Meditation: December 23

“For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” John 18:37

Jesus gave us a clear picture of the Nativity. There is a purpose for every birth. But His birth was not like any other. He knew why He was born and why and when He was to die. Many live and die never knowing why they were permitted to occupy a particular space in a particular period of time. The Nativity has to do with the place, conditions, and the circumstances of the birth of Jesus. “For this cause…” A cause that would affect the whole of humanity would come to light as the result of a child that was born. He was the gift given to us by God to save the world from the consequences of sin which was resident within all. His life was the resounding amen to the Truth of God. Christmas is about mankind coming into agreement with God. As Jesus bore witness to the truth, we are to be made witnesses of Jesus Christ. The world will know the reality of Christ through those us who hear and believe on the One who was born to live for us and to die for us. 

Meditation: December 22

“But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.” Ephesians 5:13

The order of creation was established in the light. God created light and divided it from darkness before any other thing was made. It was the light that sustained all and made manifest all other things. It was in the light that Adam was able to identify and classify by naming what was before him. He was a co-laborer with God because he could distinguish the difference between one thing and another. God raises children with discernment. We were made to see all things from His perspective and not from another. The light of His Word exposes what has been hidden so that none is left to blindly wander about in life. What is released through those who carry God’s Word will destroy the works of darkness done by Satan. Walk in the light and do not entertain or fellowship with the works of darkness.

Meditation: December 21

“He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs”. Psalm 103:10 (MSG)

If we received what we deserved, every inhabitant on the earth’s surface would warrant the consequences of their transgressions. Our treatment would be harsh while the sentence would be measured against the deserving. None would be able to survive the plight of heavy-handed justice from a God who would remain just in meeting all with the same treatment commensurate to their treatment of God’s Law. God does not give us what we deserve even when it is deserved many times over as result of repeated acts of rebellion. Instead of justice, He tempers justice with mercy. His sentiments remain the same in relation to our deeds. But continues to extend opportunities for us to hear something different than what we may have grown accustomed to hearing in order to give expression to a new way of living. His mercy cannot be demanded. It is arbitrarily granted. He will have mercy on whomever He wills. Yet we all receive it extended towards us. He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. The time will come when all will be both compensated and rewarded. They will either receive the wages of sin, death, or the gift of God, eternal life. He has given us a Savior that we did not deserve. Jesus is the gift of life that has paid the wages for our sins. Only He is able to free us from what every person deserves.

Meditation: December 19

“Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?” Job 11:7

The deep things of God are baffling to the mind. It is impossible for any person to wrap their minds around the mysteries that are hidden from the exploration of an inquiring mind. The rhetorical question of Job was for those questioned to consider how little they currently know about Him. Even when a depth is reached, there remains an immeasurable depth left unexplored. Our depth is shallow in contrast to reservoir of knowledge in reserve for the humble soul who would surrender His all to Him. These things have been hidden from the wise and prudent, yet He (Christ) reveals them to His babes.

The deep things of God is hidden in Christ. In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. It is more than the story of His life on the earth. But the plan of redemption and the hope of man’s future glory state are contained in Christ Jesus. The mysteries of the Kingdom of God are given and not excavated. Jesus is the free gift given to all who would receive Him. When one accepts His finished work on the Cross as being sufficient for all that opposed God dwelling within themselves, then what is completed can be appropriated to their lives.  They are available to all who seek Him and not the fragments of knowledge apart from Him.

Meditation: December 18

“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults.” Psalm 19:12

The degrees and dimensions of transgressions are not easily and readily understood. It is extremely difficult for a person who is engaged in an act to fully understand the full effect of that act upon others was well as his own future. This is also true both in doing good as well as doing evil. God measures the distance between His heart and our own which is affected by deeds done daily. We are forging character one act at a time into becoming whatever we will ultimately become. Those things done in secret are things that produce both guilt and shame. The reason why they are hidden is because the objective is to conceal them from any other ever knowing about them. But ultimately our character will deceive us into making public what we once tried to hide. When it is known there appears no reason to further hide it. Who can know the depth of such errors? We need to be cleansed of anything that we would rather not be made public. Then we will not reach a place of becoming so desensitized as to blatantly rebel against God without any guilt or shame.

