surely upon him in a special way.”

At the usual ceremony for the birth of a baby, Elizabeth and Zechariah celebrated John, their son, for becoming part of God’s covenant nation. All their friends and family came to welcome the baby and give Elizabeth their 2 cents on what the baby’s name should be. But as Zechariah wrote the name John on a tablet, his mouth opened and his voice returned. His friends and family were in awe. They didn’t just celebrate John there, they spread the news of the child throughout the whole neighborhood.

When we hear news, either good or bad, we should be an encouragement to one another. We should lift our friends and family up because the news we here is all a part of God’s plan. It may be easier to take a back seat, no seat, or rumor seat, but then we are squelching the light of Christ. No matter the situation, no matter the story, if it’s good – be happy for one another, if its bad – try to be an encouragement, or if it’s sad – let them lean on your shoulder. Be there for your fellow family in Christ and help them in any way you can.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”

Look around, who could you be an encouragement to today?

Day 340 – On the 6th Day of Christmas – We shall respond with Praise!

Luke 1:46-50 “Mary responded,“ 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.”

Mary praised the Lord before she fully knew the outcome of this blessed pregnancy. She praised Him because of His Sovereignty, because she trusted Him, and as an act of Worship.

Some situations we find ourselves in make it seem easier for us to hide and ask Why Lord, but what He wants from us is a response of Praise.

Psalm 145:1-3 “I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness.”

We should praise Him for all He does and for His great love for us. Our circumstances may change but His love never will.

It takes laying down our ways, giving ourselves fully to Him, and saying through our actions, He is truly Worthy to be Praised. When the storm clouds seem to be circling around and the rain begins coming down, Praise His Holy Name. For the storm brings the rain and the rain waters the fields and through the rain the harvest grows. The same goes for the storms in your life, they will rain down on you difficulties that will allow your Faith to grow through perseverance, bearing more fruit for Him with every glimpse of the Son. So as the light shines down on the bounty and the storms come rolling through let us Respond with Praise!

Day 339 – On the 5th Day of Christmas – God has called you Blessed.

Luke 1:42-45 “Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Mary had been visited by an Angel, impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and trusted God with the chance of being ostracized by her betrothed and family. Hoping to be comforted in her current situation, she runs to see her relative Elizabeth.

When I do what the Lord wants me to and know I’m not going to change my mind, I still want to know at least one person with wisdom agrees with the decision I’ve made. But no matter the circumstance or the unrest I might feel God has called me blessed. And He has blessed you too!

He has blessed you because you believed what He said was true. He has blessed you because you believe in His Son and that He is the Lord of Lords, Our Savior, and God.

Psalm 23:4-5 “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”

God has blessed you, His child, more than you could ever count. Whenever you begin to question the path the Lord has you on, remember, He has given you the Promise of His Son, you have trusted in Him, and your cup overflows with blessings, too.

On the 4th Day of Christmas – We say YES to the call even when everything and everyone around us says, it’s so much easier to say NO.

Luke 1:38 “Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.”

Mary had many reasons to say No. If Joseph turned her away for being pregnant she could have been ostracized from the community, even her parents could have told her to leave, and then she would have to beg and possibly sell herself into prostitution. But instead of taking the easy way out, she trusted the LORD and said YES, ” I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants.”

When God asks us to do something out of our comfort zone or even something that may in the beginning seem like it will cause us harm, it definitely can lead us to disregard His request. However, the Lord will still get the job done, it may just be with someone else. For His reasons and His plan He wants you. He wants you to give your all, no matter the cost.

13 years ago I was living quite comfortably, but God had been working on me for a while to go into ministry. I completely knew the CALL, but I thought I could do that plus what I was already doing. It seemed too hard for my family if I quit what I was doing. We would struggle, But God wouldn’t let me go. So I quit my job and began to wait. In the wait we began to loose everything we thought meant so much, But my Testimony GREW. One YES at a time, one step at a time, all in His time.

As I look back at my sweet little family from that time, I think, was it worth it? Yes, absolutely YES! For, I am the Lord’s Servant, and I am willing to accept whatever He wants.

Esther 4:14 “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Are you ready to say “YES”?

On the 3rd Day of Christmas – Nothing is Impossible with God.

Luke 1:34-37 “Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Here’s sweet Mary, betrothed to Joseph, yet haven’t consummated their vows. She’s so confused and rightly so, but God sends her an angel who assures her that this is only possible because of God. The Holy Spirit would be the one to come upon her.

Sometimes when praying I know immediately that the Holy Spirit just moved within me. Literally move me and go to whatever or whomever I’m praying for. The Lord hears and answers all my prayers how He sees fit, but sometimes He just answers in the immediacy of the moment and I feel it. For me, I trust it’s the Holy Spirit that’s abiding in me and moving me, just like the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and raised Jesus from the dead.

Romans 1:4 “and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.”

17 years ago I began noticing the Holy Spirit move as I lay begging the Lord for a child. You see, I had miscarried our “Hosea” at about week 12 of pregnancy a couple of months before and was ready to bear another child. During my pleading I felt the Holy Spirit move, I did a pregnancy test and it came back positive. I would have only been 3 and a half weeks along but I wanted to see my doctor immediately. After checking me out, the doctor said, “Kristen, I really don’t think your pregnant. I think this was a false positive from hormones remaining from your last pregnancy, but you can come in tomorrow for a sonogram so we are sure.” Boy was the doctor surprised when the tech said, “Here’s baby #1 and Here’s baby #2.”

Things may not always seem plausible but God makes All things Possible!