Meditation: December 16

“Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” Isaiah 7:11

God extended an invitation to an evil king to request a sign. It was His challenge to reveal degrees of His authority either in heaven, the earth, or under the earth. The offer to the king was to choose for himself the means for which God would make His presence known. It would change the course of history and provide for those who would receive it a new destiny. It would be for him personally to empower him to govern in righteousness and peace. If any lacks wisdom, ask God. He condescends to our level. A wicked and perverse generation seeks after a sign in unbelief. They place the burden of proof upon God’s shoulders with a predisposed view what is real or not. God still allows Himself to be questioned by the unbelieving world with a willingness to provide evidence of the truth in contrast to error of her ways. Even though the king rejected the offer, Jesus came into the world as the sign and a wonder to the world. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

Meditation: December 15

“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

Our works or the lack thereof is a direct result of thoughts. The primary occupation is assigned to us by God in Christ. What we think of Christ will determine the degree of work we would freely engage. He wants us to see and understand that we have been assigned to be a part of something so magnificent and glorious that none could possibly comprehend all that is involved in it. That portion we have come to partially understand must be committed to the Lord. As we move in it, He reveals more of Himself as well as entrusting to us a greater measure of stewardship. Then our participation will never merely be out of obligation, but rather an intriguing journey of knowing aspects of Christ which were beforehand beyond our reach. When we participate with Him in His work, we discover that His yoke is easy and His burdens are light.

Meditation: December 14

“Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2

Many are the thoughts of an active mind. Thoughts rush in as life’s experiences appear to build a defense against the truth. The rational mind is only able to see certain aspects of any situation. Our position on earth limits us from seeing the whole picture. Therefore, we must trust God who sees all and knows all before we wrongly judge a thing. Guard your heart from becoming bitter as result of circumstances. But by all means, guard your tongue from speaking idle words or rash words void of knowledge. Only the truth that comes down for heaven is able to produce within you the confidence that is needed. God in heaven has a panoramic view of all things and know how they are able to synergize together for the good of those who love Him. He gives knowledge both ahead of time to settle you.  But in times of reflection or in retrospect or reflections you will see that He was there all the while working in ways in which He alone is able. Therefore let your words be few and not spoken in haste, but wait on God to show you what He is in the process of doing.

Meditation: December 13

“You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Divine guidance is the most precious possession of any being. To be equipped for great effectiveness is important, but to be directed towards the very thing for which one is appointed is of much more value. There are many who are equipped but misguided. They squander away their lives rather than using what God had made available to complete them. His intention is to show us the path of life. When we see the Kingdom of God, we will desire to enter in. He will then guide us on the path that we have been enabled to see. What greater joy can be experienced than this? When we know that our path leads to the fullness of life and that more abundantly! Only God is able to give us what we so desperately need. He has given us His Son. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Through having faith in His precious Word, we see what would otherwise have been missing in our search for significance. May all be led on this path to a greater purpose.

Meditation: December 12

“One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25

His former condition of blindness was forever changed. He could see that healing could come forth through the Man who had laid His hands on him. This led to a kind of searching faith to discover the identity of the Person who could do what would otherwise be impossible. There was a plethora of information available that could be fodder for future arguments and discussions. But they would be theoretical and not necessarily factual. He was absolutely convinced of one thing that required no further discussion. He knew that He was blind, but now he is seeing. Many are in search for many things to convince them. Their doubt and unbelief restrict them from experiencing the Lord’s presence. This one thing that is known can be the watermark for all the other things that is yet to be revealed. If Jesus could heal him of his blindness, what other things may be possible for him to receive from the Lord? We are to cherish the one thing that we know. If we can believe that God is, then we can grow to trust Him to be the rewarder of all who would diligently seek Him.